June the 18th, 2022 - Croatian MP Miro Bulj has boldly claimed that there could be no worse time possible for Croatian Eurozone accession, for which it has had the green light and into which it will enter on the 1st of January 2023, replacing the kuna with the euro.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Croatian MP Miro Bulj (MOST) spoke recently with N1 television about possible changes to the Law on Referendums. He says that MOST is against the way of defining which topics could be decided in a referendum. Bulj also believes that the imminent introduction of the euro couldn't be possibly coming at a worse time.

"In the sense of defining the topics [which could be decided in a referendum[, what they did with the constitutional referendum for which we collected 400 thousand signatures, is more than sad. We'll oppose it. We can change it to make it easier to collect signatures, not to limit them in advance and define the appropriate topics. We know that the Constitutional Court is under the control of HDZ, that these are the Godfathers and that it's a purely political body. That body is meaningless. We strongly oppose this and we will monitor how other political options will behave,'' warned Bulj, talking about the amendments to the Law on Referendums.

Croatian MP Miro Bulj also said that the HDZ had enjoyed great levels of support from other political parties when it came to the epidemiological measures introduced in the fight against the spread of the novel coronavirus, which had a hugely negative impact on the economy.

"It doesn't mean anything to them that we have more voters than we have residents, it's a disastrous proposal. This is a blow to the foundation of and the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia,'' believes Bulj.

"Where does one get the right to say that the constitutional changes for which MOST collected signatures aren't constitutional? They can't say what the people think about the Constitution. It was the same with the definition of marriage. This is a direct interference of HDZ and the Constitutional Court in the interest of Andrej Plenkovic, who has also taken over the judicial system. This isn't something new, it's a blow to democracy, it's shameful act and an anti-national blow to the Constitution,'' said Croatian MP Miro Bulj.

Bulj's beliefs on Croatian Eurozone accession

"It couldn't possibly be coming at a worse moment," Bulj said when asked if it was the right time to send the kuna to the history books and introduce the new currency, adding that we need to be taking care of our natural resources and as such, our farmers.

"We must help our farmers during these difficult times, not be spending our time on preparing to introduce the euro. It's clear to Finance Minister Zdravko Maric how much inflation will rise to and what will happen, but it's more important to listen to Brussels than the interest of the Croatian people. They've played games and it's obviously more important to Plenkovic to be the one to introduce the euro than listen to the interest of the people. Nobody knows what will happen when the euro is introduced,'' concluded Croatian MP Miro Bulj.

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ZAGREB, 30 March 2022 - Croatia's Ambassador to Serbia, Hidajet Bišćević, was severely criticised on Wednesday by MPs Miro Bulj (Bridge) and Marijan Pavliček (Croatian Sovereignists).

"Ambassador Bišćević's behaviour is scandalous, more than scandalous," Bulj said in Parliament, accusing the ambassador of "harassing Croatian political representatives, obviously on the foreign minister's and the prime minister's orders."

Pavliček accused Bišćević of "working on the further fragmentation of the Croatian community" in Serbia and attacking its leaders, notably Tomislav Žigmanov, the head of the Democratic Alliance of Croats in Vojvodina (DSHV).

"He is harassing a man who stood up against the regime of Aleksandar Vučić," Bulj said, criticising the Croatian government for leaving the Croats in Vojvodina on their own and without a single representative in the Serbian National Assembly.

Bulj said that Bišćević was "demonising" Žigmanov because "he is not sucking up to Vučić", and because he joined a coalition of parties from Vojvodina for Sunday's general election.

"It seems he would have been more acceptable had he sided with Vučić's party and the Chetnik movement," Bulj said.

Both Bulj and Pavliček noted that unlike the Croats in Serbia, the Serb minority in Croatia has three guaranteed seats in the national parliament, about 40 guaranteed mayoral positions and about 10 deputy county prefect positions.

"There are about 58,000 Croats in Serbia today. Their number in the last 30 years has been halved in a country where there was no war and where the Croats did not rise up in an armed rebellion", Pavliček said, adding that "the Croats are second-class citizens in Serbia today."

Pavliček said that three weeks ago all the heads of Croatian-language primary schools in Vojvodina had been summoned by the police for interviews over "discrimination against children," because all children attending Croatian-language classes had received free textbooks, unlike children attending classes in Serbian.

"Croatian diplomacy did not react to this," Pavliček said, blaming it for the poor status of the Croats in Vojvodina.

For more, check out our dedicated politics section.

August the 10th, 2021 - Croatian MP Miro Bulj has referred to the behaviour of the Croatian National Civil Protection Directorate as ''shameful'', and indicating that they are abusing their power.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Croatian MP Miro Bilj told reporters that the behaviour exhibited by the Civil Protection Directorate has been disgraceful and that they're a political body making political decisions.

According to him, despite the decision of the National Civil Protection Directorate on the limited gathering of people in Sinj during the Alka festivities which were traditionally held recently, the square in Sinj was full of people all night like never before.

"If I need to be prosecuted, then I'm more than ready for that if it means protecting my fellow citizens," Croatian MP Miro Bulj said, explaining his attitude during the recent festivities.

He also commented on the gathering during the Peljesac bridge ceremony, saying: ''Coronavirus must have died on Peljesac bridge and come back to life in Sinj. When Thompson plays in Sinj then coronavirus becomes interested in it and with other events, it isn't as curious. Maybe I'm the one who is really bothering them and not coronavirus," Bulj added.

