Politics
Wednesday, 23 February 2022
Most Projects in Zagreb Agreed Through Ministry of Culture and Media, Minister Says
ZAGREB, 23 Feb 2022 - Minister of Culture and Media Nina Obuljen Koržinek said on Wednesday that Croatia found itself in a situation that isn't regulated by the EU Solidarity Fund (ESF) by experiencing two major earthquakes in relatively the same region in one year. Speaking on Croatian Radio regarding post-earthquake reconstruction, Obuljen Koržinek said that Croatia was hit by two separate earthquakes in 2020 in the midst of COVID, when intervention was made even more difficult. She underscored that the European Commission inspected Croatia's intervention plans for Zagreb and for the Banovina region, where more than half the ESF was allocated, and accepted Croatia's arguments and allowed it to absorb the entire allocation. "The majority…
Wednesday, 23 February 2022
It's Important to Respect Presumption of Innocence, Minister Obuljen Koržinek
ZAGREB, 23 Feb 2022 - Culture and Media Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek said on Wednesday she condemned any suspicion of a dishonourable act, wherever it came from, but that it was important to respect the presumption of innocence, notably regarding Deputy PM Boris Milošević and the allocation of incentives. The USKOK anti-corruption office is accusing Milošević of abuse of office in the allocation of incentives to businesses alongside five other persons, including Darko Horvat, who was arrested on Saturday and relieved of duty as construction minister. Speaking on Croatian Radio, Obuljen Koržinek said the matter was under investigation. "It's important not to create hysteria,…
Wednesday, 23 February 2022
MPs Talk Former Minister Horvat's Arrest
ZAGREB, 23 Feb 2022 - Some opposition MPs on Wednesday commented on the arrest of former minister Darko Horvat on suspicion of abuse of office, and the case of allocating incentives in a non-transparent fashion. Katarina Peović of the Workers' Front said the ruling HDZ party "is the third natural disaster, after the pandemic and the earthquakes," that had hit Croatia. She said that in 2018, when Horvat served as economy minister, he was texting with his aide on the allocation of incentives to small businesses in a non-transparent fashion, while the Uljanik shipyard was in agony. "The only thing…
Wednesday, 23 February 2022
Attorney Confirms Hiring by Deputy Prime Minister Milošević
ZAGREB, 23 Feb 2022 - Attorney Anto Nobilo said on Tuesday that Deputy Prime Minister Boris Milošević hired him after the USKOK anti-corruption office accused him of incitement to abuse of office in the allocation of incentives to businesses. Speaking to Hina, Nobilo said he was now waiting to see the case file so that he could start preparing a defence. He said Milošević had not been questioned at USKOK nor summoned, and that he would not state his defence before seeing the case file. Nobilo said Milošević was accused of incitement to abuse of office. Speaking for RTL television earlier…
Wednesday, 23 February 2022
Unofficial Source Claims Stjepan Curaj Could Take Darko Horvat's Place
February the 23rd, 2022 - An unofficial source has suggested that Darko Horvat's replacement could be Stjepan Curaj, but this is yet to be confirmed in any sense with any certainty. The now former Minister Darko Horvat is being held in custody following his arrest for alleged corruption, about which we've written extensively since the situation occurred over the past few days. USKOK swooped in and as much as PM Andrej Plenkovic tried to calm things, people are rightly up in arms about yet another minister being investigated and arrested for the apparently age-old (alleged) crime of corruption. As Poslovni…
Tuesday, 22 February 2022
Construction Minister Candidate From HDZ By Week's End, Says Deputy PM
ZAGREB, 22 Feb 2022 - Deputy Prime Minister Tomo Medved said on Tuesday the HDZ would nominate a construction minister candidate from its ranks by the end of the week because some ruling coalition partners did not accept the idea to nominate Stjepan Čuraj of the Croatian People's Party. The first item on the agenda was the partners' position on relations within the coalition, Medved told the press after talks with the coalition partners on a candidate for the minister of physical planning, construction and state assets after Darko Horvat was relieved of duty on Saturday. Medved said the coalition was…
Tuesday, 22 February 2022
Croatia Wants March EU Summit to Discuss Bosnia
ZAGREB, 22 Feb 2022 - EU general affairs ministers began in Brussels on Tuesday to prepare the agenda of the next EU summit due in March, and Croatia has requested that the summit discuss Bosnia and Herzegovina. "Croatia has pointed out that it would like to see a European Council debate on Bosnia and Herzegovina," said the state secretary at the Foreign Ministry, Andreja Metelko Zgombić. She said the dangerous Ukraine situation should not overshadow the situation in BiH, which is at a key moment of talks on electoral reform aimed at eliminating all forms of discrimination in the election process and ensuring…
Tuesday, 22 February 2022
Croatian Ministry Stands Firm in Support of Ukraine's Sovereignty
ZAGREB, 22 Feb 2022 - The Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs on Monday condemned the Russian decision to recognise the two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent entities. The Ministry tweeted that the decision made by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the recognition of the self-proclaimed Donetsk/Luhansk is violation of "Ukraine territorial integrity, international law, the Minsk agreements, undermining a diplomatic solution. " "We stand firm in support of Ukraine's sovereignty," the ministry says. Prime Minister Andrej Plenković also joined in the condemnation of the recognition of the two separatist regions. Many western countries and international organisations…
Tuesday, 22 February 2022
Croatia Condemns Russia's Recognition of Ukrainian Separatist Regions
ZAGREB, 22 Feb 2022 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Monday evening condemned Russia's decision to recognise the self-proclaimed regions in eastern Ukraine. "We condemn the recognition the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which constitutes the violation of international law and the territorial integrity of Ukraine," PM Plenković tweeted on Monday evening. We, together with European partners, express solidarity with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people, the PM added. The Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs also condemned the decision of Russian President Vladimir Putin to recognise the two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent entities. The decision…
Monday, 21 February 2022
Right-Wing Opposition: Why Would Left-Wing Opposition Be Better than Present Government?
21 February, 2022 - The demand by the centre-left opposition parties in the Croatian parliament on Monday for an early election and the Bridge party's initiative for dissolution of parliament received a lukewarm response from right-wing parties. "Croatian Sovereignists are of the view that there should be a radical government reshuffle because this government has lost its legitimacy. If that does not happen, we should not shun away from an early election," the party's MP Marijan Pavliček said while commenting on the demand for an early election following the arrest of Economy Minister Darko Horvat. He said that an early…
Monday, 21 February 2022
Dunja Magaš to Head Construction Ministry Until New Minister is Appointed
21 February, 2022 - Until a new minister is appointed, state secretary Dunja Magaš will head the Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković decided on Monday. Prime Minister Plenković decided today that the state secretary in the ministry Magaš will manage the ministry until a new minister is appointed, government spokesman Marko Milić told Hina. The prime minister's decision comes after Horvat stepped down in the wake of being arrested and being remanded in custody, accused by the USKOK anti-corruption office of abuse of office and powers. With reference to Deputy Prime Minister Boris Milošević's resignation, the government…
