ZAGREB, July 13, 2020 - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic on Monday denied media allegations that the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) had received donations from companies that were granted government subsidies during the coronavirus epidemic.

"That information is not true. The donations concerned were paid no later than March 12 before any lockdown measures were introduced or any government subsidies were issued to bail out the economy. We did not receive any donations after March 12, or we received some but that money of about HRK 70,000 was paid back to the state budget," Jandrokovic said ahead of a meeting of the HDZ presidency.

He added that "those donations were paid before the COVID situation even emerged," adding that at that time no one could have to know what was to happen later.

HDZ's presidency and national council on Monday appointed Krunoslav Katicic as the party's new secretary-general, replacing Jandrokovic who will be reappointed parliament speaker based on an earlier agreement in the party.

Jandrokovic said: "Now, I will dedicate myself 100 percent to the position of parliament speaker," expressing satisfaction with the opportunity to be in that position for a second term.

"It was demanding and challenging to conduct both the duties of parliament speaker and secretary-general of HDZ. I look proudly at the past four years and wish my successor good luck," said Jandrokovic.

New parliament to be inaugurated on 22 July

He announced that the new parliament should be convened on July 22 if there are no complaints related to the July 5 parliamentary election in the town of Rasa which was repeated on Sunday. Parliament is expected to sit in Parliament House taking account of epidemiological measures.

ZAGREB, July 13, 2020 - In the first half of this year, the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party received HRK 560,000 in donations for its regular political activities, a report published on Monday shows.

The HDZ received more than about 30 other political parties combined. The bulk of donations, slightly over HRK 500,000, were made in money and HRK 57,000 in products or services. Not one donation exceeded HRK 30,000.

About 30 political parties have so far submitted their reports on donations and they are available on the Electoral Commission's website.

The report by the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS), published on Monday, shows that the party received a modest HRK 13,750 from donors.

Reports published earlier show that the Croatian Conservative Party (HKS) of MEP Ruza Tomasic overtook the Croatian People's Party (HNS), to which donors had been very inclined in the past years. The HKS received HRK 164,000 in donations and the HNS 143,000.

Many political parties, including those in parliament, reported no donations, including the Independent Democratic Serb Party, the Croatian Pensioners Party, the Istrian Democratic Party and Let's Change Croatia. Independent MPs Vladimir Bilek, who represents the Czech and Slovak minorities, and Veljko Kajtazi (Roma minority) also reported receiving no donations.

The Social Democratic Party, Bridge, and the Homeland Movement are yet to submit their reports. The deadline is July 15.

Any party that fails to do so by the given deadline faces a fine of between HRK 10,000 and 100,000, while MPs and councillors face a fine of between HRK 2,000 and 20,000.

(€1 = HRK 7.53)

ZAGREB, June 29, 2020 - Environment and Energy Minister Tomislav Coric said on Monday that the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party had declined donations from companies that had received state aid for job retention, calling on the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) to do the same given that it had already received such donations.

"The HDZ has so far received about HRK 1.75 million (€233,000) in donations, which is considerably more than our political opponents. This itself speaks of the HDZ's popularity and the inclination to donate funds," Coric, a member of the HDZ's main committee, said in response to questions from the press.

He said that the HDZ would insist on a transparent presentation of campaign costs, adding that even before the election campaign the party had decided to "negatively respond" to certain donations.

"All donations coming from legal entities which in recent months received aid as part of the economic recovery measures for job retention are considered unacceptable by the HDZ. We call on all other parties to follow suit because we are aware of the fact that some political groups in Croatia have received donations from legal entities that benefited from the economic recovery measures. We don't think that's fair," Coric said.

He said that the HDZ had been offered donations from several such businesses but that the party had paid the money into the state budget. He did not reveal details, saying only that those were several smaller legal entities with small donations.

"As far as we know, the SDP has received such donations. We call on them to be responsible in this election time and to refer such donations to the budget," Coric said.

ZAGREB, June 3, 2020 - A HRK 1 million donation of the International Medical Corps from the USA was presented to Croatia's Health Ministry on Wednesday by the head of the Croatian office of that global humanitarian organization, Ivana Petkovic.

The donation, delivered to the Croatian civil protection directorate's logistic centre in Jastrebarsko, consists of 70,400 KN95 ventilator masks, 12,000 face shields, and 18 pulse oximeters. The donation is aimed at contributing to the protection of Croatian medical staff against the coronavirus.

