ZAGREB, 31 March (Hina) - The State Judicial Council (DSV) on Wednesday issued a new public call for applications for the post of Supreme Court President.

All interested candidates are required to submit their applications over the next 30 days, DSV president Darko Milković said.

President Zoran Milanović informed the DSV in a letter last week that he would not propose any of the candidates from the previous call and called for the repetition of the procedure. He said he had no intention of influencing the procedure but wanted to help improve the functioning of the judicial branch of government and ensure the functioning of the State Electoral Commission after the expiry of the term of the current Supreme Court President.

The incumbent Supreme Court President Đuro Sessa, whose term expires in July, and attorneys-at-law Šime Savić and Lidija Horvat responded to the first public call. Horvat has in the meantime withdrawn her application.

Insisting on his constitutional right to propose a candidate, Milanović proposed Professor Zlata Đurđević as his candidate for Supreme Court President, but Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković refused to include his proposal on Parliament's agenda, saying that it was unlawful. Milanović claimed that lawmakers would have to vote on his candidate anyway.

Last week, the Constitutional Court ruled that the President of the Republic can only propose a candidate who has responded to a public call issued by the DSV. The court said that this does not restrict the constitutional right of the President of the Republic to propose his candidate for Supreme Court President.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said that Đurđević, although a criminal law professor, had agreed to be part of an unlawful procedure and could therefore not lead the highest judicial authority in the country. Parliamentary right-wing opposition parties also announced that they would not support Đurđević.

Đurđević confirmed last Thursday that she would not give up on her candidacy and would respond to a new DSV call. Sessa has announced that he will not run for another term because he does not have the President's support.

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page

ZAGREB, 30 March, 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Tuesday that with his posts on social networks, President Zoran Milanović "has stepped out of the framework of normal conduct for a president," adding that his hate speech has "practically drawn a target on MP Milorad Pupovac."

Milanović wrote on his Facebook profile on Monday that "before he runs away to Brussels," Plenković would have to render his accounts, with Plenković saying that the President was continuing his ranting and insults.

"These are threats in fact, accusations of political corruption, robbery, criminal conspiracy. I will say once again, he has entirely stepped out of the framework of normal conduct for a president," Plenković told a press conference during a visit to Osijek-Baranja County.

That is not just his style or his being rude, as the leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Peđa Grbin tried to downplay, said Plenković who considers that Milanović has resorted to that because he was legally and politically badly defeated in the incorrect procedure which he, without any cause, began with the recommendation of the president of the Supreme Court.

Plenković said that the President's spokesman Nikola Jelić was flustered and warned that he was attacking Hina reporters. Jelić publicly called out Hina reporter Sandra Bartolović on his Twitter account because of her sharp private comments regarding Milanović's behaviour and said that Plenković had referred to anyone who did not think like him as being the "dregs of social networks."

Milanović's posts are the "dregs of social networks"

"That is frightening and striking. I will now explain that to his flustered spokesman who attacks Hina reporters when I said "dregs of social networks," because I see that he and his partners in Bridge do not understand what that means. For me that is hate that is developing and damaging, poisoning society," said Plenković.

"Milanović's statements are the dregs of social networks. What he is writing is hate speech and I will be absolutely explicit - he has practically drawn a  target on MP Pupovac, and Pupovac confirmed that this morning on the radio," underscored Plenković.

He once again called out SDP's candidate for Zagreb mayor Joško Klisović and Milanović's chief-of-staff Orsat Miljenić to stop hiding and say if  they agree with Milanović's "drawing a target on the leader of the SDSS (Independent Democratic Serbian Party)."

"Do we all think that we need to wake up from what he is doing or will we just say 'he's like that.' That cannot be. He can rant on as he likes but he will come across sharp responses from us all who have sound reason," said Plenković.

Asked whether he was referring to hate speech in the legal sense, Plenković answered affirmatively. "What is this, what does this look like? We need to wake up. We have become a little too tolerant," he said and called on reporters and editors to "watch and see who is saying what and make it clear who is who."

