ZAGREB, July 16, 2019 - The resignation tendered by State Assets Minister Goran Maric ensued after a few days ago Marić had held talks with Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on that step and it is not a surprise, the government's public relations office says in a press release issued on Monday afternoon.

The government says that on Monday morning Marić sent his letter of resignation to PM Plenković and afterwards informed the public about that move.

Marić announced his resignation on Monday in the town of Novi Vinodolski at a contract-signing ceremony saying this was the last contract on donating state properties he would sign.

"I worked under terrible pressure; I became a target. I cannot accept the unprecedented attack on myself and my family," he told surprised reporters in that coastal town.

In his written resignation to the premier, Marić said the State Assets Ministry had never worked in calm circumstances. "I worked under almost programmed pressure and in circumstances in which doubts were encouraged and tacitly approved as to the organisational foundation of the Ministry and the introduction of the necessary regulation of the status of state assets."

Marić said it was inconceivable and unacceptable that "the media's orchestration and creation of a lynching atmosphere takes priority over a calm and sensible insight into the value, achievements and effects of state assets" in Croatia's politics, economy and society.

Marić said it was incomprehensible that the targeted media pressure made serious work undertaken to activate state property that had been abandoned or seized for decades unimportant.

He added that he "cannot accept and endure the unprecedented media and public attack on the dignity, peace and integrity of my family."

The media suspect Marić over the purchases and sales of flats and the renovation of a part of the Franciscan monastery in Zagreb. He came under preliminary investigation by the USKOK anti-corruption office after the Index portal revealed how he acquired a flat in downtown Zagreb.

Croatian Prime Minister's chief of staff, Zvonimir Frka-Petešić, said on Monday afternoon that during the process of reshuffling his cabinet, the premier would decide whether or not to abolish the ministry of state assets, and the public would be informed in a timely fashion upon the conclusion of consultations.

Addressing the press outside Government House, during a round of consultations, Frka- Petešić reiterated that PM Plenković had known that Goran Marić would today step down as State Assets Minister.

The cabinet's chief-of-staff recalled the course of the previous events. He said that in the morning Marić had sent his letter of resignation to the premier and afterwards informed the public about his decision to step down.

Asked by the press whether the premier had asked Marić to leave the government, Frka- Petešić said that the resignation was a result of the talks between Plenković and Marić a few days before. However, Frka- Petešić could not specify the exact date of those talks.

Živi Zid member of parliament Damjan Vucelić told a news conference in Zagreb on Monday that the only solutions for the "crimes that happen" is holding an early parliamentary election.

As for the resignation of State Assets Minister Goran Marić, Vucelić said that it "is scandalous and unacceptable that the minister in charge of managing state assets makes use of the state to accumulate his wealth".

This opposition party also criticises Marić's decision to reactivate his term as a member of parliament.

Thus, the Sabor turns into "a centre for those Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) ministers who are no longer of any use".

More news about Marić’s resignation can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, July 15, 2019 - State Assets Minister Goran Marić tendered his irrevocable resignation on Monday, saying he was doing so "given the circumstances and the atmosphere of grave media defamation of the status and the obstruction of the work and activity of the State Assets Ministry" and himself as minister.

Marić resigned in the coastal town of Novi Vinodolski after signing a contract on the gifting of state properties, saying this was the last contract he would sign.

"I worked under terrible pressure, I became a target. I cannot accept the unprecedented attack on myself and my family," he told surprised reporters.

In his written resignation to Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, Marić said the State Assets Ministry had never worked in calm circumstances. "I worked under almost programmed pressure and in circumstances in which doubts were encouraged and tacitly approved as to the organisational foundation of the Ministry and the introduction of the necessary regulation of the status of state assets."

Marić said it was inconceivable and unacceptable that "the media's orchestration and creation of a lynching atmosphere takes priority over a calm and sensible insight into the value, achievements and effects of state assets" in Croatia's politics, economy and society.

Marić said it was incomprehensible that the targeted media pressure made serious work undertaken to activate state property that had been abandoned or seized for decades unimportant.

He added that he "cannot accept and endure the unprecedented media and public attack on the dignity, peace and integrity of my family."

The media suspect Marić over the purchases and sales of flats and the renovation of a part of the Franciscan monastery in Zagreb. He came under preliminary investigation by the USKOK anti-corruption office after the Index portal revealed how he acquired a flat in downtown Zagreb.

 Following the decision by Goran Marić to step down as State Assets Minister, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Monday said that the best and fairest way to reshuffle the current cabinet of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković will be snap elections.

"The current government does not reflect the will of voters and therefore citizens are losing faith in politics and are departing from Croatia every day," SDP Secretary-General Nikša Vukas said.

Instead of having one by one minister burdened by scandals leaving the government, the best and fairest way to reshuffle the government will be through new elections, he added.

The political secretary of the opposition MOST party said on Monday the resignation of State Assets Minister Goran Marić had been extorted and that "the public again have not got answers to questions asked by the media about possible corruption."

"Stepping down is not the point, it's a necessity. It's necessary to render accounts to the public regarding accusations of possible corruption," Nikola Grmoja told reporters on his party's behalf.

He said Marić and Lovro Kuščević, who resigned as public administration minister last Monday, "are returning to parliament after the prime minister evidently renounced them. Now they must prove their loyalty to the party and to the prime minister, already during the vote on their successors."

