Politics

ZAGREB, February 26, 2020 - Twenty-three countries, meeting at a conference in Zagreb on Wednesday, signed a letter of intent to establish the Intelligence College in Europe. "The Intelligence College is a tool for cooperation, and cooperation is the only way for Europe to remain safe and prosperous," said the Director of Croatia's Security and Intelligence Agency (SOA), Danijel Markić. "A safe, stable and prosperous Europe is our common goal," he said, adding that the aim of this initiative was to become "a bridge towards other communities." The initiative aims to ensure dialogue between the European intelligence community, decision makers…

ZAGREB, February 26, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Wednesday the parliamentary majority was stable despite disputes over the population census law and Sunday work, and that he was confident it would see its term through. "It's not an issue which would destabilise the majority. I think the matter was agreed to last week already. Tomorrow I will convene the parliamentary majority and we'll discuss that too," he told reporters who asked him if he had talked with ethnic minority MPs about the census law after the rejection of their amendments to it. Plenković said the parliamentary majority…

ZAGREB, February 26, 2020 - A second case of coronavirus infection was confirmed in Croatia overnight. The person was in close contact with the person identified as the first case, and a third person who was in contact has initially tested negative, the head of the Fran Mihaljević hospital for infectious diseases, Alemka Markotić, said on Wednesday. The persons infected are exhibiting mild symptoms, they receive the necessary medication and no complications are expected, Markotić told a press conference at the national civil protection headquarters. "We have started to administer an antiviral drug that is otherwise used in HIV cases…

ZAGREB, February 26, 2020 - The new Italian Consul-General in Rijeka, Davide Bradanini, said on Tuesday that the two countries have had extremely good relations for years and that Italy provides Croatia with the greatest support for its efforts to join the passport-free Schengen Area. During his visit to the Istrian city of Pula, the consul said that the two countries had developed good relations and cooperation in the economic, political, cultural and tourism sectors. "So far, a lot has been done in those sectors, and I would like to deepen our shared interests and cooperation in all fields," said…

ZAGREB, February 26, 2020 - The Croatian presidency of the Council of the EU on Tuesday rejected a request by leaders of several political groups in the European Parliament to take part in the Council's discussion on violations of European values in Hungary and Poland, recommending informal consultations on the issue, as has been the case so far. The leaders of the S&D (Socialists and Democrats), EPP Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats), Renew Europe, the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance expressed dissatisfaction with the slowness of the Article 7 procedure for Hungary and Poland. Andrea Metelko…

ZAGREB, February 26, 2020 - Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman spoke at a UN meeting in Geneva on Tuesday about Croatian citizens missing from the 1990s war, saying it was their families' human right to find out the truth which, he added, could also help reconciliation between peoples once at war. Croatia is still tracing 1,871 persons gone missing in the 1991-95 war between Croatian forces and rebel local Serbs and the former Yugoslav People's Army. Speaking at the 43rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Grlić Radman said shedding light on the fate of the missing…

ZAGREB, February 25, 2020 - President Zoran Milanović on Tuesday attended a ceremony marking the 26th anniversary of the formation of the Honorary Protection Battalion and Military Chaplaincy Day, where he promoted members of the battalion and awarded them with red berets. The Honorary Protection Battalion is part of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces and is responsible for honorary-ceremonial tasks for the purposes of the state and military leadership as well as for the protection and security of the President of the Republic as Commander in Chief. President Milanović greeted the 300-strong battalion at a special ceremony…

ZAGREB, February 25, 2020 - The government's motion to relieve Dražen Jelenić of his duties as Chief State Prosecutor at his request will be on the parliament's agenda on Wednesday. Jelenić submitted his resignation after he himself confirmed that he was a Freemason and accused doctor Nikica Gabrić of having tried to influence a preliminary investigation into three reporters who allegedly blackmailed the ophthalmologist, demanding that he give them HRK 200,000 or they would publish photographs of a ceremony of the Masonic lodge to which Gabric belongs. As soon as Jelenić made that statement, Gabrić dismissed it as false. However,…

There has been a lot of talk about a potential ban on Croatian shops operating on Sundays, generating a divide on the issue with many feeling like closing shop doors on Sundays would only lead to economic decline. Others claim those working in Croatian shops on Sundays should be given more money to do so. As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 25th of February, 2020, instead of a complete ban on Croatian shops doing business on Sundays, 12, 13 or 15 working Sundays are more likely to be introduced throughout the year, Vecernji list writes, stating that the issues of…

ZAGREB, February 25, 2020 - Croatia and Great Britain wish to continue strengthening mutual relations and to increase trade as well as strengthen cooperation in the area of security and defence, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said after meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in London on Monday. "We agreed to continue strengthening relations in the economic sense, to increase the volume of trade and cooperation in the field of culture, and to strengthen cooperation in the area of defence and security because we continue to be partners and allies within NATO," Plenković told reporters in London. This was…