ZAGREB, 15 Feb 2022 - Prime Minister and HDZ party leader Andrej Plenković said on Tuesday that the government's set of measures designed to cushion the impact of rising energy prices was comprehensive and would be good both for households and the business sector, and that they would be presented at 10 am on Wednesday.

"The measures... will alleviate, as much as possible, the impact of price growth expected as of 1 April," Plenković told reporters after a session of the HDZ Presidency and National Council but he would not reveal any details.

He would not say if it was true, as reported by some media outlets, that VAT on gas would be lowered while VAT on electricity would not.

Asked if Economy Minister Tomislav Ćorić still enjoyed his trust following accusations by Ćorić's former assistant, a suspect in an investigation by the USKOK anti-corruption agency, Plenković said that Ćorić had already given a statement on that topic.

"The fragments of investigations that are being leaked are so small that they do not deserve any comment. Especially not mine," Plenković said, adding that the investigation was under way and that he did not want to comment on statements given in investigations.

Ćorić said earlier today that in 2019, as minister of environmental protection and energy, he had in no way favoured investors in the Krš-Pađene wind park who are under investigation by the USKOK anti-corruption office, of which he has been accused by his former assistant Domagoj Validžić.

Plenković said that he had never been contacted with regard to that topic, and that the questions one should ask are which term of government this incident occured under, and how the company in question arrived in Croatia.

"I hope the State Attorney General's Office is interested in that as well," he said. 

Asked about the renovation of the basement where his chief-of-staff Zvonimir Frka-Petešić keeps his books, Plenković said that the Državne Nekretnine state property management company would explain everything.

"That has nothing to do with him. This... shameful, orchestrated lynching campaign that has been going on against Frka-Petešić for a month is one of the more stupid, irritating and mean things in the media and internet sphere," said Plenković.

With regard to the Constitutional Court's decision to reject a motion by 35 opposition MPs and 28 other applicants who claimed that the introduction of the COVID-19 certificate mandate in the public sector had been neither constitutional nor lawful, Plenković recalled that Croatia probably had had the least strict COVID-19 rules.

"And yet you have petty politicians who even want to organise a referendum, even though we have enabled social activities, work, transport and education, a great tourist season, saved jobs, paid wages to 700,000 people in the private sector, saved 120,000 businesses, while GDP is expected to grow by more than 10% this year," Plenković said, noting that there was nothing surprising about the Constitutional Court's decision.

Answering a reporter's question, Plenković said that at today's meeting of the ruling coalition, the leader of the People's Party - Reformists, Radimir Čačić, had apologised for his statement about Defence Minister Mario Banožić.

"I told him that a partner should act like a partner. You act like the Opposition if you are the Opposition," said the PM.

Speaking in an interview with N1, Čačić said that as far as he was concerned, Banožić could leave tomorrow. "He causes harm to himself with the way he communicates, not to mention others. As far as I'm concerned, Banožić can leave tomorrow," the junior partner in the ruling coalition said.

Plenković said that Banožić was in charge of a HRK 7.2 billion budget and that he signed contracts for the procurement of the Rafale fighter jets and the Bradley fighting vehicles.

"Not many ministers have something like that in their careers. Only I decide about (whether a minister leaves), nobody else," he said.

For more on politics, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 8 Feb 2022 - Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) vice president Branko Bačić said on Tuesday that the current epidemiological situation did not allow for a possible revocation of COVID passes.

"It's neither under discussion nor consideration," Bačić said in response to reporters' questions if the authorities are considering doing away with COVID certificates.

He recalled that the current epidemiological situation, including a rate of only 67% of fully vaccinated persons and the current incidence rate, were not conducive to plans to ease the restrictions.

Since the introduction of the COVID certificate mandate in the public sector, approximately 120,000 asymptomatic citizens have been diagnosed with coronavirus.

He said that vaccination rates in the countries that are now thinking of scrapping COVID passes are much higher than in Croatia.

