Politics

2 May 2022 - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Monday issued a message for the Muslim holiday of Ramadan Bayram, or Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, wishing the Muslim faithful in Croatia to spend it in an atmosphere of peace and unity. "After a month of fasting, humility and spirituality, in which you have demonstrated the strength of your faith and forgiveness, may this great Muslim holiday inspire and further encourage you to promote mutual understanding, solidarity and tolerance among people," Jandroković said. "The Islamic community in Croatia is a proper example…

May the 2nd, 2022 - The Croatian capital city of Zagreb is aiming to withdrawn the maximum amount of European Union (EU) cash possible in order to complete all of its planned projects. As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the City of Zagreb is among 100 European Union cities and partner countries that will participate in the so-called ''mission of EU cities'', which aims to reduce the carbon footprint being caused in them to an absolute minimum by the year 2030, for which the European Union will allocate 350 million euros from the Horizon Europe programme. According to the European Commission (EC),…

ZAGREB, 1 May 2022 - During a celebration of International Workers' Day on Sunday, recently appointed Minister of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy Marin Piletić said he would be one of the best collaborators of unions, which demand an average pay of €1,500 and a minimum net wage of €750 by 2026. "I can promise that I will be one of the best collaborators in that," Piletić told reporters in Maksimir Park, adding that he would be more than fair with the unions and the happiest if those amounts were reached by 2026. Referring to collective bargaining, which is also one of the demands…

ZAGREB, 1 May 2022 - Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević said on Sunday, during a celebration of International Workers' Day, that the city as employer would endeavour to improve working conditions and that the aim is to eradicate work via agencies and closed-ended contracts.  "There has been a lot of talk over the past few days of decreasing the number of workers in Zagreb Holding (utility conglomerate), however, there has not been any mention that since stepping into office we have employed 440 people in kindergartens, at the moment we are in the process of employing 80 ZET (public transport) drivers and 40 firefighters, and we will employ…

ZAGREB, 1 May 2022 - President Zoran Milanović said on Sunday that "we are not in a normal situation, Croatia and Europe are at a crossroads," adding that he is "sorry for Croatia" and that he will "fight with all my might" not to give room to the ruling HDZ party to destroy Croatia. Speaking to the press in Varaždin, where he celebrated International Workers' Day, Milanović reiterated that the HDZ was a "gang." "I watch what I say. Not everything will be nice, but 90% of the things I say have been considered beforehand," he said, adding that he does…

ZAGREB, 1 May 2022 - President Zoran Milanović on Sunday said that any member of the Croatian parliament who votes for Finland and Sweden joining NATO prior to the election law in Bosnia and Herzegovina being amended is a traitor. Milanović has already said on several occasions that he is opposed to Finland and Sweden joining the North Atlantic Alliance if the election law in BiH is not amended as it enables the more numerous Bosniaks to outvote the Croats in that neighbouring country. Speaking in Varaždin where he attended a celebration of International Workers' Day, Milanović reiterated that Croatia has a "historic opportunity" to fight for BiH Croats, which…

ZAGREB, 1 May 2022 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Sunday greeted Croatian citizens on International Workers' Day, saying that the government will continue to improve workers' status during times of numerous challenges and resolutely continue with its policy of wage increases in the years to come. "This year on International Workers' Day I once again wish to express my gratitude to all workers who in these difficult circumstances are the most deserving for the Croatian economy's resilience, growth and competitiveness", Plenković wrote in his message.  "Hence, the government will continue to improve workers' status in times when we are faced with numerous challenges and changing global and…

ZAGREB, 1 May 2022 - Laying wreaths and lighting candles at a memorial in Okučani on Sunday, the state leadership honoured those killed in the 1 May 1995 Operation Flash, all those who, it was said, were within reach of freedom and victory, but did not live to see it. In the operation, 7,200 soldiers and police in less than 32 hours liberated western Slavonia, about 600 square kilometres of Croatian territory which had been occupied four years. Milanović: Croatian Army stopped the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina "Operation Flash was a big victory of the Croatian Army, one in a series that followed…

ZAGREB, 30 April 2022 - Members of the Social Democrats parliamentary group presented in Split on Saturday their eponymous association and announced the establishment of a political party that would offer a different paradigm of political activity than the one currently on the scene. Croatia clearly needs a serious Croatian policy based on different values, said Davorko Vidović, the association's president. The Social Democrats are the largest opposition parliamentary group, formed after 18 Social Democratic Party (SDP) MPs were ousted from or left the party. Vidović said their own political party would be based on values of social democracy present in Europe for the past…

ZAGREB, 30 April 2022 - Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader Peđa Grbin on Saturday distributed carnations and socialised with citizens in Pula ahead of International Workers' Day, noting that the incumbent government was not willing to launch a comprehensive reform of the Labour Act announced over six months ago. "According to recent EU statistics, Croatia is close to the bottom of the EU ranking in terms of employment and that is what we need to talk about, not just when we observe International Workers' Day but throughout the year," Grbin said, recalling that a comprehensive reform of the labour law was announced…