ZAGREB, October 1, 2019 - The head of Međimurje County and leader of the county branch of the Croatian People's Party (HNS), Matija Posavec, announced at a special press conference in Čakovec on Tuesday that he had resigned from the party after being a member for 15 years.

He said that the reasons for his departure were substantial differences in views between him and the party, which is a junior partner in the ruling coalition.

"Realising where things are going, I have decided to leave after months of attempts and warnings that things should go in a different direction, that we should introduce new values into Croatian politics, but there was not enough will for that. I gave it a lot of chances, but this is not the political path I think both Međimurje and Croatia should follow," Posavec said.

He said that two years ago, when the HNS entered into the coalition with the HDZ, he had decided to stay although he was opposed to that decision and wanted to change things from within.

"I was trying for these two years. Things came to a head at the European Parliament election after which I made it clear in public that we have to build a new party on a new political paradigm, that we need to change both our leadership and our direction if we want a better future. Unfortunately, my pleas fell on deaf ears," Posavec said.

He said that he wanted to bring new values into Croatian politics and wanted to fight for a better future. He was not specific about his political future after his term as county head expires, but stressed that he was not going to join any other party.

Posavec said he would focus on his work in Međimurje County and on building a platform for a strong regional policy in northern Croatia.

Asked who would take over the leadership of the party's county organisation, he said that this would be decided by the party and that his duties could be assumed by his deputies.

More HNS news can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, September 26, 2019 - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on Thursday that the members of the ruling coalition had met and resolved all contentious issues and confirmed that they wished to see this government's term to the end.

"We resolved all contentious matters at the past few meetings that were held in a very friendly and fair atmosphere. We very clearly confirmed that we wish to see this term to the end and that political stability is exceptionally important as is the adoption of the 2020 budget and the chairmanship of the European Union," Jandroković told the press during a visit to the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts.

He added that Darinko Kosor, the leader of the Croatian Social Liberal Party, a junior coalition partner, had excused himself from the meeting and that there was no political motive behind his absence.

As far as threats by Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandić were concerned and that he would leave the coalition if there were no projects, Jandroković underlined that projects are a substantial part of any coalition, perhaps even their fundamental essence because they concern the quality of living.

"There is no blackmailing. We are talking and seeking the best solutions, and that is the spirit that has existed these past three years. If matters were different then we certainly would not be collaborating," Jandroković said.

Jandroković commented on a sports event being organised by the HVIDRA veterans' association in Makarska over the weekend with regard to possible protests due to the association's disgruntlement over the Croatian Democratic Union's (HDZ) coalition with the leader of the Independent Democratic Serbian Party (SDSS) Milorad Pupovac.

"I am certain that the games in Makarska will be held in an excellent atmosphere and that everyone will be satisfied...I spoke with veterans' representatives and they fully support Andrej Plenković and the government. They are aware that political stability is exceptionally important for Croatia's development," said Jandroković.

More politics news can be found in the dedicated section.

ZAGREB, September 15, 2019 - The main committee of the Croatian Social and Liberal Party (HSLS), a junior partner in the ruling coalition, on Sunday turned down the proposal of the party leader Darinko Kosor to leave the coalition at the state level.

After the party leadership's meeting in the coastal town of Novi Vinodoski, Kosor said that the Main Committee had turned down his proposal with the sole explanation it would not be good if this party of liberal and civic orientation leaves the coalition due to the topic concerning ethnic minorities.

This past Wednesday Kosor said that the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS) leader Milorad Pupovac fed right wingers with his policy and comments as well as all who caused ethnically motivated incidents, that he did not retract any of his recent statements, and that the HSLS would decide on Sunday whether to remain in the ruling coalition. Kosor posted on Facebook: "Yes to the protection of Serbs, Croatian citizens from violence in Croatia. No to the SDSS lecturing democratic Croatia."

Speaking to Hina, Kosor said that if nothing changed in the meantime, his party would decide on Sunday whether to leave the coalition.

The HSLS caucus comprises Kosor, two MPs from the Croatian Christian Democrat Party and one MP from the regional HDSSB party. Kosor said each party would decide whether to stay in the ruling coalition.

The ruling majority has 82 seats in parliament.

More political news can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, September 6, 2019 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Friday that as far as he was concerned every school week could begin with the singing of the national anthem.

"I believe it's important that the young learn to respect institutions and the state through the education system," Plenković told Hina.

The story about introducing the national anthem in schools was brought by Vecernji List daily in today's issue after France passed a law under which kindergartens and schools have the obligation to display the French and EU flags, the national anthem's lyrics and the "liberty, equality, fraternity" motto in every classroom.

