ZAGREB, July 10, 2019 - President of the Zagreb City Assembly Drago Prgomet of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) on Wednesday said that HDZ councillors do not wish to see amendments to the city's town planning that would envisage building a high rise complex where the Zagreb Trade Fair and racecourse are located.

He said that the HDZ will demand that whatever is to be built in that locality is appropriate for a city that is a central European metropolis. "We don't want to build a New York here, nor do we want to build a Belgrade on the Sava River," he underscored.

Reporters asked Progmet what HDZ's attitude would be toward the project dubbed "Zagreb's Manhattan" if the people were against it, and he said that HDZ would respect the will of the people.

"If citizens say they agree or don't agree with something at a referendum, then that is literally binding for us. Until there is a referendum, the City Assembly will make decisions, including regarding town planning, which only sets out prerequisites for certain changes regarding construction in Zagreb," he said.

He asserted that HDZ was very responsible in the process of adopting the city's town plan and that it is generally for adopting a new one, provided procedure is respected.

In March this year, the city authorities said that Eagle Hills, a group of investors from Abu Dhabi, was the likely strategic investor in a possible development project colloquially called Manhattan.

More Zagreb news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, July 10, 2019 - Prime Minister and Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) leader Andrej Plenković said on Tuesday evening that he had been supported by the party leadership to reshuffle his cabinet.

"Members of the HDZ presidency and the national council gave me the support to take measures I find necessary to refresh the government," Plenković said after the meeting of the HDZ leadership in Zagreb.

He said that the purpose of this refreshing will be to streamline the efforts aimed at achieving the goals from the government's agenda and to prepare Croatia for the chairmanship over the European Union in the first half of 2020.

Furthermore, all that will be done with the aim of consolidating the HDZ and providing full support to President Kolinda Grabar Kitarović in the race for her second term.

He added that the meeting had revolved around a few important topics and that all the participants supported the course taken by the government and by the HDZ which enabled Croatia to enjoy a political stability and conditions for the committed reform activities.

More HDZ news can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, July 9, 2019 - The Croatian People's Party (HNS) whip, Milorad Batinić on Tuesday said that the HNS was more than a fair coalition partner to the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) despite the ultimatum it set with regard to replacing Administration Minister Lovro Kuščević, who stepped down on Monday evening, assessing Prime Minister Andrej Plenković's move as "correct and statesmanlike."

Asked whether HNS expects Plenković's retaliation seeing that with its publicly announced ultimatum they put him in an awkward position, Batinić said that more information about that would be provided after a meeting between coalition partners.

"That's a matter for coalition partners, coalition talks and we will discuss everything at the coalition meeting," he added.

He dismissed interpretations that HNS acted unfairly because it sent its message that Kuščević has to go through the media and now they are saying they will discuss it in the meeting of the coalition.

"You have totally distorted your arguments. Coalition talks have been continuing over the past four weeks. No one can deny anyone their right to their opinion regardless of the dispute in question," he told reporters.

He underscored that the HNS caucus was united. He added that he believes the prime minister will not oust the HNS from the government and that Plenković made a "correct and statesmanlike move."

Considering that the HNS in its press release mentioned Kuščević's criminal responsibility, Batinić said that they expect the relevant institutions to do their job.

"We pointed out the political responsibility and that was the main thing and now it is up to state institutions to assess whether there were any criminal wrongdoings and to handle that," he added.

Asked whether the HNS was perhaps aiming for a broader government reshuffle, Batinić said that there is certainly room for improvement and that in the last year of term in government, those minister who perhaps have not kept up with HNS ministers, will pick up and we can catch up to what we advocated when we entered into the coalition."

Asked whether ministers Grabrijela Žalac and Goran Maric should remain in government, Batinić reiterated, "that will be discussed at coalition meetings in addition to other matters that are discussed."

More news about HNS can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, July 9, 2019 - Members of parliament on Tuesday discussed the resignation of Public Administration Minister Lovro Kuščević, with the opposition saying he was not the only one, and the ruling HDZ party responding that they would not be lectured on morals by those who did not have the right to do so.

"If Kuščević were the only one, that would be news, but he isn't," said Mirando Mrsić on behalf of the HSS-Democrats caucus.

The HDZ holds Croatia firmly in "the shackles of conflict of interest, corruption and nepotism" which began with former president and HDZ leader Franjo Tuđman in the 1990s, he added.

Kuščević resigned last night as public administration minister and HDZ political secretary in the wake of alleged scandals involving real estate on the island of Brac.

Mrsić said Kuščević resigned "only because he let himself be caught and so as not to compromise other compromised ministers and the prime minister, who knows everything and is doing nothing about it."

Mrsić said Labour and Pension System Minister Marko Pavić, Agriculture Minister Tomislav Tolušić, Regional Development and EU Funds Minister Gabrijela Žalac, and State Assets Minister Goran Marić should also resign because of the scandals they were involved them.