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 30 March, 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Tuesday that Finance Minister Zdravko Marić and Health Minister Vili Beroš would meet with drug wholesalers over the debt for drugs and that a certain amount would be paid in the days ahead.

Representatives of drug wholesalers, pharmacists and drug manufacturers warned last week that the supply of medicines could be restricted due to the HRK 6.5 billion debt, and the Medika company today suspended deliveries to hospitals.

Visiting Osijek-Baranja County, Plenković told press this was a usual situation. "Every once in a while, when an important date is due, whether Christmas, Easter or election day, wholesale drug suppliers unanimously start asking for the money they are due."

"We'll talk about it, the ministers of finance and health will meet with them and certain funds will be paid in the days ahead."

Asked about the payment date, Plenković said the ministers would discuss it. "I'm not an accountant to talk with them about the exact payment date."

The CEO of Oktalpharma, Ivan Klobučar, supported Medika's move, telling N1 television that the government, the Health Ministry, the Croatian Health Insurance Fund and Minister Beroš had been ignoring their appeals for a meeting for three months.

He said the situation was such that those responsible would see how difficult the situation was when "patients and others who are not at fault at all bear the brunt." If someone urgently needs a medicine, they will not get it, he added.

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 29 March, 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Monday said that the President had stepped out of his constitutional authority, describing Zoran Milanović's statements in the context of the selection of the head of the Supreme Court as unacceptable political barbarity.

Plenković underscored that "the salvo of insults towards everyone" was not normal. "The media and society are almost getting used to this as if it were something normal and as if it were some sort of trading shots, a fierce reaction, a continuation of something - it isn't."

"This is political barbarity below the dignity of communication, showing spite over procedures and then using the methodology of insulting everyone who thinks differently. And that is unacceptable," Plenković told reporters.

Plenkovič believes that Milanović needs to apologise to MP Milorad Pupovac and the media.

Responding to a question, he did not reject the possibility of impeaching the President, but underscored that in the current situation it would be difficult to obtain the required two-thirds majority support for that in the parliament.

"If this continues, we can talk about that too," he said, warning though of the Bridge party's stance, which he said had helped Milanović to be elected president.

"They have already said that they are against (impeachment)", underscored Plenković.

Milanović's attack against Pupovac shameless

Referring to Milanović's statements, Plenković said that it would be particularly bad for society and the political scene if part of the public approved of such behaviour. "That would be disastrous," he said.

He hopes there are not too many like that and that they are in fact the filth of social networks which, he warned, is the basis for hate speech and then physical attacks against those being insulted.

"This primarily refers to Milorad Pupovac who was attacked as president of the SDSS (Independent Democratic Serb Party) and long-standing MP in such a shameless way by the President and I believe that he should apologise to him and the pubic for his words," said Plenković.

Plenković wonders why the leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Peđa Grbin, the SDP's candidate for Zagreb mayor Joško Klisović and the President's chief-of-staff Orsat Miljenić haven't reacted.

"Do they approve of these barbaric and vulgar attacks on MP Pupovac?" asked Plenković. 

The President is also attacking the media and that too requires an apology, he said.

Plenković also referred to, as he said, Milanović's personally calling lawmakers regarding the selection of the head of the Supreme Court. 

That same parliament, Plenković underscored, in which that same president did not want to come as an invited guest when the parliament was inaugurated.

"That is a new dimension in how the president sees his role and duties," claimed Plenković, saying that the president's constitutional duty is to recommend a candidate for Supreme Court president. "It is not his constitutional duty to call people from the parliamentary majority or others and turn them into his assets. That is not the president's duty," said Plenković.

Plenković also believes that Milanović overstepped his constitutional authority when he 'expressis verbis' articulated that his political activism is against the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) as a political party.

