ZAGREB, July 22, 2020 - Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic told MPs on Wednesday at the first session of the tenth parliament that being appointed speaker for the second time was a great honour and that he would discharge his duty responsibly.

He said the appointment made him proud. "It's a confirmation of the election results which have shown that citizens support the direction in which the previous government and parliamentary majority took the state, as well as a recognition for all the achievements of the past four years."

Jandrokovic said he would push for the promotion and strengthening of the highest values of the constitutional order as well as the strengthening of and respect for institutions. "This moment demands common sense, calm and seriousness from all of us. And above all, dedication in serving the common interest and Croatian citizens."

He recalled the 30th anniversary of the first Croatian parliament, marked this year, saying the Sabor had always guarded Croatian statehood and protected the interests of the Croatian people.

Croatia today, like the whole world, is in a time full of challenges, faced with a pandemic and an economic crisis, but the government responded quickly and well to protect health, lives and jobs, Jandrokovic said.

"In these complex circumstances, the Croatian Sabor was one of the few European parliaments that worked without a break, passing laws essential for Croatia."

He congratulated Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on the €22 billion that Croatia will get in the next seven-year EU budget, calling on MPs to be responsible in building Croatian society.

He also called on MPs to behave responsibly, to respect each other and accept the principles of work for the common good and the interests of the country based on truth, freedom, justice and equality.

"In order to convince the other side that one's arguments are right, debates can be harsh, but they should be based on openness, tolerance, understanding of what has been said, and respect for colleagues and their opposite views and opinions. We here in the Croatian Sabor aren't enemies. We have different ideas, but I believe we all stand for Croatia's well-being," Jandrokovic said, adding that this was especially important in this challenging time.

He said he was pleased that this Sabor had more women MPs than the last one but still not enough.

Jandrokovic reiterated that a law on the post-earthquake reconstruction of Zagreb would be one of the first to be passed by the new parliament.

ZAGREB, July 22, 2020 - The founding meeting of the new, 10th parliament began on Wednesday morning with the election of Gordan Jandrokovic as the speaker of this 151-seat legislature.

The proposal by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) to nominate Jandrokovic for this post was supported by 143 newly-elected deputies, with one abstention, and there were no votes against the motion.

Gordan Jandrokovic of the ruling HDZ, who was at the helm of the 9th parliament, continues performing this duty in the new legislature, and he is the first parliament speaker to be appointed to this position for two successive terms. Jandrokovic, born in 1967 in Bjelovar, has won a seat in six parliamentary elections to date. He was also a foreign minister and a deputy prime minister and has held other positions since 1992.

The founding session was held in the Parliament Hall with the implementation of the epidemiological measures, which was why parliamentarians wore masks and kept a social distance.

During the 5 July parliamentary polls, Croatia elected 151 deputies of whom 34 are women and 117 are men.

In the new parliament, the youngest deputy is a 30-year-old Marina Opacak-Bilic of the SDP party, and the oldest deputy is HDZ parliamentarian Miroslav Tudjman, 74.

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, June 10, 2020 - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic said on Wednesday that MPs would not go on holiday following the July 5 election, but that the new parliament would immediately resume work as soon as a parliamentary majority is constituted.

"The situation is such that members of parliament will be required to seriously, responsibly and promptly start work, so there is no doubt that the parliament will resume work as soon as a majority is constituted," Jandrokovic said in Dubrava, where he attended Municipality Day and St. Margaret Parish Day celebration.

He decisively ruled out the possibility that having been elected, MPs could go on holiday.

"It is perfectly normal that once the new parliament is elected, it promptly starts work so that we can pass the new law on the reconstruction of Zagreb and prepare all the measures necessary for what awaits us in the autumn. We thus have to make a number of decisions concerning economic measures and I do not know who could possibly think that the parliament would go on holiday once MPs are elected," the Parliament Speaker said.

Jandrokovic was responding to a reporter's question about how he saw the message from President Zoran Milanovic's office that MPs should not take a break following the constitution of the new parliament.

ZAGREB, May 25, 2020 - Croatian Parliament Speaker and secretary-general of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), Gordan Jandrokovic, said on Monday that a grand coalition with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) was out of the question, as was a coalition with Miroslav Skoro's Homeland Movement, and that cooperation with Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic was unlikely.

"The HDZ will run in elections by itself, our coalition partners are the citizens, there will be no grand coalition with the SDP, and we will also not enter a coalition with Skoro," Jandrokovic told Croatian Radio, noting that the media should "ask Skoro and (SDP leader Davor) Bernardic if they will cooperate, I think it is about time to ask that question as well".

"There will be no talks with Skoro," Jandrokovic answered when asked if there was a possibility to at least talk with Skoro if that proved crucial for forming a government, and how much of a problem Skoro's partners, for instance, Hrvoje Zekanovic and Zlatko Hasanbegovec, could be.

"You have mentioned certain people, we will not cooperate with them because they are not a team who we consider would be capable of leading Croatia responsibly and seriously," Jandrokovic said, confirming that the HDZ's cooperation with Zagreb's Mayor, Milan Bandic, was also in question.

The HDZ objects to Bandic's criticising the government over its response to the consequences of the earthquake which hit Zagreb on March 22.

"It is unusual that Bandic has accused the government unprovoked, and it seems that we are becoming distant to such an extent that cooperation after the election will be impossible," Jandrokovic said.