He called them "vermin that are irreversibly destroying the future of this country, and they are all protected by the prime minister who is fighting tooth and nail to land a job outside of Croatia." He said it was time PM Andrej Plenković resigned and that "elections are Croatia's only option."

Božo Petrov of the MOST caucus said Plenković "can do what he wants but not as long as he wants." He said Kuščević did not resign out of political and moral responsibility but to minimise the media damage his case was causing the HDZ.

"One gets the impression that Kuščević is leaving as an innocent man who doesn't deserve any criticism, and this is the message this government is sending," Petrov said, wondering how a person who was not honourable enough to be a minister was honourable enough to be an MP.

"The Croatian parliament is not a reformatory," he said, adding that what Kuščević had done was unacceptable and that the people would be able to have its say in elections.

The rest of us have to show citizens that corruption and clientelism cannot rule Croatia. That must end. We either stamp out corruption and clientelism or we eventually disappear as a nation, Petrov said.

Speaking on behalf of the HDZ caucus, Branko Bačić said the "usual moralists in parliament" were using defamation and unfounded accusations to inflict political damage on the HDZ, the government and the prime minister, but "they won't succeed."

He asked Mrsić where his "moral standards were" when his wife, while he served as a minister, "owed a huge amount" to the Croatian Health Insurance Fund. "Why didn't you talk then about moral standards and concern for state interests and, as a sign of responsibility, resign?"

Bačić accused Petrov of having tried to change the statute of Croatian Waters so that he could appoint a close friend to the company. "One should have the same approach and not demonise someone while passing over one's own sins as though they never happened."

He said it did not matter when Kuščević resigned but that the HDZ was setting high standards in Croatian politics. "But we won't allow those without the moral right to do so, to attack the HDZ and give us moral slaps on the wrist here."

More HDZ news can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, July 9, 2019 - Public Administration Minister and Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) political secretary Lovro Kuščević resigned from both posts on Monday, and Prime Minister and HDZ president Andrej Plenković told reporters after a marathon meeting in the party's headquarters that he had accepted Kuščević's resignations.

"Minister Kuščević and I talked upon my return from Poland and over the weekend and today. He tendered his resignation as both public administration minister and as the HDZ's political secretary. As prime minister and party president, I accepted his resignation and... he will return to parliament," said Plenković.

"Given all the activities in recent weeks in public and the media, we estimated that a lot of damage is being done to him personally and, of course, to the government and the HDZ, and that there's no point anymore," Plenković said, adding that it was now up to Kuščević "to resolve all the doubts that appear in public and make his political activity possible."

"I'm a responsible politician. I've been in politics a long time," Kuščević said, adding that "it's clear to me that this negative perception in the media, the basis of all the unfounded attacks on me, represents a big burden on both the party and the government."

"I don't want to be a burden to this government, which is doing a good job and has excellent results, so that these results can be even better," Kuščević added.

The opposition and the government's coalition partners had been calling for Kuščević's resignation due to alleged scandals involving real estate on the island of Brač.

Last Thursday, the parliament added to the agenda a motion by the opposition, which collected 43 signatures, for a vote of no confidence in Kuščević.

The opposition claimed that while Kuščević was the head of Nerežišće municipality on Brač island, and later as minister, he showed that the protection of public interest was not important for him, that he continually put his own private property interests before public interest, and that he abused his position, gaining millions of kuna."

The Croatian People's Party (HNS), which recently proposed that Public Administration Minister Lovro Kuščević be replaced, welcomed his resignation on Monday and said that no one who used political influence for personal gain must hold a public office.

"For us in the HNS, it's a question of every politician's moral and political responsibility, while possible criminal accountability will be established by the relevant authorities," the HDZ's ruling coalition partner said in a press release.

The HNS said it would continue to talk with its coalition partners, starting at Tuesday's ruling coalition meeting, about relations with the HDZ in future and its own political priorities, such as raising salaries for 68,000 employees in elementary and high schools.

More news about former minister Kuščević can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, July 5, 2019 - Ursula von der Leyen has the full support of the European People's Party (EPP) to become European Commission President, but she has not yet secured votes from other parliamentary groups, Croatian members of the European Parliament said in Zagreb on Friday.

Dubravka Šuica, a member of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and deputy chair of the EPP group in the European Parliament, said she regretted that the concept of spitzenkandidat had failed, adding that the EPP did not want to "block the processes" agreed in Brussels and would support the Commission President nominee.

Tomislav Sokol (HDZ/EPP) said: "As far as the EPP is concerned, there will be no problem about the confirmation of Ursula von der Leyen."

After lengthy negotiations, the European Council on Tuesday nominated German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen (CDU/EPP) as the next President of the European Commission, after the lead candidates Manfred Weber of the EPP and Frans Timmermans of the Social Democrats were rejected.