Grmoja said the return of Marić and Kuščević to parliament would only reinforce the impression that the parliamentary majority was built on interests and blackmail.

More news about the state assets minister can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, July 12, 2019 - The State Assets Ministry on Friday denied claims made in an article headlined "Goran Marić's conflict of interest? Enabling former boss in whose apartment his son lives to purchase attractive land," in the Jutarnji List daily, claiming that someone is trying to impute conflict of interest on Minister Goran Marić with regard to the dissolution of co-ownership of state land.

The Jutarnji List claims that in May, Marić decided to sell over 13,000 square metres of land to companies related to Željko Udovičić, the owner of the company that owns the building in which Minster Marić's son is currently living. The land is located in Brsečine near Dubrovnik in a construction zone on the seashore and earmarked for a tourism resort and is valued at HRK 5.092 million.

The land accounts for just of 19% that Udovičić's company required, to be in a position to be registered as the sole owners of the land, which until then had been co-owned with the state, the daily said.

The state agreed to be registered as the sole owner of unattractive land above the road while the rest of the land was sold to Udovičić's companies, the article noted.

The State Assets Ministry claimed that the article was trying to impute conflict of interest onto Marić regarding the dissolution of co-ownership.

"The dispute over the right of ownership of land between the Republic of Croatia and Sikirica d.o.o. and Valeta d.o.o. (companies owned by Udovičić) has been ongoing for 10 years. As the state lost one of three suits, the county prosecution settled with the said companies for land that was defined as being co-owned in such a way that, of two plots, one went to the state with an area of approximately 0.7 hectares and the other, went to the said companies with an area of 6.8 hectares," the ministry said in a press release.

The Office of the County State Prosecutor referred the companies to the State Assets Ministry for the purpose of dissolving the co-ownership and that was processed in regular procedure as is the case with hundreds of similar cases of dissolution and in the most transparent way possible, the press release added.

"The dissolution finally resolved any further damage being caused to Croatia and enabled an income into the state budget in the amount of 5.092 million kuna," the ministry underscored, adding that Minister Marić never in any way influenced that decision.

The ministry added that the owners of the Valeta d.o.o. and Sikirica d.o.o. are not the owners of the companies with which Marić's son signed a lease agreement for the apartment he is living in.

More news about the state assets minister can be found in the Politics section.

Works have begun in the extreme south of Dalmatia, just before the Montenegrin border. Prevlaka fortress, the renovation works on which have been being awaited for some considerable time now, have finally started. Prevlaka fortress, which sadly sat neglected and delapidated for years, will be renovated and eventually turned into no less than a naval museum.

As Morski writes on the 3rd of January, 2019, thanks to the Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities, Prevlaka fortress will get a new lease of life and a sense of purpose. The raising of the scaffolding and the beginning of the works on the renovation of the almost entirely abandoned Austro-Hungarian fortress of Prevlaka have finally been announced.

''It's clear that 2019 will be the same as it has been throughout many past years for the Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities, fruitful and careful attention due to the wish to preserve our heritage for generations to come,'' said Niko Kapetanić, President of the aforementioned Dubrovnik-based society, who expressed his satisfaction at the start of the works on the reconstruction of Prevlaka fortress, located at the southernmost point of Croatia, almost right on the border with Montenegro, and from which the coastline of Montenegro can be seen.

To briefly recall, this area of extreme southern Dalmatia was under the jurisdiction of the Republic of Croatia until quite recently, and the state left Prevlaka fortress in the hands of Croatia's southernmost municipality, the Municipality of Konavle. Together with the Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities, the municipality will eventually open a museum dedicated to the Austro-Hungarian Navy in the fortress, with special emphasis placed on the Croatian component.

This isn't something that is particularly cheap to oversee and do, and according to some of the best experts on such matters in the world, ranging from naval uniforms to historic weaopons, to parts of old ships, the final result will be a complete cross section of the former Austro-Hungarian Navy. The plan is also for Prevlaka fortress to house an aquarium displaying an array of Adriatic fish, a souvenir shop, a lookout point, and an accompanying catering facility.

These plans have been revealed by Kapetanić, who didn't really want to speculate on what the price would or could be, but added that it would surely be tens of millions of kuna.

Back in September 2017, Minister of State Property Goran Marić pointed out that while Konavle might well geographically be at the very edge of Croatia, it doesn't mean that it also needs to be at the very edge in terms of relations with the state.

''It's in our interest to bring this project to life and that this [piece of state] property doesn't fall. We like the project that is intended for this property,'' Marić said.

Make sure to stay up to date on Prevlaka's progress and much more by following our dedicated lifestyle page.

ZAGREB, July 18, 2018 - Croatian State Assets Minister Goran Marić said on Wednesday that building a national football stadium was necessary and that this must be done as soon as possible.

Something new for Pula?

ZAGREB, May 18, 2018 - If the States Assets Ministry realises 10% of what is possible over the next three to four years, the impact on budgetary revenues will be counted in billions, Minister Goran Marić said in parliament on Thursday, presenting a bill on state assets management.

ZAGREB, May 8, 2018 - State Assets Minister Goran Marić on Tuesday told a conference that his ministry will remain part of the government and won't be merged with any other ministry, and that his ministry is preparing thousands of requests for the State Prosecutor's Office for evictions from state property and flats.

Something old turns into something new in the name of promoting Sibenik's ever growing tourist offer.

Due to the delay in law, the state is now in the position to bring in two annual property management plans for both 2018 and 2019.