ZAGREB, August 14, 2019 - The MOST Party's political secretary Nikola Grmoja formally launched in Rijeka on Wednesday the initiative of this Opposition party to collect signatures for its petition that the right to safe drinking water be protected in the Constitution.

Grmoja said that the party would collect signatures of citizens throughout the country in a bid to ensure the protection of "Croatia's great water resources".

The party insists that provision of water supplies to consumers should be conducted by public suppliers now when both in Croatia and abroad, corporations are trying to privatise water resources, said Grmoja.

It is important to make sure that all our citizens and our children in the future have access to safe drinking water, he added.

For the launch of the procedure to amend the Constitution for that purpose, the MOST first needed to collect 31 signatures of MPs for its motion to be tabled in the parliament, and the party has made it.

Furthermore, any change of the Constitution requires the support of two thirds of lawmakers, that is 101 votes in favour of such a proposal.

Grmoja said that also a part of parliamentarians from the ruling majority have shown interest in this topic.

The human right to safe drinking water was first recognised by the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council as part of binding international law in 2010. Recognising access to water and sanitation as human rights reflects the fundamental nature of these basics in every person’s life, says the World Organisation.

More MOST news can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, August 12, 2019 - A member of parliament from the opposition MOST party, Robert Podolnjak, on Monday accused Constitutional Court President Miroslav Šeparović of having sided with the parliamentary majority and the government by not stating the court's position on an opposition motion for a special parliamentary debate on a vote of no confidence in the health minister, thus making it possible for the constitutional deadline of 30 days within which the parliament must discuss such motions, to expire.

Podolnjak said this in a letter which he sent Šeparović because he believes that the Constitution was violated when a conclusion was adopted that the parliament speaker does not have to call an extraordinary parliament session when one-fifth of its members file a motion to discuss a vote of no confidence in a government member at the time when the parliament is in recess.

Podolnjak, a constitutional law professor and member of the parliamentary Committee on the Constitution, Standing Orders and Political System, said that the motions submitted to the Constitutional Court regarding the parliament's conclusion not to discuss the opposition's motion described the conclusion as "a significant breach of the Constitution on which the parliamentary system is based".

"The most important element is the government's political responsibility towards the parliament, both collective and individual, and it cannot be partial or random. In every moment of their work, the government, the prime minister and individual ministers answer to the parliament and the ultimate test of their political responsibility is the vote of no confidence," Podolnjak said.

Procedures regarding such a motion, envisaged by the Constitution, must be interpreted in line with that, including Article 116, Paragraph 4, which says that a debate on and a vote of no confidence must take place within 30 days at the latest from the day a motion to that effect is submitted to the parliament, claims Podolnjak.

Despite the importance of the topic in question and the 30-day deadline, the Constitutional Court did not state its position nor did the President of the Republic act on MPs' request to call an extraordinary session of the parliament, in line with her constitutional powers, Podolnjak says in the letter.

As for Šeparović's statement in which he said that the Constitutional Court acts exclusively on its own initiative and when and if it deems it necessary and would act the same way in the case of the latest motion, Podolnjak said that the motion in question was not an ordinary motion by a group of MPs but a motion by more than one-fifth of members of almost all opposition parties and all opposition members of the Constitution Committee.

Podolnjak also noted that Šeparović's response and failure to act sent wrong messages to the public - that the motion is not an important matter concerning constitutional law and that motions by opposition MPs and parties are irrelevant.

Podolnjak also said that the Constitutional Court should urgently hold a session on the Opposition's motion for an extraordinary parliamentary debate on a vote of no confidence in the health minister.

More MOST party news can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, August 10, 2019 - Constitutional Court President Miroslav Šeparović said on Friday that he was surprised by President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović's response to the MOST party's request to call an extraordinary session of the parliament to discuss a vote of no confidence in Health Minister Milan Kujundžić.

The Office of the President said earlier in the day that President Grabar-Kitarović would make a decision on MOST's request if the Constitutional Court ruled that conditions for such a move had been created.

"If the Constitutional Court decides that conditions have been created for the parliament speaker to call an extraordinary session of the parliament and if the parliament speaker fails to do it, the president will decide on the request for an extraordinary parliament session in line with her constitutional powers," the president's office said.

"The President does not have the authority to call on the Constitutional Court to act in line with its powers and respond to motions put forward by members of parliament but she can, in line with Article 79 Paragraph 2 of the Constitution, submit a request for an extraordinary parliament session," Šeparović told Hina.

He added that "under Article 104 of the Constitutional Law on the Constitutional Court, the Constitutional Court monitors compliance with the Constitution and laws and submits reports to the parliament about cases of non-compliance with the Constitution and laws, which are formulated at sessions of the Constitutional Court."

"... in such cases, the Constitutional Court acts exclusively on its own initiative and when and if it deems it necessary. That is how it will proceed also in the case of the motion filed by a group of members of parliament," said Šeparović.

