ZAGREB, April 19, 2018 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, speaking at a government session on Thursday, called on both those in favour and those against the Istanbul Convention to implement it together and efficiently, saying that the implementation was good, noble and useful.

ZAGREB, April 17, 2018 - Council of Europe Secretary-General Thorbjorn Jagland on Tuesday commended Croatia's protection of minorities and congratulated the country on ratifying the Istanbul Convention.

The ratification of the Istanbul Convention has aroused strong feelings and protests on both sides in recent weeks. Longterm expat resident of Split Tim Bourcier explains his views on what happened in Split last Friday in a guest blog.

ZAGREB, April 14, 2018 - Ivan Vrdoljak, the leader of the Croatian People's Party (HNS), a junior partner in the ruling coalition, told a press conference on Friday that it was good that the vote on the Istanbul Convention was over and that now the focus should be on "important and greater problems."

Still, the number of HDZ’s MPs who voted against the government was surprisingly high.

ZAGREB, April 13, 2018 - The Croatian parliament on Friday ratified the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, better known as the Istanbul Convention, with 110 votes in favour, 30 against and two abstentions.

ZAGREB, April 13, 2018 - A rally against the ratification of the Istanbul Convention was held in Split on Thursday evening, with speakers at the event claiming that the document would impose a new totalitarianism on Croatia and calling on the government to pursue a policy of sovereignty instead of its current policy of servility.

ZAGREB, April 12, 2018 - Most political groups in the Croatian parliament said during a debate on Wednesday that they would support the ratification of the Istanbul Convention, emphasising that it was an important step forward in protecting human rights and warning of the politicisation of the issue in public.

ZAGREB, April 11, 2018 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Wednesday one could conclude that a part of his Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party wanted to destabilise him by using the dissatisfaction with the ratification of the Istanbul Convention.

ZAGREB, April 11, 2018 - Member of parliament Hrvoje Zekanović of the HRAST party told a news conference on Wednesday that his party was leaving the ruling coalition and all positions in government structures over the planned ratification of the Istanbul Convention, which also meant that it would withhold its support for Economy Minister Martina Dalić in a coming parliamentary vote on her impeachment.