There is no country in Europe that has completely done away with COVID certificates,  he said.

ZAGREB, 1 Feb 2022 - The ruling HDZ's political secretary said on Tuesday that with his latest statements, President Zoran Milanović was trying to remove the government, waging a political coup against it and meddling in the work of state institutions, which he said was unprecedented in Croatian history.

"Since 2000, this is the first time that the president of the republic is waging a political coup against the Croatian government and trying to remove the government, and all based on a whistleblower," Ante Sanader told the press.

He said the president was also exerting direct pressure on institutions and estimated that he "became like this after the JANAF case," wondering if anything in that corruption scandal was connected to Milanović.

"That's an interesting question for the public," Sanader said and mentioned Milanović's consulting services worth HRK 2 million.

"From whom did he get two million? Was that corruption? Did that, together with that secret trip to Albania, trigger this situation (his conduct) concerning the topic of Ukraine? Were some contracts concluded there, some partnerships?"

Sanader said the public had the right to know if that incident upset the president.

He said Milanović was making Croatia row with everyone. "Today with the British defence secretary, recently by calling out Austria for fascism, then spitting on Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina."

Sanader said he would insist on shedding light on many past issues connected to Milanović such as "from whom did he buy his flat, paying for it in four installments, and getting a loan aged 42 when they were intended for those under 35."

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 1 Feb 2022 - There is no European, Western European or EU stability without Russia and it is necessary to reach an agreement with it, Croatian President Zoran Milanović said on Tuesday, accusing the West of inciting a war that he hopes will not break out.

"I don't even want one Ukrainian to be killed, even one Russian. As for Croats, not a chance," he told the press.

"There is no European stability, no Western European stability or European Union stability without Russia in the equation, and it's necessary to reach an agreement with Russia."

After telling a female journalist that a head of state does not meet with visiting defence ministers, including the British defence secretary who was in Zagreb today, Milanović speculated that she wanted to ask him for a comment on Great Britain's stand on Ukraine.

"Everything he is doing is mostly motivated by his political situation at home," he said about Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

In Great Britain, there are more and more calls on Johnson to resign over Downing Street parties during a strict COVID lockdown.

Milanović accused Britain of "mongering" and said that pushing Ukraine towards a confrontation with Russia was "irresponsible."

"Ukraine will not make itself happy if it listens to London. They are pushing them into a very dangerous adventure and President (Volodymyr) Zelensky has realised this. What I have been hearing from Kyiv in the past few days is very sensible and responsible towards one's own state."

Milanović has been criticised after saying recently that Ukraine does not belong in NATO, that it is corrupt and that Croatian soldiers will not be killed there. The Croatian ambassador in Kyiv was summoned for talks after those statements.

Ukraine's friend

Milanović said today that he was Ukraine's friend and that it was very irresponsible to mislead a state. He spoke of difficult problems Ukraine faced as it was not progressing towards EU membership and was stagnating, whilst being held hostage by London and Washington.

He also said that the EU was sending Ukraine confusing messages. "To stand in solidarity with Ukraine and say 'we support you, clash with Russia' is irresponsible, villainous."

Milanović said one should not foment arguments that Russia will attack Ukraine tomorrow. "If it attacks them, one should ask who is responsible for that."

"The Croatian soldier will not move from here," he added.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 30 Jan 2022 - Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency chairman Željko Komšić on Sunday commended Bosniak political parties for their "firm stand" on Croat parties' demands regarding election law changes, while Presidency member Milorad Dodik blamed the Bosniak parties for the failure of the Neum negotiations.

They were commenting on the lack of an agreement on electoral reform after three days of negotiations in Neum which concluded today.

No deal was reached because Bosniak and Croat parties were unable to agree on a model of electing members of the BiH Presidency from the Federation entity, and members of the Federation parliament's House of Peoples. They were also divided on the house's future powers.

Komšić did not attend the negotiations with the explanation that prior to electoral reform, Bosnian Serb officials should end their blockade of BiH authorities.