We could also say that someone is disgusting

Plenković also touched on Milanović's description of Plenković as ugly, Pupovac as dirty and Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković as evil.

"We could also say that someone is disgusting," he said in Italian, adding that he will not lower himself to that level but will "stand in defence of other colleagues, in defence of reporters and the freedom of the media," and finally refute the "incorrect argument" that the selection of the head of the Supreme Court is equal to a reform in the judiciary.

That is not the same, underscored Plenković and added that reform of the judiciary is up to the government and parliament by amending legislation, digitising the judiciary and reducing the number of cases, providing a precise action plan for judges as to how many cases and in what timeframe they need to be resolved for them to receive positive performance reports.

"There is no hiding here behind some sort desire to reform the judiciary. That is not the case here. This is an effort to sell a political pamphlet to the public. However, there are enough of us who can see very well, hear and comprehend, and we know how to position ourselves in such a situation," he added.

Plenković reiterated that his HDZ will not support Zlata Đurđević's nomination for Supreme Court president because she allowed herself to be a candidate in a procedure which the Constitutional Court considers was not in accordance with the law and as such it was not in accordance with the Constitution.

"What you are seeing now is exclusively and solely the President's fault. It is not the fault of the government or parliament and the public has to hear that clearly and understand. Everything else is just a salvo, a method that is based on spite and insults. That is not our political style and we will not agree to it," he concluded.

Commenting on the initiative by HDZ member Vladimir Šeks to have Milanović impeached, Plenković said that Šeks was speaking on his own behalf.

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 29 March, 2021 - Unions and employers said at Monday's meeting of the Economic and Social Council (GSV) that they were pleased with the draft 2021-23 national recovery and resilience plan, assessing it as encouraging.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković told the press the GSV was presented with a summary of the draft plan, on which all departments had been working on for eight months now.

"It's a document containing reforms and investments amounting to €6.3 billion which is part of the Next Generation EU programme. Croatia is one of the member states that received more than the others."

He said the money involved was important so that Croatia can recover after the economic crisis caused by the pandemic and become stronger and faster in achieving the economic growth it had before the COVID crisis.

Plenković said the GSV was presented with the outlines of the national recovery and resilience plan, and that the government would endorse the information on it on Thursday and then present the plan to the press.

The intention is to finish the plan by the end of April, after which it needs to be approved by the European Commission.

"That will be followed by the payment of an advance of 13%," Plenković said, adding that "we should receive HRK 6.1 billion in August or September, to be followed by the realisation of projects through reforms."

He said some of the criteria for obtaining the funds were that 37% of all applications must contribute to the green transition and 20% to the economy's digital transition.

The criteria also include not causing significant damage in terms of climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, water protection, and the circular economy.

"In the next ten years Croatia will have €6.3 billion in grants at its disposal, then almost €13 billion in the new multiannual financial framework, another €3.6 billion in Next Generation EU loans, most probably about €1 billion for earthquake recovery, plus almost €1 billion from ReactEU and the Just Transition Fund," Plenković said.

Employers and unions say the document is encouraging

Unionist Vilim Ribić said Plenković's arrival at the GSV meeting constituted a good approach to social dialogue.

"A truly spectacular amount of money is expected," he said, adding that unions were pleased "that education has received a very relevant percentage of the funds, about 15%."

Ribić said the unionists had underlined the link between those funds and Croatia's prospects in terms of emigration and economic transformation, adding that the unions had insisted on the social aspect and on reducing inequalities in society.

Croatian Employers' Association (HUP) president Mihael Furjan said the national recovery and resilience plan summary looked encouraging and that its presentation marked the beginning of formal consultations with social partners.

"HUP is looking forward to a public consultation. We'll try, with our experience, knowledge, expertise, to help the government so that the final version of the document looks as well as possible in the interest of the Croatian economy," he said, adding that it was very important that employers and unions agreed throughout most of the discussion.