The Croatian Education Ministry told the paper that, under the law on the national coat of arms, flag and anthem, the coat of arms was displayed in every classroom and the flag hoisted on all schools.

On the first day of school, events are held for all first graders at which the national anthem is performed and the flag is also displayed, the ministry said.

It added, however, that "merely displaying symbols won't contribute to stronger patriotism" and that it is necessary to encourage through education the development of positive values, including those related to the national and cultural identity.

Independent Democratic Serb Party president Milorad Pupovac told Večernji List that Croatia needed stronger constitutional patriotism as well as Croatian and European constitutional values and norms.

Social Democratic Party president Davor Bernardić said it was necessary to introduce civic education to teach children about their rights and responsibilities in society as well as critical thinking.

The Croatian People's Party believes that one loves one's country primarily by preserving the environment, respecting the law, paying taxes, showing solidarity with other generations, through tolerance of others and those who are different, through hard work, politeness, knowledge and ideas, and only then by displaying symbols.

Istrian Democratic Party president Boris Miletić told Večernji that he would always support healthy patriotism but that nationalism in this region had already brought about much evil and that it was not the right path for Croatia.

MOST president Božo Petrov was the only one who said the national coat of arms, flag and anthem "should be displayed in classrooms and public spaces. Thereby one shows respect for the people who created our country and builds a positive attitude to it," the newspaper reported.

More politics news can be found in the dedicated section.

March 15, 2019 - It started as a local community campaign for an elementary school and quickly became a national political party. Meet Marijana Puljak, leader of political party Pametno (Smart). 

Although TCN is an apolitical website, covering Croatian politics is an important part of the job, and I find myself increasingly in contact with various politicians from different parties. Last summer, for example, Croatia's Prime Minister motioned me over for a chat and informed me he had no intention to sue me (not words you will hear from every politician in Croatia these days). 

(TCN meets Pametno in Jelsa last summer - photo credit Ivo Spigel)

Plenković was not the only national political party leader I met that week in August. A mutual friend introduced me - ironically in the same cafe I had met the PM - to the husband and wife team behind a relatively new political party called Pametno (Smart). It was a very friendly first meeting with Marijana and Ivica Puljak, and I was struck with their enthusiasm and determination to bring change in Croatia. Marijana, the party leader, kindly agreed to my request for an email interview recently.

1. Firstly, can you introduce yourself and your party for our international readers who may not be so familiar with Pametno? How did you get started, where are you now, and what do you stand for?

The political party Smart (Pametno) was founded on June 13, 2015. We started a group of neighbors fighting to get an elementary school in our neighborhood, one city district in Split. During that fight we connected with other people who were socially active in their communities, or those who had not been politically engaged and were dissatisfied with the situation in our city. We formed the civic initiative "For Smart People and a Smart City" and took part in local elections in Split in 2013. The initiative promoted the Smart City concept as its city policy program. It is about the concept of sustainable cities that are widely accepted in Europe and the world, which model cities of the future as modern, open, sustainable and ecologically and socially conscious. At the 2013 elections, we achieved 10% of the votes and entered the city council with 4 city councilors. We were very successful at the local level and recognized as something new in politics. People started to recognize and join us also at national level. 

In June 2015, we decided to form a national political party, with the name that was already recognizable – Smart (Pametno). We are a moderate party of common sense, a party for the promotion of work, knowledge and responsibility, a party for smart solutions facing the future.

Our vision is to build a modern, open, tolerant, civic and economically developed Croatia, based on education and work. 

We stand for the constitutional values of market and entrepreneurial freedom, as well as for stable public finances and fiscal responsibility. At the same time, we have a social approach to education and health. We are committed to the civil liberties and the achieved civilization values of the developed world.

Since the founding of the party, we have participated twice in parliamentary elections, In the 2016 elections we were 300 votes short of getting a seat in parliament. In local elections in 2017, we achieved 20% and 7 seats in Split city council. For the County council we achieved 7% and 4 seats.

2. There are so many parties out there in Croatia. What makes Pametno different? Where do you see the party in 5 years from now?  

Pametno today brings together a large number of individuals with rich knowledge, professional experience and quality ideas, all aiming to create a smart, modern and open Croatia. Members of our party are mostly people who were not in politics before but cannot stand by anymore, and they want to change things. We are showing by example that we are people with personal integrity that you can trust. For many years we have been fighting against the corruption and clientelism of the ruling parties that brought Croatia to the bottom of all the charts in Europe. 

