Politics

ZAGREB, 9 May 2021 - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Sunday forwarded a message on the occasion of Europe Day, calling on his citizens to continue their commitment to the Europe of peace, social justice, and economic development. "Europe Day is being marked this year in such circumstances when we are faced with the biggest global challenges since the Second World War" Plenković underscores. Therefore this is an occasion for us to recall that the visionary idea of a united and democratic Europe, as a safeguard for permanent peace and solidarity and prosperity of European peoples, was born in the aftermath of that war when one…

May 8, 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Saturday defended his government's proposal to partly ban Sunday work, rejecting President Zoran Milanović's assessment of the proposal groundless and describing his statements to the press as political barbarism and rudeness. Earlier in the day, Milanović told the press that Plenković's speech on the ban was insincere and a gimmick ahead of the 16 May local elections. "I did not see what he said. I presume he is still on the campaign trail trying to keep the remaining SDP pockets in the counties, municipalities, and towns alive because what he is…

May 8, 2021 -  President Zoran Milanović on Saturday reiterated his view on Sunday work, saying that the government's plan to ban Sunday work partly was an election gimmick.  Prime Minister Andrej Plenković announced amendments to the Commerce Act on Thursday, under which the number of Sunday shopping days would be limited to 16 a year. He said that the move was not contrary to the government's desire for greater employment and higher growth, stressing the need to balance work and family life. Answering questions from the press during a visit to the eastern city of Đakovo, Milanović said that…

May 8, 2021 - Croatian President Zoran Milanović, together with other presidents of the European Union's member-states, forwarded a joint message on the occasion of Europe Day on Saturday. Extending their best wishes to the Europeans, the 21 presidents from the European Union called on EU citizens to use the Conference on the Future of Europe as the "unique opportunity to shape our common future," reads a press release issued by the Office of Croatian President. "This Europe Day is special. For the second year in a row, we celebrate it in the challenging circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. We sympathize with all…

May 8, 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, who participated in the EU Social Summit in Porto on Friday, said that this summit meeting after such gathering in Gothenburg was an important event as it was held when all the heads of state or government were focused on the protection of workers. "This Social Summit, which is being held after such summit in Gothenburg four years ago, is important as it is being held when all the heads of state or government (of EU member-states) are focused on the protection of workers," he said. "I have intended to underscore the importance of the…

May the 8th, 2021 - The plan for many different Croatian reforms and investments, packaged as the Croatian Recovery and Resilience Plan, is on its way to the European Commission's door in the Belgian capital. As Poslovni Dnevnik/Ana Blaskovic writes, the Croatian Recovery and Resilience Plan, the key to an enormous 49 billion kuna intervention injection, has been completed and it is time to send it to Brussels, with a final agreement set to take another ten days. The more than 1,100 pages list 77 Croatian reforms and 152 investments that the Government, with the practical absence of public debate,…

ZAGREB, 7 May, 2021 - A part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NPOO) refers to developing a competitive, energy sustainable and efficient transport system, and it is valued at HRK 5.5 billion, Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković said on Friday. The National Recovery and Resilience Plan totals HRK 47 billion and comprises five components, with the economy component valued at HRK 26.2 billion. That component includes a sub-component on developing a competitive, energy sustainable and efficient transport system, with investments worth HRK 5.5 billion, recalled Butković. The plan, he said, foresees the continuation of significant investments in modernising transport infrastructure with…

ZAGREB, 7 May, 2021 - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, who is taking part in the Social Summit in Porto, said on Friday that his government would continue with its active policy towards workers because it considered workers to be important. "After four years we are again focusing on social rights, workers' protection, social inclusion and dialogue, equal opportunities, the possibility to help our workers across the EU through the principle of European solidarity and to save jobs through cooperation," Plenković told reporters upon arrival in Porto, Portugal, where the summit is taking place. Portugal, which has been chairing the…

ZAGREB, 7 May, 2021- Serbia wants to have good and fair relations with all neighbouring countries but Croatia's actions and statements by its officials are not expressions of respect for Serbia but an attempt to humiliate it, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said on Friday. In a comment on the statement by Croatia's foreign minister that Croatia would increase the number of its troops in the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) because that was important for maintaining peace in the region and on disputes triggered by Serbian Minister of the Interior Aleksandar Vulin's statements, Vučić said that Croatia could have refused to serve…

ZAGREB, 7 May (Hina) - Culture and Media Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek said on Friday that she was shocked by President Zoran Milanović's attack on the HRT public broadcaster, adding that she had always stood up for press freedom. "The government has no ambition whatsoever to influence any media outlet in Croatia. Quite the contrary, I believe that we strengthen democracy and all the values in society if we try to ensure conditions for reporters to do their job professionally and without any pressure," Obuljen Koržinek said after a ceremony of opening a library in the town of Delnice. She condemned Milanović's statements in…