However, he commended the agreement among the Bosniak ruling and opposition parties on demands by the HDZ BiH and other Croat parties.

Komšić said it made sense to first agree on reducing the powers of the Federation House of Peoples, before proceeding to agree on a model of electing BiH Presidency members. He added that this stand was earlier supported by the Bosniak SDA and opposition parties.

SDA president Bakir Izetbegović "has remained consistent and principled," Komšić said, adding that he expects an even more radical approach from the HDZ BiH now.

The Presidency's Serb member Dodik said the failure of the Neum negotiations was proof that Bosniaks were attempting to impose their will on Croats. He added that Bosniaks would again try to impose Komšić as the Croat member of the Presidency if general elections in October were held under current rules.

"They are continuing to openly implement this policy of outvoting, of politically minimising the Croats' political representatives," he said, adding that this will adversely affect BiH because the problem of one constituent people is also the problem for all three constituent peoples.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 30 Jan 2022 - The prime minister's chief of staff, Zvonimir Frka Petešić, said on Saturday that President Zoran Milanović was using a low level of incitement and a tabloid rhetoric against him and using him to discredit PM Andrej Plenković and his cabinet.

"President Milanović promised normality in his campaign, but no one expected this low level of incitement, this tabloid rhetoric," he told Jutarnji List daily, adding that the president's attempt to use him to discredit the prime minister and his cabinet is a "pathetic and futile attack. It won't work. We are not the same nor can we be."

"Milanović is making rude insults, fabrications and false accusations with the intention to hide his own scandals, doing particular damage to Croatia on the international level," Frka Petešić said, adding that Milanović is acting like that "probably because he thinks it improves his approval rating."

This raises the issue of the president's accountability and morality, he said, adding that Milanović has deeply hurt him and is repeatedly calling him a criminal by using the fact that during his term in office, he cannot be held to account and is hiding behind the security of his position.

"I repeat, I am not a permanent resident of Zagreb nor did I falsely register my permanent residence. I acted as instructed by the competent services at the Interior Ministry," Frka Petešić said in the interview ih which he explained why he had applied for an official flat in Zagreb.

Asked if he was considering resigning as a liability to the government and the prime minister, he said that if anyone found a property in his or his wife's name in Croatia or anywhere else, they should report it and he would immediately resign.

Asked why he had asked for an official flat in Zagreb if he has one in Zagreb's Dubrava District, Frka Petešić said he and his family have been living in Zagreb since 2011 as tenants.

"I'm not the owner of any property nor will I be the owner of the flat I was given to use and for which I pay HRK 5 per square metre, at the same price and rules as other officials, in line with a decision from 2001. Also, as a tenant, I have been paying Zagreb's local tax of 18%, the highest in the state, as all Zagreb residents."

He added that he has not "evaded paying even one lipa, as some who have been writing about me these days have done", and that he has not defrauded the state budget. "Everything else is a fabrication and a political campaign against me, in which the president has now joined, too."

Asked why he registered his permanent residence in Sali on Dugi Otok island just a day before taking office, Frka Petešić said that was incorrect and that he did so "a month after taking office, while I was applying for an official flat. Among the documents required was the certificate of permanent residence, although a place of permanent residence is not a requirement for being allocated a flat."

He said it had been a mistake not to register permanent residence for the whole family in Sali. "We were busy moving and packing, and my wife planned to regulate that after the move, but she forgot. Now that's been corrected and she registered her permanent residence in Sali, as did my older daughter, while their temporary residence is registered in Jurišićeva Street in Zagreb.

He added that a day after moving into the official flat in Jurišićeva in mid-October, he registered his temporary residence there.

Asked why his family is still registered as living at a friends' flat in Zagreb, Frka Petešić said it was an administrative error that was corrected after he reported it to the police.

