ZAGREB, November 14, 2019 - Neither the presidency nor the political assembly of the European People's Party (EPP) will hold a meeting on the premises of the Croatian Parliament (Sabor), the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), a member of the EPP group said on Thursday confirming media reports that, after all, the Sabor will not be a venue for the EPP gathering in Zagreb.
The European People's Party is holding its Statutory Congress on 20 and 21 November in Zagreb.
Some of the technical meetings were initially planned to take place in the Parliament Hall (Sabornica), however, in the meantime the EPP decided to change the location for those technical meetings so as to avoid any damage to the group's reputation, according to the tabloid 24 sata.
The initial plan was that technical meetings on 19 November should take place in Sabornica, and the EPP was supposed to pay 74,488 kuna for the rent of the venue.
The decision of the Croatian Parliament's presidency to allow EPP meetings in the parliament and to collect some funds for that rental job infuriated the Opposition which then for weeks severely criticised the ruling Croatian Democratic Union.
The EPP Congress will be co-hosted by Prime Minister of Croatia and (HDZ) leader, Andrej Plenković, and EPP President Joseph Daul and EPP Secretary General Antonio Lopez -Isturiz, the EPP says on its website.
"The Congress in Zagreb will focus on effective policies to combat climate change, on empowering the younger generations and the Western Balkans."
The Congress will also elect the EPP Presidency, including the President, Vice-Presidents, Treasurer and Secretary General. 2,000 participants from more than 40 countries have been invited to participate in the Congress in Zagreb, the EPP says.
More HDZ news can be found in the Politics section.