According to MP Nina Raspudic (MOST), the rules regarding the epidemiological measures are not the same for all, and he says that "it hurts people".

"The last decision on epidemiological measures isn't being made by epidemiologists but by politics, that is, it's being made by another profession,'' said Raspudic.

"Don't get me wrong, it would never occur to me to start meddling and commenting on a profession such as epidemiology, but I have the right to make a political comment on a political decision," he added.

The Croatian Institute of Public Health: If the National Civil Protection Directorate set a precedent, it would be discriminatory towards other catering and hospitality enterprises located down on the coast, as well as those operating inland.

On Saturday, Marija Bubas, assistant director of the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ), confirmed that the request of the City of Sinj to allow local hospitality enterprises to work for longer during the festivities and after midnight was ultimately rejected.

''If the Civil Protection Directorate allowed such a precedent, then it would be discriminatory towards others working on the coast and inland who are currently allowed to work only until midnight,'' Bubas told HINA. In such a case, as she said, working after midnight should be allowed to others, in which case one important epidemiological measure related to the control of gatherings would actually need to be abolished.

"The work of catering and hospitality facilities is gathering of many people in a smaller space and without masks due to the consumption of drinks. The abolition of such an epidemiological measure would lead to a significant deterioration of the epidemiological situation and a potential abrupt interruption of the tourist season,'' warned Bubas.

Despite the explanations, Croatian MP Miro Bulj continues to feel less than convinced about the intent behind the actions and decisions passed by those in power.

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ZAGREB, 24 March, 2021 - Opposition deputies, notably those form the Bridge party, said on Wednesday that the bill on seeds and seed materials was harmful and that it would impose new costs, asking that the agriculture minister address the parliament with regard to the bill.

Bridge MP Miro Bulj called on members of the parliamentary majority not to support the bill, describing it as harmful.

"Instead of protecting our own seeds, we are imposing on hundreds of thousands of people who live in rural areas new costs related to seed processing. Who will be able to pay for that?" Bulj asked.

Bridge MP Marija Selak Raspudić said the bill declared war on small producers.

Social Democrat Domagoj Hajduković, too, criticised the obligation to process seeds to be planted on own fields, saying that it would cause new costs for producers.

The opposition also demanded an answer as to the reason for the introduction of a new category, farm seeds, which, they said, did not exist in the EU.

Other countries are not familiar with that term, said Anka Mrak Taritaš of GLAS.

We are introducing new terms and increasing costs for our farmers even though no one is asking us to do so, said Ružica Vukovac of the Homeland Movement.

The State Secretary at the Agriculture Ministry, Tugomir Majdak, dismissed the criticism, noting that small producers, hobbysts, gardeners and organic farmers would be exempt from the obligation to process seeds.

"The term farm seed is being introduced and that seed will have to be processed by registered suppliers to ensure minimum possible presence of harmful organisms," he told MPs.

Seed and the seed material are strategic products which must be available, safe and of good quality. The bill is aimed at regulating production, trade in and import of farming production materials, he said, noting that the bill does not restrict the use of autochthonous seeds for one's own noncommercial needs.

Specifically, in the case of seed exchange at fairs, production on small farms, seed exchange between individuals and groups, there will be no restrictions, certification or control of such seeds, he said.

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ZAGREB, 17 March, 2021 - Some parliamentary opposition parties on Wednesday criticised amendments to the Act on the Rights of Homeland War Veterans, saying that they unnecessarily expanded rights for that group, while the ruling majority dismissed their claims.

Damir Bakić of the Green-Left Bloc said the bill was harmful as it introduced in more than one way additional and not necessarily needed benefits, both financial and non-financial, for war veterans and members of their families.

"That will additionally move them away from society and real life, as if we were creating a new caste for which special rules apply," said Bakić.

Under the amendments, members of the families of fallen war veterans that already have their housing problems solved will each be able to regulate their housing needs under the bill, obstacles to one-off financial aid are being removed, the scope of persons who are given priority in employment is being expanded, Bakić said, citing some of the examples.

Silvano Hrelja of the Croatian Pensioner Party/Croatian Peasant Party group said he had nothing against war veterans being first-class citizens but that he was against pensioners being second-class citizens, so he proposed amendment of the Pension Insurance Act.

"The existing law on war veterans is good and what is now being proposed should be scrapped. Too much is too much," said Hrelja.

He stressed that defenders and disabled war veterans were worthy of everyone and every generation's respect, without special privileges and benefits.

Social Democrat Martina Vlašić-Iljkić said it was not necessary to additionally expand veterans' rights.

"How long will this continue? 25 years after the war the status of war veteran and disabled war veteran is being recognised," she asked, noting that care for war veterans was good, especially if compared to care for other groups such as pensioners, the socially deprived and civilians with disabilities.

Marijana Balić of the ruling HDZ party said the amendments were not about additional rights but exclusively about technical organisation regarding the exercise of rights from a law adopted in 2017, expediting procedures for granting the status of disabled war veteran, housing provision procedures, social rights and adjustment of pension insurance-related rights.

Miro Bulj (Bridge) and Željko Sačić (Sovereignists) said that they supported amendments designed to expedite procedures but noted that they could not help but think that they were being proposed for election purposes, and their view was supported by Stipo Mlinarić of the Homeland Movement.

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

A Croatian politician has done what most people wouldn’t dare do in Zagreb.

Miro Bulj says that some of Prime Minister’s statements are unreasonable.

Former Agriculture Minister says that everything was done in accordance with rules.