"My family has been living with me the whole time," he said, except the younger daughter who is studying in France. "As I explained, we all have permanent residence in Sali and temporary residence in Zagreb, in Jurišićeva, in the official flat where we live while I hold this temporary office. According to the relevant services at the Interior Ministry, that was the only logical option in our atypical situation."

Frka Petešić said he was told at the ministry that he would have committed a misdemeanor only if he had registered permanent residence in Sali and been living in Zagreb without having registered temporary residence in Zagreb. He added that all his ancestors were from Dugi Otok and that is his only connection to the island.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 30 Jan 2022 - President Zoran Milanović on Saturday responded to criticisms from HDZ member of the European Parliament Tomislav Sokol, saying that the prime minister's chief of staff, Zvonimir Frka Petešić, had committed "thievery" and that "every citizen knows that it's dishonesty, greed, plunder."

Sokol said earlier on Saturday that what was happening to Frka Petešić because of the state-owned flat in which he lives in Zagreb was a disgrace.

"We won't run away from the topic so easily by denying reality and switching arguments. That is a criminal offence," Milanović told the press in Sisak. "This is one elaborate impertinent fraud, committed with full awareness of its unlawfulness," he said.

Sokol also said that if anyone thought a crime had been committed, they should report Frka Petešić to the authorities.

Milanović said Frka Petešić should be reported "because there's not a chance that DORH (State Attorney's Office) will do it ex officio."

"Just as it's impossible for DORH to understand that what was happening in the State Assets Ministry was a crime. A whistleblower had to file a criminal report of 37 pages in order to be heard," he added.

The president said he would not report Frka Petešić, but reiterated that he committed a criminal offence and that attempts were being made to portray it "as an oversight."

"It's an elaborate process. Why doesn't he keep his books on Dugi Otok (island) if he lives there?" he said regarding Frka Petešić's claim that he keeps his books in a basement of a warehouse of the Državne Nekretnine state assets management company in Zagreb.

The president recalled that the Državne Nekretnine whistleblower had called out Defence Minister Mario Banožić for protecting one company.

"That company filed for bankruptcy. The state, because someone intervened, did not collect rent and came out the loser. Such favours don't come without a fee because that's a serious favour. If you allowed someone not to pay two or three million in rent, they will probably thank you. The company filed for bankruptcy, the state will get nothing. Who will be held to account?"

The president said that if anyone was embarrassing Croatia, "it's the HDZ."

"Where am I embarrassing it? In Moscow? In Kyiv? In Berlin? But yes, I surely get on some people's nerves. Yesterday I was America's man, today I'm Russia's man, but somehow I believe I'm Croatia's man."

Asked to comment on Zagreb Jewish Community head Ognjen Kraus's statement that he has still not met with Prime Minister Andrej Plenković about banning Ustasha insignia, although a meeting was promised. Milanović said Plenković was stalling Kraus again.

"He'll trick him again. The law won't be changed. Unfortunately, Kraus won't get anything," he added.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 29 Jan 2022 - Croatian President Zoran Milanović said on Friday that Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman had officially invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to Croatia, but not on his behalf.

During a visit to Sisak, Milanović was answering questions from the press concerning accusations from the ruling HDZ party that he had pro-Russian views and that his statements caused harm to Croatia's reputation.

"The dumb foreign minister visited Moscow the other day," Milanović said in reference to Grlić Radman's official visit to Russia on 17 January.

"What was he doing in Moscow? I would expect he went to reproach (Russian Foreign Minister Sergey) Lavrov, but no, he goes there and hands in an official invitation for Putin to visit Croatia."

"Is he the president of the state? Does he speak on my behalf? He does not. (PM Andrej) Plenković is not the head of state and cannot play host to Putin," said Milanović.

"So the very same Russians that you threaten and stigmatise you hypocritically invite to Croatia," Milanović said.

The president denied having been the one to speculate that Croatian troops would go to Ukraine.

"No, it was Jutarnji List (daily) that did it, saying on its front page that NATO is looking for 1,500 soldiers" and asking if Croatia would send them, Milanović said.