Seeing that Zagreb and its environs were struck by the March 22 devastating earthquake which put some of the health institutions and medical equipment out of use, the International Medical Corps made this donation in an effort to relieve the consequences of the earthquake, the civil protection directorate informed.

In attendance at the donation-delivery ceremony was US Ambassador to Croatia William Robert Kohorst, Croatian Assistant Interior Minister Damir Trut, and the director of the Croatian Emergency Medical Service, Maja Grba Bujevic.

The International Medical Corps is a global, nonprofit, humanitarian aid organisation dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering by providing emergency medical services, as well as healthcare training and development programs, to those affected by disaster, disease or conflict.

Croatia has intensified its cooperation with the USA in the area of civil protection over the past five years particularly with the Minnesota National Guard in the segment of disaster response preparedness through exchanging the know-how in the prevention and participating in exercises in the field.

ZAGREB, June 3, 2020 - UNICEF Croatia has donated over HRK 480,000 for upgrading the infrastructure needed for secure distance learning, its officials said on Wednesday.

The procurement of a new data storage system enables a secure and quality implementation of online education in Croatia, a press release said.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the amount of data in CARNET (Croatian Academic and Research Network) systems increased multifold in a short time, so UNICEF has invested in tape libraries so that all data and contents can be safely stored.

This step, it was said, has long term effects on education also as children will use virtual classrooms and online learning tools also after returning to school.

Science and Education Minister Blazenka Divjak said distance learning in Croatia was a pioneering endeavour thanks to which education was ensured for students in extraordinary circumstances due to the pandemic.

"Thanks to the curricular reform in schools, we equipped them in time, creating the prerequisites so that this type of teaching could be possible," she said, thanking the donors.

"Since distance learning began, half a million teachers and students daily have been accessing numerous apps, services, and tools via their electronic identity in the AAI@EduHr system," said CARNET director Goran Kezunovic.

The head of UNICEF Croatia, Regina M. Castillo, said education was not just the right of every child but the biggest opportunity they could be given.

UNICEF has also worked on providing tablets and SIM cards for needy children as well as on the preparation of guidelines and advice on COVID-19 so that children, parents, and experts are informed in time and correctly, she added.

(€1 = HRK 7.58)

ZAGREB, May 27, 2020 - The German government has made a donation of technical equipment valued at €85,000 to Croatia's Civil Protection in its efforts to deal with the consequences of the March 22 earthquake in Zagreb and its environs

The donation has come from the German Technisches Hilfswerk (THW) civil protection organisation controlled by the German federal government and Germany's Ambassador to Croatia, Robert Klinke formally presented the donation to Assistant Interior Minister Dami Trut at the civil protection logistics centre in Jastrebarsko, on the outskirts of Zagreb.

The equipment consists of ten light balloons and one hundred diesel heaters used in tents. Ambassador Klinke said that the equipment can be used to address to quake consequences and for other civil protection activities.

The diplomat mentioned the fact that as a result of the two strong earthquakes that struck Zagreb on March 22 during restrictions imposed because of the COVID-19 epidemic, many citizens can still not return to their homes before the comprehensive reconstruction of their buildings.

"The Federal Republic of Germany feels solidarity for its friend Croatia and has responded to the Croatian government's call and has donated this equipment to Croatia's civil protection organisation which can be transported and used day and night both during repairs and in rescue missions," Ambassador Klinke said and wished Croatia a lot of strength in the reconstruction of Zagreb and its environs affected by the earthquake.

Assistant Minister Trut expressed gratitude for the donation and described the permanent good cooperation between various institutions and organisations in both countries.

"In the past ten years we have been partners in 18 projects and now in another three and they are mostly conducted with Germany's THW as the greatest force in civil protection in Germany. In addition to this donation, we received support during the migrant crisis and during the COVID-19 pandemic we received tests and medical protective equipment," Trut said adding that Germany's greatest support to Croatia was in mine clearance valued at €9 million.

The Female Association "Triljanke" Trilj and The Female Comunity "Katarina Zrinski" prepared an humanitarian action "Let´s Show our Humanity in Action" ("Prikažimo svoju humanost na djelu"). In the period of September 1-18, 2015, it is possible to donate cloths, shoes, hygienic necessities and food for the people in need of the Trilj area.

Donations will be received in the space next to the movie theatre in Trilj on working days from 8 till 14 and on Mondays and Wednesdays from 16 till 18. Ladies from the female associations are informing us about the need for several stoves (gas and wood) and even tables, chairs and beds will be welcome.

Big Thank You to all of you, who will be able to help and will donate in Trilj.

More information at the ferata.hr website.