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 26 March, 2021 - Croatia has received only 17% of coronavirus vaccine doses ordered from AstraZeneca, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković told a press conference on Friday.

The European Union has ordered 120 million doses of the vaccine from AstraZeneca and has received only 30 million, which is why Croatia lacks the vaccine, Plenković said.

Permanent representatives to the European Union have been tasked with arranging the distribution of 10 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine as soon as possible, in a spirit of solidarity, the prime minister said, reporting on the results of the EU summit held on Thursday.

About 405 million people live in countries that do not have a problem with vaccines and about 40 million in countries that have not received the amounts of vaccines ordered, so these 10 million doses would resolve the problem for the countries that are not receiving vaccines, while the others would not feel they missed something, he added.

In a joint statement on Thursday, EU leaders asked the ambassadors to the EU to resolve the problem of distribution of 10 million doses of the vaccine that BioNTech/Pfizer will deliver in the second quarter of the year instead of the second half.

"That means that those who have less will get more," Plenković said, adding that the aim was to compensate the countries that have ordered the most vaccine from AstraZeneca and less from other manufacturers.

About six or seven countries should be compensated, including Croatia, which would help achieve even vaccine coverage within the EU, the Croatian PM said.

Plenković denied claims that Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz used strong language at the meeting. Kurz was the first EU leader to draw attention to the uneven distribution of vaccines among the EU member states.

Plenković denied the speculation that the agreement would have been reached already yesterday had it not been for the Austrian chancellor's statement. "No, that was not possible, technically. Had we been physically present in Brussels - maybe, there would have been breaks and we would have explained things to one another."

"Anyway, this will be sorted. Pfizer will fill in the gap created by AstraZeneca's failure to meet its obligations," the PM said, adding that Bulgaria should get the most doses.

With the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine doses as compensation, Croatia hopes to vaccinate 50% of its population by 30 June, which would put it on a level with the EU.

For more about vaccinations in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

March the 26th, 2021 - Croatian PM Andrej Plenkovic has confirmed that the government's support in the form of job preservation financial aid will continue to be paid out to companies which qualify for it during the month of April as the pandemic rages on.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Ana Blaskovic writes, government measures to support the domestic economy due to the impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic on businesses will continue throughout the month of April.

On top of that, the reimbursement of electricity bills to all citizens affected by the Petrinja earthquake which struck back at the very end of 2020, as well as the suspension of HAC toll fee collections along the Zagreb-Sisak motorway will be extended. All of the above was announced by PM Andrej Plenkovic following a recently held cabinet meeting.

"The 4,000 kuna job preservation measure will continue throughout April for all Croatian economic entities that are able to request this type of support according to the set out criteria," PM Andrej Plenkovic confirmed, adding that the government would instruct the Croatian Employment Service (CES) to continue with paying out these government measures to preserve jobs.

For those who have been prevented from doing business due to the anti-epidemic restrictions in the fight against the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the state will continue to reimburse all fixed costs.

PM Andrej Plenkovic also recalled the fact that the measures had managed to preserve the employment of many people over the last, horrendously challenging year, adding that he believed that this would be confirmed by data on the total number of insured persons at the Croatian Employment Service at the end of March 2021.

"Through the measures in which we've invested more than 10 billion kuna so far, the government has preserved jobs and employment and enabled business entites and their owners to overcome this continuing crisis," he said.

In addition, the Croatian Government decided to extend the compensation of electricity costs in earthquake-stricken Banovina for April, all of which will be taken care of by HEP.

For current information on coronavirus specific to Croatia, including travel and border rules, as well as testing centres up and down the country, bookmark this page.

ZAGREB, 25 March, 2021 - State Judicial Council (DSV) head Darko Milković on Thursday confirmed receipt of a notification from the Office of the President, announcing that a new public call for the post of Supreme Court President would be advertised in a couple of days and that interested candidates would be invited to apply.

