Politics

ZAGREB, November 12, 2020 - President Zoran Milanovic on Thursday met with representatives of the Croatia against Cancer initiative, an association of cancer patients, supporting their demands for the adoption of a national cancer strategy as soon as possible. Croatia is the only EU member state that still hasn't adopted a national cancer strategy which would represent a model of true and more than necessary reform of the health system which Croatia has to implement with the aim of improving the outcome of treatment and ensuring patient rights guaranteed by the Constitution, the meeting was told. The initiative's representatives warned that adopting…

ZAGREB, November 12, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on Thursday unveiled a proposal for the national development strategy until 2030, saying that ten years from now he saw Croatia as a competitive, innovative and stable country of recognisable identity and culture, with preserved resources, good living standards and equal opportunities for all. In circumstances of globalisation, over the next decade Croatia must use its competitive advantages and focus on sustainable economy and society, on increasing resilience to crises, on a green and digital transition, and balanced regional development, the prime minister said. The goals include realising the potential for development,…

ZAGREB, November 12, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Thursday that Croatia was now at the most difficult stage of the coronavirus epidemic and called on citizens to abide by epidemiological rules to avoid the imposition of tougher restrictions. Over the past 24 hours, Croatia has registered a record 3,082 new cases of the coronavirus infection and 32 related deaths, the national COVID-19 response team said in the morninmg. The number of active cases in Croatia stands at 16,348, there are 1,598 COVID patients in hospitals, and 178 of them are on ventilators. Since start of epidemic 75,922 have caught virus,…

ZAGREB, Nov 11, 2020- Leader of the Homeland Movement, Miroslav Skoro, announced on Wednesday in a video message a new interpellation, this time regarding the club in Slovenska Street in Zagreb. Skoro posted a video message on Facebook since he has been in isolation since the end of October when he said he was positive for coronavirus. He commented on the parliament's rejection of the Homeland Movement's interpellation on the government's work regarding the Krs-Padjene wind park, saying that the response was silly. The Homeland Movement leader also announced a new interpellation regarding events that took place in the club…

ZAGREB, Nov 10, 2020 - Former Agrokor owner Ivica Todoric and former Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) leader Tomislav Karamarko testified on Tuesday in the text message scandal trial against former police IT expert Franjo Varga and Blaz Curic, a former driver for former agriculture minister Tomislav Tolusic. The former owner of the Agrokor conglomerate said that he thought that the fake text messages he received were from the Prime Minister and Martina Dalic while Karmarko said that his relationship with Varga started with his suspicion of election fraud at the end of 2015. Varga is on trial for obstruction of justice in extradition proceedings…

ZAGREB, Nov 10, 2020 - Justice and Public Administration Minister Ivan Malenica said on Tuesday that a set of bills on local and regional government units, designed to reduce the number of local officials, had been put to public consultation. The legislative set also reduces the number of members of representative bodies. "The Justice and Public Administration Ministry has put to public consultation a bill on local and regional government, a bill on local elections and a bill on the City of Zagreb," he said. 618 fewer officials at local elections Malenica recalled that so far 1,321 local officials were elected…

ZAGREB, Nov 10, 2020 - The European Ombudsman has said that she has launched an inquiry at the request of Amnesty International into the European Commission's response to the Croatian border police's treatment of illegal migrants and the EC's failure to establish a supervisory mechanism. The inquiry focuses on what the EC is doing to make sure Croatian authorities respect basic human rights in their border protection operations, the Ombudsman said in a press release. The Human rights watchdog Amnesty International (AI) and media outlets have been expressing concern for some time about violations of human rights in the treatment of migrants on the…

ZAGREB, Nov 10, 2020 - Addressing an EU enlargement summit in Sofia on Tuesday, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic reiterated that Croatia will support Western Balkan countries on their journey towards the European Union. The heads of six Western Balkan countries and EU representatives met in Sofia on Tuesday to discuss EU enlargement as part of the Berlin Process, which is being jointly chaired by North Macedonia and Bulgaria. According to the European Commission, the Western Balkan countries could adopt their action plans on a common regional market at the summit. Plenkovic expressed Croatia's "sincere ambition" to help countries in the region to implement reforms…

November 10, 2020 - Who to believe about the US election results and the allegations of fraud? Meet Oraclum, the Croatian pollster who correctly called Trump in 2016 and a narrow Biden win in 2020, including the chaos which followed.  I learned a LOT about American geography last week.  Give me a map of America and I could probably have placed about 15 states in their correct place. After last week, I know exactly where the Blue Wall is, the neighbours of Nevada and Arizona, and Georgia is on my mind.  I also learned a lot about the US media…

ZAGREB, Nov 10, 2020 - Croatia will get a verified and certified coronavirus vaccine as soon as the the EU gets it, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Monday evening. Following news that a COVID-19 vaccine would be available soon, Plenkovic was asked by the press whether the EU would buy it. "The pharmaceutical company that first produces a verified and certified vaccine, that one will be purchased, and as soon as the EU gets it, Croatian citizens will get it too. That's our responsibility and we are working on it," the prime minister said. The European Commission will soon…