In a comment on the statement from the Office of the President, MOST said in a Facebook post that after she criticised the health minister by saying that he had not done anything in his sector for the past three years, the president "should have finally put her foot down and started practicing what she preaches."

"In a typical bureaucratic move, she has shifted responsibility onto the Constitutional Court, thus failing to exercise her presidential powers," MOST said.

Sources at the president's office said that MOST had set the course of action itself, given that it had asked the Constitutional Court for its position on the party's motion, thus opting to wait for it.

More news about the MOST party can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, August 9, 2019 - The Office of President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović said in a statement on Friday that with regard to a request sent to her by the MOST party to call an extraordinary session of the parliament to discuss a vote of no confidence in Health Minister Milan Kujundžić, she would make a decision on the request if the Constitutional Court ruled that conditions for such a move had been created.

"If the Constitutional Court decides that conditions have been created for the parliament speaker to call an extraordinary session of the parliament and if the parliament speaker fails to do it, the president will decide on the request for an extraordinary parliament session in line with her constitutional powers," the president's office said.

The office noted that after the Parliament's Committee on the Constitution, Standing Orders and Political System turned down MOST's request for a special parliament session to discuss a motion for a vote of no confidence in Minister Kujundžić, party whip Nikola Grmoja wrote to President Grabar-Kitarović on August 6, asking her to request the parliament speaker to call a special parliament session in line with Article 79, Paragraph 2 of the Croatian Constitution.

"... Considering that 32 members of parliament who signed the motion for a special session of the parliament have asked the Constitutional Court to submit to the parliament a report on the constitutionality and legality of the conclusion made by the Committee on the Constitution, Standing Orders and Political System, the President calls on the Constitutional Court to act in line with its powers and respond to the motion filed by the parliamentary deputies on July 22," the president's office said.

More news about the Constitutional Court can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, July 20, 2019 - The Croatian Parliament's Committee on the Constitution, Standing Orders and Political System decided that conditions had not been met to convene an extraordinary session of Parliament following opposition motions for a vote of no confidence in government ministers.

The Committee had been asked by Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković to say whether an extraordinary session could be convened in this case. Jandroković cited a constitutional provision saying that during Parliament's recess sessions can be called only by the head of state or government or by a majority of MPs.

This decision means that during Parliament's summer break it will not be possible to take a vote of no confidence in Health Minister Milan Kujundžić, as demanded by the MOST party.

The Committee's deputy chair, Peđa Grbin of the Social Democratic Party, said that he would turn to the Constitutional Court. "You are ignoring the article of the Constitution that says that a debate on a no-confidence motion must be held within 30 days of submission of such motion, and I emphasise the word 'must'. There is no mention that this does not refer to recesses," he told the Committee's chair, Željko Reiner of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ).

Reiner responded by saying that under the Constitution only a majority of all MPs, or 76, could call a session of Parliament to discuss a no-confidence motion, and not a fifth of lawmakers as in this case.

More Politics news can be found in the dedicated section.

ZAGREB, July 16, 2019 – MOST leader Božo Petrov said on Tuesday that instead of reshuffling his cabinet, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković should end his premiership.

"It would be fair of the Prime Minister to step down. You can remember how many times he has said that this is his cabinet, he has been saying that for three years," Petrov said underscoring that it means that the premier should take over the full responsibility for the latest developments rather than insisting on a cabinet reshuffle.

Petrov reiterated the position of this opposition party that the resignation of State Assets Minister on Monday was extorted.

He said that his party had collected signatures for a no-confidence motion against Labour and Health Ministers, Marko Pavić and Milan Kujundžić, however the party had not yet launched the parliamentary procedure in anticipation of the two ministers' decisions to step down.

The left-wing non-parliamentary platform "We Can" said today that the resignations of Minister Marić and former Public Administration Minister Lovro Kuščević over reported murky real estate deals raised the question whether Croatia had a government or actually a company for real estate transactions running the country.

More MOST party news can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, June 17, 2019 -The parliamentary group of the opposition MOST party on Monday presented its initiative to ensure that the right to safe drinking water be protected in the Constitution.

For the initiating of the procedure to amend the Constitution for that purpose, the MOST first needs to collect 31 signatures of MPs for its motion to be tabled in the parliament. Furthermore, any change of the Constitution requires the support of two thirds of lawmakers, that is 101 votes in favour of such a proposal.

The party leader, Božo Petrov, said today that they would now wait for other parliamentary benches to respond to the MOST-sponsored proposal which includes the constitutional protection of the right to drinking water as well as the constitutional protection of water resources in Croatia.

Robert Podolnjak of the MOST party explained that under the proposal, the Constitution would be amended to include a new article reading that "everybody has the right to clean drinking water." Furthermore water resources would be treated by the Constitution as a public good managed by the state, whereas providing households with drinking water should be conducted as a non-profit utility activity.

The Human Right to Water and Sanitation (HRWS) was recognised as a human right by the United Nations General Assembly on 28 July 2010.