"And what is that but alarming the public?"

"I never said that NATO had asked for that, I said preemptively that Croatia would not send its troops."

"Croatia will not send troops to Ukraine, and as for Poland and Lithuania, we'll see in the future," Milanović said, adding that HDZ officials did not know what they were saying, did not listen to what was said, and did not read the newspaper "that is the long arm and prosthetic device of the Plenković government."

Croatia was not liberated by NATO

Milanović went on to say that Hanza Media, the company that publishes Jutarnji List, scared the public by saying that 1,500 Croatian troops would go to Ukraine.

"Someone had to tell the public that that is a lie, so I said it."

Speaking of the situation in eastern Europe and possible deployment of troops along Ukraine's eastern border, Milanović said that Croatia would not promise anything to anyone unconditionally.

"That's not credibility, that's lack of intelligence. We'll see what happens. If the situation escalates, our people will not expose themselves to the risk," Milanović said, adding that ultimately, the decision was up to him.

"Either that or the two-thirds majority in the parliament, and that will never happen because people have a brain in their head and care for this country, unlike the HDZ, which only steals, insults and disgraces," said Milanović.

"Croatia has not been asked anything yet, and should not be," he said, repeating that Croatian troops would not be sent to Ukraine.

"If things get more complicated, the army will not go anywhere. They will be in Kosovo and in Croatia. Croatia paid too high a price and nobody helped it significantly in its struggle. Croatia was not liberated by NATO but by Croatian soldiers."

"Croatia does not owe anyone anything to have to gamble and for (Croatians) to be sheep for slaughter," Milanović said, recommending that his critics go to Ukraine.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 29 Jan 2022 - President Zoran Milanović's statements about Croatian troops' deployment on the eastern borders of the EU are nonsense that causes great harm to Croatia, European Parliament member Tomislav Sokol of the ruling HDZ party said on Saturday, presenting his party's view.

Asked by reporters if Croatian troops would be deployed on the EU's eastern borders, Sokol said that that was a falsehood made up by Milanović.

"It is being alleged that Croatian soldiers will get killed for somebody. What (Milanović) is saying is a complete fabrication. Such statements cause serious harm to Croatia," Sokol said after a convention of the HDZ women's association "Katarina Zrinski".

Sokol said that Croatia supported de-escalation of the Ukraine crisis and that deployment of Croatian troops had never been mentioned.

Earlier this week, Milanović said that Croatia had nothing to do with the conflict in Ukraine and that if the crisis there escalated, there would be no Croatian soldiers in that scenario.

"Croatia has always been in favour of respect for Ukraine's territorial integrity and for a solution to be found peacefully. This is just one more way to attack the government and harm Croatia's international reputation," said Sokol.

Commenting on Milanović's remark that Plenković was acting like a Ukrainian agent, HDZ MP Mario Kapulica said that he was wondering whose agent Milanović was.

Milanović said in an interview with the RTL broadcaster on Friday that he was neither an enemy of Ukraine nor a friend of Russia, but that EU reports showed that the former Soviet republic was a corrupt country, noting that PM Andrej Plenković was acting like a "Ukrainian agent".

Kapulica said that Milanović could not define Croatia's foreign policy on his own and that the period of adaptation to his style of communication was over.

"This current situation is much more serious and much more dangerous... he wants to make Croatia's position as one having nothing to do with either Europe's or NATO's," Kapulica said.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 16 Dec 2021 - A flammable object was thrown at the offices of the HDZ party county branch in Bjelovar on Wednesday, and police are investigating the incident.

The party's county branch said its offices were also broken into and vandalized three days ago, calling on other political parties to condemn the incident and help defuse tension in society, which, "certain stakeholders knowingly incite with their radical rhetoric".

Police said the flammable device thrown at the party offices caused a soot stain on the building's facade.

The incident was condemned by the local Social Liberal Party (HSLS), a coalition partner to the HDZ party at the national level.

For more, check out our dedicated politics section.