You can see that all our activities in the city and county council are always exclusively in the interests of all citizens. We want to completely reverse Croatia in the direction of an organized and modern society from which citizens will not run away as they do today.
In five years, we see ourselves in a government that leads Croatia towards a modern and developed society of personal and economic freedoms.

3. Will you be taking part in the European Parliament elections? What kind of results do you expect?

These are the most important EU elections since the founding of the European Union because of the rising populism and nationalism, both in Croatia and also in the rest of Europe. We will be taking part in these elections because we want to show to our voters that we are a pro-European party, we want to bring Croatia up to the standards of modern European countries, and we also want Croatia to be a factor of stability in this area. We expect to get one seat in Parliament.

4. Why did you break up the negotiations to join Amsterdam Coalition? Are you ready to reconsider your decision in the future?

We do not regret leaving negotiations to form the coalition. During negotiations, the Uljanik case showed up and we saw that these are also old type politicians who do not object to corruption or conflict of interest. That's not why we joined politics. We want to show to the people that politics is work for the general good, not for personal interest.

5. Do you see yourself cooperating with Dalija Orešković and her new party?

Start is a new political party that now talks exactly about topics that we are fighting with for a long time. According to their appearances in the media, we see that we are thinking the same about the key problems of Croatia and the solutions to these problems. Even more, the research we have done has shown the synergy of our two options, voters recognize that we are dealing with the same topics and want to see us together as a coalition. Together we are much stronger than separate and there is a chance to endanger the domination of HDZ in EU elections. I hope we will work together at some point.

6. Will you have your own candidate for president later this year? If not, who would you support?

We are fully committed to EU elections right now and will decide about that after elections in May.

7. Let's take a look at some of your positions on current hot topics in Croatia? How would you solve the Uljanik shipyard crisis, for example?

The shipbuilding industry itself has always been grateful for pumping numbers such as export and employment, but pumping and state subsidies, sanctions, and the purchase of social peace. Of course, it goes from our pockets, so nobody seems to be hurt. And in the former state, that had the most benefit of the great rise of shipbuilding in the seventies, it was not possible and profitable without state subsidies.

There is no easy exit for Uljanik now, it is likely to follow a bankruptcy with or without restructuring. The main question, that nobody asks today, is the question of responsibility. Who is responsible for company going so wrong for such a long time? 

The spectacular irresponsibility of the management, which for years has accumulated a lot of losses and has driven the ship directly to the wall, without thinking of how catastrophic this is. The irresponsible government that, in the old Croatian way, closed their eyes to the problems and guaranteed for jobs that you could see from far away that could not be successful.

The industry is not developing by putting dut the fires here and there, it requires a long-term vision and development. Uljanik is, unfortunately, one of the companies that will pay the price because of omission.

8. Do you support the introduction of the euro? What do you think about how Croatia used the advantages of EU membership?

Every day we listen about poor statistics of how Croatia didn't benefit enough from EU funds. It is really disgraceful how little money did we collect. Advantages that our people recognize and use are freedom of travel, freedom to choose education or employment in the whole EU, no more customs, no more roaming. Introducing the euro is the next step and that introduction must be prepared well.

9. The population of Croatia is now less than 4 million inhabitants, as the emigration continues. What would you do to reverse this?

Croatia needs new hope. People are leaving because they are sick of listening over and over again only about the past and not about the future. They are leaving because they are sick of the corruption and clientelism at all levels, a State that is not well organized, judges that are not sentencing crimes properly. They do not see opportunities for themselves to achieve their ambitions in Croatia. A small number of them is actually leaving because of low paychecks or no opportunities to get a job. This poor atmosphere has to change, and only new people and new policies can change that, bring a new spirit and hope to Croatia. That’s what we are fighting for, to replace the people that brought Croatia to this state. 

10. What do you think about the position of the Catholic Church in society? Should the Vatican treaties be revised?   Should religious studies be part of the public education system?

We are strongly promoting a secular state, clear separation of church and government. All modern societies are based on such separation. Currently, the Catholic Church is strongly influencing all levels of government and public administration in Croatia. Even public TV is under strong influence. Religion must be studied within the church and not in public schools. Vatican treaties should also be revised. 

11. What do you think about the government’s actions regarding Agrokor? Was the government right to intervene in order to save the jobs, or do you think that such situations should be solved by markets?

I’m afraid that public still does not know all causes and consequences of the Agrokor case. Politics has built a monster for years, it has favored interest groups at all levels. 

Agrokor is a symbol of the collapse of the country that was devastated by corruption, the beginning of the avalanche that will soon catch up. For more than 20 years, the last five governments, Croatian politics has unimaginably benefited from the Agrokor phenomenon. Lex Agrokor is again a key example of corruption in Croatia because this law was written by a special group of people, that is falsely referred to as a working and expert group, and that on the basis of that law explicitly and exclusively they earn the most. 