In an interview with the N1 broadcaster, Milković said that only the head of state could request a new public call or it could be done by their office on their behalf and that that could not be done "by Parliament or an individual MP."

President Milanović earlier in the day called on the DSV to urgently repeat the public call for applications for the post of Supreme Court President, informing it that he would not nominate any of the three applicants following a previous public call.

His office stressed that the President's proposal "is not intended to influence in any way the DSV's constitutionally and legally defined powers" but that the President wanted, "in the current chaotic situation, caused by changes to the Courts Act, to contribute to the best possible and most efficient functioning of the judicial authorities as well as enable the functioning of the State Election Commission after the expiry of the term of the current Supreme Court President."

The Supreme Court President also serves as the chair of the State Election Commission.

Applications following the DSV's previous public call were submitted by Supreme Court President Đuro Sessa, whose term expires in July, and attorneys Šime Savić and Lidija Horvat, with the latter having in the meantime withdrawn her application.

Milanović insists that proposing a candidate for the Supreme Court President is his constitutional right and he has proposed Zagreb law professor Zlata Đurđević for that post. However, Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković has refused to put his motion on Parliament's agenda as unlawful.

Milanović has said that members of Parliament will nonetheless have to vote on his nominee.

The Constitutional Court on Tuesday concluded that the head of state can propose only a candidate who has submitted an application following a public call by the DSV and it claims that this does not restrict the President's constitutional right to propose a candidate and Parliament's right to elect them.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Wednesday that even though she was a law professor, Đurđević had agreed to be part of an unlawful procedure and that therefore she could not lead the highest judicial body.

"A person who does not respect the legal order cannot be the President of the Supreme Court because that body protects the legal order, the Constitution, international treaties, all laws," he said.

Đurđević confirmed on Thursday that she did not plan to give up on her candidacy and that she would submit an application following a new public call by the DSV.

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 24 March, 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković and Health Minister Vili Beroš were vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine at Government House on Tuesday, and Beroš said that they had sent a message of confidence in medical science and the medical profession.

"Today we have sent a strong message of confidence in medical science, the medical profession, primarily because we were vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine. We will continue to work diligently on vaccinating Croatian citizens so that they could continue living and working with as little risk of infection as possible. Every vaccinated individual contributes to the protection of the population and is definitely a step towards our old normal, and a step closer to a successful tourist season," Beroš told reporters after the vaccination.

He added that there were still many challenges ahead and that it was important to think about future challenges such as new variants of the virus.

"I believe that with this message we have encouraged citizens to follow us on that path, to curb the epidemic and return to our normal life," Beroš said.

For more about COVID-19 in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 23 March, 2021 - Croatia expects a law to be adopted and technical preparations to be completed by June to enable the introduction of a digital green certificate proving that its holder has been vaccinated against COVID-19, has recovered from it, or has tested negative, an official said on Tuesday.

Andreja Metelko-Zgombić, the State Secretary for Europe, today took part in an informal conference of European affairs ministers, at which she stressed the importance of ensuring a stable, predictable and faster delivery of vaccines so that the common EU goal of inoculating 70% of the EU population by summer could be achieved.

She stressed that member-states should be equal in vaccine distribution, and that it was necessary to have a balanced approach to vaccine distribution as some countries currently have a lower vaccination rate due to delays in vaccine delivery, a statement said.

Metelko-Zgombić said that Croatia welcomed the European Commission's proposal for the introduction of digital green certificates that would facilitate free and safe travel within the EU.

She said that Zagreb "expects the adoption of the relevant legislative proposal and completion of technical preparations according to plan, by June, so that certificates could start to be used as soon as possible."

PM says Pfizer vaccine delivery to be stepped up

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said today that work was underway on transferring the delivery of some of the vaccine supplies from the fourth to the second quarter so that the dynamic of vaccination could be stepped up before summer and that the vaccine in question was expected to be the Pfizer vaccine.

For more about COVID-19 in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.