"The point is that the strongest party has the right to nominate its candidate for the highest position. With the new candidate democratic legitimacy was preserved because the EPP is a relative winner" of May's European Parliament elections, Sokol said at a press conference held to introduce the newly-elected Croatian MEPs.

Attending were Dubravka Šuica, Karlo Ressler, Tomislav Sokol and Željana Zovko of the HDZ, Biljana Borzan and Tonino Picula of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Valter Flego of the Istrian Democratic Party (IDS).

Ruza Tomašić of the Croatian Sovereignists, Predrag Fred Matic of the SDP, Independent Mislav Kolakušić and Živi Zid's Ivan Vilibor Sinčić did not attend. Tomašić and Matić excused themselves, while Kolakušić and Sinčić gave no explanation.

Zovko said she is "very pleased with the choice of Von der Leyen" because she is advocating the EU's southeastern expansion, unlike Timmermans who is opposed to further enlargement. "We have the best possible solution," she said.

Borzan, a deputy chair of the Socialists group, said that their support for the EPP's candidate has not been agreed yet, even though Italian Socialist David Sassoli has become President of the European Parliament.

"Von der Leyen is facing a difficult task of winning a majority," Picula said, adding that those who did not honour the concept of spitzenkandidat contributed to a degradation of the European institutions.

Flego said that Von der Leyen would first have to present her platform to his Renew Europe group, formerly known as the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), as Sassoli had done, after which this group would decide on whether or not they would support her.

"It is less important who is at the European Commisson's helm and who the commissioners are, but it is very important that we know what these people will do," Flego said.

More news about the European Parliament can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, July 4, 2019 - The Croatian parliament on Thursday added to its agenda an opposition motion for a vote of no confidence in Public Administration Minister Lovro Kuščević.

The motion was signed by 43 deputies, Speaker Gordan Jandroković said.

The opposition has called for a vote of no confidence in Kuščević "because during his term as the mayor of Nerežišća municipality, and later as minister he has shown that he does not care about public interest and because he has put his private, property-related interests before public interest, abusing his powers to make personal gain worth millions of kuna."

The motion, put forward by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) was supported also by deputies of the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS), the GLAS party, the group of independent members of parliament, SNAGA party MP Goran Aleksić, and MP Ivan Lovrinović of the Let's Change Croatia party.

The government has the duty to state its position on the motion within eight days from its being tabled. A no-confidence motion is voted on seven days from the day of its submission at the earliest and 30 days from its submission at the latest.

After a meeting of the ruling coalition partners - Branko Bačić of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), Milorad Batinić of the Croatian People's Party (HNS) and Milorad Pupovac of the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS) - Pupovac expressed hope that a parliamentary debate on a vote of no confidence in Public Administration Minister Lovro Kuščević, moved by the opposition, would not have to be held.

Speaking to reporters before the meeting, Pupovac said that "someone should leave the government but I hope that won't be the coalition partners."

Pupovac, who is known for choosing his words carefully, thus gave reporters reason to conclude that Kuščević will eventually leave the government before the parliamentary debate and will either resign or be replaced by the prime minister.

"We have just had a meeting of the coalition partners and discussed ways to deal with everything that is behind us and that we are faced with. If people talk, it means that there is some kind of common ground for talks... We had an open and good discussion on how to proceed with regard to all outstanding issues," Pupovac said when asked if the ruling coalition was stable.

Asked who would give in, the HDZ or its coalition partners, Pupovac said, "This is not about giving in but about an agreement on how to function and find a solution."

The HDZ did not speak about Kuščević's political fate, the prime minister is in charge of that and we are agreed that that role belongs to him, he added. "As for the debate on a no-confidence vote in Kuščević, we hope it will not have to be held," he said, adding that "someone should leave the government and I hope that won't be the coalition partners."

Pupovac said that he was not insulted by Kuščević 's statement that a party with 2.5% voter support was not one to decide on the composition of the government, but that that was an insult to common sense.

Asked if his HNS party could leave the government, Batinić said that everything would be communicated to the prime minister, adding "See you next week after the meeting with the prime minister."

Social Democrat Peđa Grbin, whose party on Wednesday filed a motion for a vote of no confidence in Kuščević, said earlier today that the HDZ had assumed responsibility for Kuščević's behaviour.

"The HDZ yesterday supported a common thief thus sending the message that in Croatia it is permitted to steal while holding a public office," said Grbin. "We expect all members of parliament to say 'No' to Lovro Kuščević and to thievery. If the HNS will join in - good, but if not, it will only demonstrate consistency with everything it has been doing in the last two years since it joined this government of crooks," Grbin said.

He noted that many HDZ deputies admitted in private conversations that Kuščević's conduct was unacceptable. "Now they will have a chance to show if they practice what they preach," he added.