12. How do you comment on the government’s failure to purchase military jets from Israel? Should Croatia buy fighter jets at all or should the money be invested somewhere else?

Another case of scandal and another minister who had to resign. The fiasco of buying airplanes is proof of the government’s business ignorance and that they are not able to govern the state in terms of protecting and maintaining national security. With their rebelliousness they brought into question all future affairs, no one will take us seriously anymore. Also, do we know the financial damage after this broken deal?

From the very beginning, the government was not transparent on this issue, hiding the details that were to be made available to the public.

Although we might have some obligations to NATO, it was unclear why Croatia was buying airplanes at all, why we did not invest in education or healthcare, they were working behind closed doors. 

Today they lie to our faces and question the basic values of trust and security of our fellow citizens. These are the values with which no one can play. Their hypocrisy and irrationality are endless, once it has to stop because of the future of our children and the whole country.

13. What assessment would you give to Prime Minister Plenković and his policies? Did you expect more from him?

The assessment is: Dissatisfied. This Government leads Croatia to the Middle Ages. We are at the bottom of all the charts in Europe, hundreds of thousands of Croats have fled the country and the emigration continues, young people do not see the future in Croatia, corruption and clientelism are eating us, scandals run in the government one by one minister, comprehensive education reform is abandoned, knowledge is not valued, no judicial reform, no local self-government reform, no reform of health system, public administration is constantly growing, number of retirees is equal to the number of employees, entrepreneurs are still under great pressure, they cannot create new values and open new jobs…

People have lost faith in all institutions of this country. That is the legacy of this government, and Prime Minister Plenković showed the level of his arrogance and ardor when he did not want to accept the resignation of Minister Žalac. He does not know what political responsibility means. Also, he has admitted that laws do not apply equally to everyone.

14. Which is the Croatian politician, past or present in the modern Croatia, that you admire the most, and why?

Actually, I admire all the people who want to change the current state of society. I admire people who are willing to abandon their comfort and be socially active to work for the benefit of the community and not personal interest. This is tough and hard work and each such person should be praised and encouraged.

To learn more about Marijana Puljak and the Pametno party, visit the official website.

For more news about Croatian politics, follow the dedicated TCN section.

The monument of Franjo Tuđman, Croatia’s first president, in Zagreb is becoming a regular target of political protests. In January, the Communist hammer and sickle symbol was drawn on it, and just two days ago it was hit with eggs. This was only one of many attacks on what some consider politically controversial monuments in Croatia, reports Večernji List on February 16, 2019.

The hammer and sickle symbol was drawn by Filip Drača, a 24-year-old protester who was identified by the police and reported for a misdemeanour against public order and peace. He is one of few who has been fined for his vandalism since the police very rarely find the culprits, especially if the monuments being attacked are anti-fascist. For example, we still do not know who vandalised the monument to Partisan hero Ivo Lola Ribar twice in late 2017, after which the monument’s head was stolen. The Ustasha symbol U was drawn on the monument, which has not been attacked since.

“They have forgotten that it is here, which is normal because the people who write such things are not too clever,” said one Zagreb citizen. He believes that the same will happen with the Tuđman monument. “It is a new monument, so now there are some wise guys who do not like it. They will get used to it,” he said.

Ivo Lola Ribar is not the only antifascist whose monuments have been vandalised. Similar Ustasha signs appeared a year ago on the monument to the victims of fascism at Dotrščina, the location where several thousand people were killed during the Nazi occupation of Zagreb from 1941 to 1945. This is just one of the hundreds of antifascist monuments in Croatia which have been attacked and/or completely destroyed in recent years.

Still, not all attacks against monuments are intentional, like for example the one on famous inventor Nikola Tesla. It was hit accidentally by a delivery van, so it had to be temporarily removed from the intersection of Preradovićeva St. and Masarykova St. Before it was removed for repair, some of the more irresponsible citizens liked to use it to put garbage and cigarette butt ends in it. At least no one vandalised it with primitive symbols or had his head stolen.

Interestingly, the tradition of stealing heads of monuments began in antiquity, when people would take heads of statues of people they did not like. If you do something like that in Croatia and damage the property, you can get between six months and five years of prison. Unless of course, it is an antifascist monument, in which case you can be sure no one will ever find you.

More political news can be found in the dedicated section.

ZAGREB, February 11, 2019 - A new political party, called We Can, was founded in Zagreb on Sunday, and its founding conference decided that the party would not have a president, but two coordinators. Sandra Benčić and Teodor Celakoski were elected coordinators, and together with five other members they make up the party's governing committee.