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

ZAGREB, May 20, 2019 - The opposition MOST party on Sunday held its final rally for next weekend's European Parliament elections under the slogan "A country worth fighting for", saying its candidates would fight in the European Union for Croatian interests and a better life in Croatia.

"Each of our 12 candidates is going to Brussels to fight for their country, their people. While the goal of others is to bow down in order to grab a position, our goal is to proudly and equally represent our people," said party leader Božo Petrov, who also heads the MOST slate for the EP elections.

Twenty-eight years ago, the Croatian people opted in a referendum for a sovereign and independent Croatia, he said, adding that he wants to live in a Croatia it which one does not need party membership, but knowledge and ability.

Noting that many young people were emigrating to Germany and Ireland, Petrov urged people to vote next Sunday "and create an opportunity for a happy, honourable and proud Croatia."

The party's political secretary, Nikola Grmoja, said it was time to openly rebel "against the gilded youth which eats with a golden spoon at our expense." He urged citizens to go to the polls, saying that next Sunday was a chance "to start dethroning the Brussels prince Plenković," referring to Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.

"Croatia is worth fighting for, all of you here are worth fighting for, your families are worth fighting for. So let's do all it takes so that those who will truly fight are elected to the European Parliament."

More news about the MOST party can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, May 17, 2019 - Croatia still is not ready for the introduction of euro currency and citizens should be allowed to decide at a referendum whether they want the country to enter the eurozone, MOST leader Božo Petrov told a press conference on Friday.

"Croatia is still not ready to introduce the euro. It's time the government and HNB (Croatian National Bank) start telling the people the truth and not versions or interpretations of the truth," Petrov said, who is running in the election for the European Parliament.

In most of the countries that introduced the euro that caused a serious blow to citizens' standards due to prices increasing and the standard in Croatia is much lower than it is in those countries, he said.

"Apart from that, the government still hasn't conducted structural reforms that should secure the stabilisation of the country's finances and long-term stable economic growth. The only alleged reform that the government has implement is the pension reform which citizens rejected a few days ago," Petrov added.

At the same time, over the past two years the government has increased state spending by 20 billion kuna, meaning that it spends 20 billion kuna more on itself, he said.

"That is why I believe that the government and HNB's proposal to introduce the euro is irresponsible as is the way the government has been running the country over the past three years," Petrov underscored.

More news about the introduction of euro can be found in the Business section.

ZAGREB, May 12, 2019 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Sunday that he respected every referendum initiative and that parliament would decide on the union-led referendum initiative "67 is too much" after examining the signatures gathered for a referendum petition.

The initiative's organisers announced at a midnight press conference that they had gathered over 600,000 signatures for a referendum against the statutory retirement age being raised to 67.

"I respect every referendum initiative, including this one. Parliament will decide on this matter after the signatures have been presented," Plenković told reporters in Zagreb.

Asked if Parliament would ask the Constitutional Court to assess whether the referendum question was in line with the Constitution, the prime minister said that this would be decided by Parliament.

Branko Grčić of the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Sunday congratulated the union-led "67 is too much" initiative on gathering 600,000 signatures for a referendum on the pension system.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an SDP convention in Zagreb, Grčić said this was a good initiative for future pensioners, especially for people for whom it would be difficult to work until 67 years of age for health reasons.

Asked if the referendum would be held, Grčić said that the unions' proposal was very consistent. "It is basically a substitute for the law that was already passed by parliament. I think that everything will be clear after confirmation by the referendum. I don't think the government will have any choice there."

He said that the government's reaction to the signature gathering campaign was arrogant because it used all means available to deter people from supporting the referendum initiative.

Responding to a reporter's remark that five years ago the SDP had supported a similar measure, Grčić recalled that their proposal was that the retirement age be raised as of 2038 and that it was prompted by efforts to speed up economic growth. "Unfortunately, the government that succeeded us went in a totally different direction. The circumstances today are completely different from those of three years ago," he said.

Ines Strenja of the opposition MOST party said on Sunday she was glad that the union-led referendum initiative "67 is too much" had gathered over 600,000 signatures for a referendum on the pension reform.

She said that this was a message to Prime Minister Andrej Plenković that the people wanted further consultations on the pension reform.

"MOST has supported this referendum initiative just as it did all other referendum initiatives because the people have the right to say what they want the country to look like," she said during a presentation of her party's platform for the forthcoming European Parliament elections in the northern Adriatic city of Rijeka.

Strenja said that the pension reform was not good. "There's much more than the retirement age of 67. Croats have a shorter life expectancy than EU citizens, so perhaps the retirement age should be even lower than 65. We want EU standards while forcing our people to be in an unequal position in relation to EU citizens," she said.

Speaking of the EP elections, Strenja said that if elected, MOST's MEPs would be advocating the interests of Croatian citizens rather than of different political groupings. "We want a just Croatia that will be an equal member of the EU and that will fight for its sovereign rights such as the right to an exclusive economic zone. Croatia can do so much more, especially with regard to EU funding," she said, adding that they would also insist on better healthcare for all, especially for people in rural areas and on the islands.

More referendum news can be found in the Politics section.