More news about the Kuščević affair can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, July 4, 2019 - Prime Minister and HDZ leader Andrej Plenković said after a party meeting on Wednesday evening that Public Administration Minister Lovro Kuščević was doing his job, that media attacks against him referred to the period before Kuščević was appointed minister and that he would most probably hold talks on Kuščević with all partners in the ruling coalition next week.

Kuščević has come under severe criticism from the media after it emerged that he was involved in a string of property-related scandals during his term as mayor of Nerežišća on the southern island of Brač.

The deputy leader of the HNS and Deputy Prime Minister, Predrag Štromar, said over the weekend that the HNS wanted a meeting with Plenković to propose the dismissal of Kuščević because he had used his political position to amass wealth for himself.

"As for the minister, he presented at the meeting his arguments and facts that are currently in the focus of media attention so that the party leadership could hear his side of the story too," Plenković told reporters after the HDZ leadership discussed the HNS's demand that Kuščević be replaced.

Instead of using the media to trade shots, we will hold talks with all partners in the parliamentary majority, and that will happen most probably next week, Plenković said, adding that all further activities regarding the case would be discussed by Minister Kuščević and himself.

"We will talk, Minister Kuščević is doing his job and the topics from the media campaign against him refer to the time long before he was appointed minister. As for his work as minister, I think that he has been maximally involved and motivated to work on the government's programme and on everything from the Public Administration Ministry's remit," said the PM.

Asked about the HNS's demand that Kuščević be replaced and its claims that otherwise, it would leave the ruling coalition, Plenković said: "No one is indispensable."

Asked if the HDZ had a plan B in that case, he added: "Don't you worry about us."

More news about the latest crisis in the ruling coalition can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, June 18, 2019 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Monday he expected President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović to run for a second term in office, adding that it was up to her to decide on the timing of her formal announcement for the race and that his HDZ party was waiting for her "with open arms".

"As the HDZ leader I expect President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović to run for a second term and I'm sure we will all support her together. It's up to her to find the right time for announcing her candidacy and I can see that the HDZ is waiting for her with open arms," Plenković said to loud applause at a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary since the foundation of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ).

The chairman of the HDZ parliamentary group, Branko Bačić, told the press after the ceremony that Grabar-Kitarović would announce her presidency bid shortly. "She will announce her candidacy very soon, let's wait for a little while longer," he said.

Bačić denied the existence of documents or material that might compromise the president. Vladimir Šeks, one of the 'oldest' members of the HDZ, said on Sunday that there were "some stories going around about something that might compromise her."

"There are no documents or material that might compromise Grabar-Kitarović. I don't know about them and we in the party don't know about them. The person who said that should explain what this material is about. She certainly has no documents that would in any way compromise her joining the presidential race and her victory," Bačić said.

He said that Grabar-Kitarović's presidential term was excellent and that no statements made "on the eve of the campaign" could foil her victory.

Asked if Zoran Milanović, the presidential candidate of the strongest opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP), could threaten her victory, Bačić said that the HDZ had defeated Milanovic in the last six electoral cycles and he was confident that Grabar-Kitarović would defeat him in the seventh one as well.

"An unsuccessful prime minister cannot be a successful president. Had he been a successful prime minister, he wouldn't have lost to the HDZ in the 2015 election and in the 2016 extraordinary election," he said.

Bačić confirmed that Plenkovic and HDZ secretary-general Gordan Jandroković were in close contact with Grabar-Kitarović and were discussing her candidacy.

More news about presidential elections can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, June 17, 2019 - The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) leader Andrej Plenković said on Monday after a wreath-laying ceremony at the grave of the first Croatian President Franjo Tuđman, that the HDZ could be proud of its achievements in the past.

The wreath-laying ceremony was organised on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of this political party.

Plenković recalled that President Tuđman and people who had stood up in defence of Croatia had founded the HDZ, and the party accomplished crucial goals in the first 10 years of the independence and freedom of Croatia.

Those goals were creating democratic institutions, the defence of the country against the aggression (during the 1991-1995 war) and the liberation of the occupied territories as well as the reintegration of the Croatian Danube region, and setting out on the journey towards the European Union and NATO, said Plenković, adding that the party could be proud of those achievements and the transformation of the legal and economic system as well as of the country's membership of the European Union and NATO.

In the present-day Croatia, the HDZ works on resolving the issues crucial for residents, and they refer to the economy and social inclusion and the party is trying to enable Croatia to position itself well, he added.

Plenković said that in 2019, the HDZ was commemorating the 20th anniversary of Tuđman's death and the 30th anniversary of its establishment, and the commemorative events started with the laying of wreaths on Tudjman's grave at the cemetery of Mirogoj.

On Monday evening, the party will hold a special meeting in the Vatroslav Lisinski Hall as well as a football match at the Jarun stadium.

More HDZ news can be found in the Politics section.