Benčić said that after recently launching the political platform of the same name, their goal was to register a political party as an instrument for participating in elections.

The party plans to run in the elections for the European Parliament in May and is open to forming a coalition with similar left-leaning groups who share their values, including social democrats and the non-parliamentary far left, but not with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) which they regard as a liberal centrist party.

"We want to talk to those who share our values and who have not politically compromised themselves in the last 30 years," Benčić said.

Tomislav Tomašević, one of the founders of the party and a Zagreb City Councillor, said: "We hope to mobilise new voters who have not voted for any of the existing political groups so far. I think that the European Parliament elections are a good test for new progressive and particularly leftist political parties. This is a good time for us to show up on the political scene and offer voters something new, particularly in a situation where parties like the SDP are going through a crisis and are being abandoned by their voters."

We Can! will advocate higher living standards for all people in Croatia and will fight against inequality. The basic values it will promote are equality of all people, equality before law, greater economic equality, and the struggle against poverty, corruption and clientelism.

More politics news can be found in the special section.

ZAGREB, February 6, 2019 - Croatia is a free country but democracy in Croatia is deteriorating, according to the latest Freedom House report, which says that the state of democracy around the world has declined for the 13th year.

According to the US NGO which researches and supports democracy, freedom and human rights in the world, the highest freedom score in the Freedom in the World 2019 report was given to Norway, Sweden and Finland (100 out of 100 points), followed by the Netherlands and Canada (both 99), Australia and Ireland (both 98).

The NGO measures 25 indicators such as political rights, civil liberties, political pluralism, freedom of belief, and individual rights.

The report says the least free country in the world is Syria and, in Europe, Belarus and Russia.

The report shows that last year 44.1% of countries were free, 30.3% were partly free and 25.6% were not free.

Croatia's score is 85 out of 100 points, but it deteriorated, putting it alongside the US (86), Greece and Latvia (both 87), and Mongolia (85).

As for Croatia's neighbours, Slovenia was given free status (94 out of 100 points), while Hungary (70), Serbia (67), Montenegro (65), and Bosnia and Herzegovina (53) are partly free.

"In 2018, Freedom in the World recorded the 13th consecutive year of decline in global freedom. The reversal has spanned a variety of countries in every region, from long-standing democracies like the United States to consolidated authoritarian regimes like China and Russia. The overall losses are still shallow compared with the gains of the late 20th century, but the pattern is consistent and ominous. Democracy is in retreat," the report says.

More news on the human rights in Croatia can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, February 3, 2019 - Activists of the leftist political platform called "We Can" on Sunday held a news conference to announce the establishment of a new political party that will run in the European Parliament elections this May and in the next state-level elections in Croatia.

"The topics we are going to address focus on a new development based on investments in education, science, green industry, renewables, local communities' development and sustainable agriculture," said Tomislav Tomašević, a member of the Zagreb City Council, said at the news conference held in St. Mark's Square.

The initiating committee consists of 26 activists. "We have decided to become more politically active at the state level as we cannot watch any longer the political elites leading the country into a disaster," the Zagreb councillor said.

The activists' group introduces itself "a broad progressive new political platform which intends to bring together voters from the political spectrum ranging from the far-left, Green to social democracy".

More news on the politics in Croatia can be found in the special section.

ZAGREB, January 24, 2019 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Thursday arrived in the Swiss ski resort of Davos to take part in the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) which brought together political and business leaders as well as representatives of global and civil society organisations who will focus on resolving the current global challenges.

On the first day of the two-day annual meeting, Plenković will take part in two debates. The first one, called Globalisation 4.0, is an informal gathering of the world business leaders, with WEF president Borge Brende as the moderator. The second discussion is entitled The new impetus for Europe.

On Thursday, Plenković is also expected to hold a number of bilateral meetings with global business leaders, a meeting with the secretary general of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Jose Angel Gurria Trevino and CDU leader and possible future German Chancellor Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.

On Friday, Plenković will take part in a panel debate on creating a stronger partnership for growth and peace in the Western Balkans. He will also hold talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina Prime Minister Denis Zvizdić.

About 3,000 business, government and civil society figures have gathered in the snow-blanketed ski resort.

US President Donald Trump pulled out of this year’s event as he grapples with a partial US government shutdown.

British Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron are also skipping the meeting as Macon seeks to respond to the “yellow vest” protests, while May battles to find a consensus on Brexit. The event will also not be attended by the presidents of Russia and China.

More news on Croatian prime minister can be found in the Politics section