As for cooperation with the Croatian People's Party (HNS), Jandrokovic did not want to speak about it as of yet.

We first need to see their election result, I would not comment on it yet, Jandrokovic noted.

Jandrokovic, who will be running in parliamentary elections for the sixth time, did not reveal in which constituency he would run. The decision on the order of candidates on electoral lists must first be reached by the competent party bodies, and before that happens it would not be appropriate to go public with such information, Jandrokovic said.

ZAGREB, May 23, 2020  - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic on Saturday extended greetings on the occasion of Ramadan Bayram to the head of the Islamic Community in Croatia, Mufti Aziz Hasanovic, and all Islamic believers.

Ramadan is a holy month for all Muslim believers during which you reinforce the values of Islam through fasting, abstinence, prayer, solidarity, and care for the fellow man, Jandrokovic said in a note sent on his and parliament's behalf.

Unfortunately, you lived this year's Ramadan time of spiritual well-being in different circumstances because of the pandemic. I am convinced that, despite the absence of traditional joint prayers and sharing of iftar, you managed to find sufficient interior spiritual strength, patience, peace, harmony, and joy, Jandrokovic said.

"May the holy day of Ramadan Bayram, therefore, reward you for all the abstinence and sacrifice and bring you blessings, serenity, family community, and love as well as joint hope for a better tomorrow. Bayram Serif Mubarek Olsun!"

ZAGREB, May 20, 2020 - Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) secretary-general Gordan Jandrokovic said on Tuesday that a grand coalition with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) "is not an option that interests us" and that the SDP did not have a man who was a match for HDZ leader and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic.

"We believe we will achieve a relative victory and find partners to form the government and avoid connecting with the SDP," the speaker of the parliament which dissolved on Monday said about the upcoming election.

Speaking on the public broadcaster, Jandrokovic said he expected President Zoran Milanovic to be the president of all citizens. Commenting on Milanovic's role in the election campaign, he said, "In a certain way, he is choosing a side and discretely trying to help the SDP."

Speaking of SDP leader Davor Bernardic, Jandrokovic said: "he is not up to the task of (being prime minister) either as a man or as a politician."

Asked about a national salvation government in cases of a second COVID-19 wave, he said that for now, he did not see the need for that. "Who would be our partners in this grand coalition? Those of yesterday or today, who have shown how irresponsibly they approach serious matters?"

Jandrokovic said the opposition, which demanded a parliamentary election in recent months, was now scared because Plenkovic and the HDZ had done an excellent job in dealing with the corona crisis and that this was why it had begun to defame the members of the crisis management team "in an ugly and inappropriate manner."

ZAGREB, May 16, 2020 - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic said on Saturday that defeated Croatian soldiers and civilians were killed at Bleiburg and along the Way of the Cross without a trial, contrary to international conventions, as victims of a crime committed our of revenge and due to ideology.

Jandrokovic and the prime minister's envoy, War Veterans Minister Tomo Medved, laid a wreath on behalf of the parliament and government at Zagreb's Mirogoj cemetery on the 75th anniversary of the Bleiburg tragedy, paying tribute to civilians and soldiers of the Nazi-allied Independent State of Croatia, killed in the aftermath of World War II by Yugoslav Partisans at Bleiburg, Austria, and during subsequent death marches back to then Yugoslavia.

A wreath was also laid by a delegation of the Bleiburg Guard of Honour, led by its president Vice Vukojevic.

Prayers for the victims were said by the Croatian military ordinary, Msgr. Jure Bogdan, and the imam of the Zagreb Mosque, Mersad Krestic.

"This is a crime which must be spoken about so that our young generations know what happened not only during World War II but also in its aftermath," said Jandrokovic.

A crime of the Yugoslav communist regime

Jandrokovic went on to say that the Bleiburg crime was a crime by the Yugoslav communist regime that had been kept secret for 45 years, which, he believes, proves that those who ordered and committed it had a guilty conscience and feared the truth while the survivors were afraid to speak up for fear or revenge.

Asked to comment on President Zoran Milanovic's statement that one should stop holding commemorations at Bleiburg and hold them instead at locations where more massive crimes were committed during death marches back to Yugoslavia, Jandrokovic said that the Bleiburg commemoration was held under the auspices of the Croatian parliament and that it should stay that way.

He said that commemorations were held at Bleiburg because people were killed there without a trial, tortured in the most cruel ways and thrown into pits. Also, their families do not know where and how they were killed and where they were buried, he said, adding that people killed at Macelj and Tezno were commemorated as well but that many mass graves were yet to be exhumed in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

We reject those who use Bleiburg to revive Ustasha regime

Jandrokovic said that they rejected those who wished to use the anniversary for political ends or revive the Ustasha regime.

"We reject that. That is not good. We must show respect here for the victims and condemn the crimes of the communist regime."

Vukojevic: Anyone wishing to relocate Bleiburg event talks nonsense

The president of the Bleiburg Guard of Honour, Vice Vukojevic, told reporters that masses for the Bleiburg and Way of the Cross victims would be held in 189 Croatian Catholic parishes around the world.

Thanking the parliament for sponsoring the event, he said that "there is no other Bleiburg than Bleiburg", and that anyone wishing to relocate the Bleiburg commemoration is talking nonsense.