ZAGREB, 10 Feb 2022 - Croatian Defence Minister Mario Banožić and Israeli Ambassador Ilan Mor on Thursday praised the military cooperation between Croatia and Israel, the Defence Ministry said in a press release.

Banožić spoke of technical cooperation in equipping and modernising the Croatian armed forces, participation in courses and conferences, and cooperation in firefighting efforts.

Banožić expressed satisfaction with the defence cooperation and said he was confident that the two countries would intensify their future cooperation to their mutual benefit.

Mor thanked the Ministry for its support in organising the first Lightning of the Heavens memorial march in Croatia, when Israeli paratroopers commemorated Hannah Szenes on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Israeli national heroine.

Szenes participated in World War II as a member of the allied forces. She was arrested by Hungarian gendarmes near the northwestern Croatian town of Čakovec during her attempt to infiltrate Hungary and rescue Jewish people. She was eventually tried and executed by firing squad.

(Hina) vm

ZAGREB, 5 Feb 2022 - The former leader of the Istria Democratic Party (IDS) and current Istria County prefect, Boris Miletić, issued a statement after his resignation from the party on Saturday, saying that the IDS had for years been "a symbol of progressive and liberal policies, a symbol of resistance to primitivism."

"We have built a progressive community in a country that does not have much to boast about. Unfortunately, the IDS is now taking a different direction, and obviously I have been recognised by the new leadership as the biggest obstacle to this political turnaround," Miletić said.

He said that no one had raised any of the reasons he was now being disciplined for at the party's extraordinary meeting last September when his report was adopted with one abstention.

"When I took political responsibility for the election results and when we were supposed to discuss it, no one said a word, like many times before that," Miletić said, noting that while he had served as IDS president all decisions had been adopted by the party presidency and not in an autocratic manner as claimed by the new leadership.

He said that today he had tendered his resignation from the IDS after four victories in local elections, three terms in the national parliament, after winning seats in the European Parliament in two elections and after nearly eight years at the helm of the IDS which throughout that time was the strongest Croatian regional party. 

Miletić said that with his resignation, after 29 years and for the first time since counties were established "the IDS has lost Istria County." "The new IDS president now has a chance to show freely what he knows and what he can do."

Meanwhile, Pula mayor Filip Zoričić demanded an early election in Istria County, calling on the IDS and Miletić "not to hold Istria as their hostage".

He said that as the mayor of the largest city in Istria he wanted the regional government to be stable and functioning regardless of which political group had a majority.

 For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 5 Feb 2022 - The presidency of the Istria Democratic Party (IDS) has launched disciplinary action against its former leader, Istria County Prefect Boris Miletić, for violating the party's code of ethics and statute.

In a statement from its meeting in Pula on Friday night, the new IDS leadership said that Miletić had taken some decisions "in an autocratic manner, without dialogue and without the knowledge and consent of the party's governing bodies."

The presidency discussed Miletić's responsibility for the result of the May 2021 local election, in which the IDS lost the confidence of a portion of its voters. It said that "no individual, no matter how deserving they may be, can come before the interests of Istrians and the IDS."

Miletić later said that he regretted s to see what was going on in his own party. "I am proud of everything that we have done in all these years and I will always be," he said and added: " I will never give in under pressure from individuals and different interests to the detriment of Istrians."

"The next move is mine," Miletić said.. 

Unofficially, 15 members of the IDS presidency voted in favour of disciplinary action and one abstained from the vote.

2 February 2022 -- In recent years, LGBTQ rights have entered as a mainstream topic within European politics, but the conditions in Croatia are rarely the focus of any significant media attention. Poland and Hungary have become sources of considerable debate because of the passage of a series of controversial laws which prohibit the discussion of LGBTQ themes amongst children, moves that human rights watchdogs say represent further examples of a worrying global pushback against LGBTQ communities. In light of the political climate of its regional neighbours, I asked myself, how is the situation for gays, bisexuals, and transgender people in Croatia? I have put together a brief historical summary of laws on LGBTQ rights in Croatia to answer this question.

Before we can delve into the subject of LGBTQ rights, I should probably define this acronym as the terminology changes quickly and is often a source of confusion. LGBTQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. It is a blanket term that does not cover all of the diversity within human sexuality and gender identity but serves as a helpful tool when discussing issues concerning people who do not fall into certain societal norms.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's dive into the historical context. As in many countries, the history around LGBTQ communities in Croatia is complex and far-reaching. Under the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, male homosexual acts were classified as a criminal offence and homosexuals were heavily repressed by the state. This directive lasted until 1977, when Croatia adopted its own penal code, aligning its laws to reflect the position of the Croatian Medical Chamber, which had removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders four years prior. Since then, conditions for LGBTQ people in Croatia have slowly albeit tremulously improved.

Croatian politicians have passed several laws that expanded the LGBTQ community's rights, often adopting more progressive policies compared to their regional counterparts. The age of consent was equalized in 1998, followed by anti-discrimination protection laws in 2003, which protect against discrimination based on gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. The next major milestone came in 2014 with the Life Partnerships Act, granting same-sex couples most of the rights enjoyed by heterosexual couples, excluding the ability to adopt children. This exception was overturned in a 2021 administrative court verdict stating that homosexual couples must not face discrimination during the adoption process. Additionally, gender transition is legal without the requirement for surgical intervention.

Despite the progress we have witnessed over the past several decades, there remains a long road ahead for local advocates. Same-sex marriage has been constitutionally banned since 2013, the result of a widely debated referendum which was actively supported by conservative political parties and the Catholic Church. Reservations towards persons of differing sexual and gender identities are still strong, running deep amongst the nation's predominantly Catholic population. Croatia is touted as one of Europe's safest destinations, yet violence against sexual minorities is still not uncommon. As recently as 2020, residents of the Dalmatian town of Imotski burned an effigy of a gay couple in parade held as part of a traditional carnival. It is no surprise then that a 2019 Eurobarometer report indicated that only 44% of poled Croatians thought that gays, lesbians, and bisexuals should enjoy the same rights as heterosexual people.

Croatia sits in a unique position within Southeastern Europe regarding the rights of sexual and gender minorities. On the one hand, Croatia's LGBTQ laws are some of the most progressive in the region, even surpassing western neighbour Italy in some respects. But on the other, Croatian society still appears to feel unready to embrace new identities that conflict with its more traditional social values. Some may point towards Croatia's heritage as a Catholic nation. However, while I am sure faith plays a role, I suspect the sentiments extend beyond religion. Spain and Portugal are nations with strong ties to the Vatican, yet they score very highly on indices measuring LGBTQ rights and social protections. Rationale aside, if further progress is to be made on this issue, it will require equal support from society and government alike.

Going forward, Croatian leadership must remain vigilant not to fall into the trends that currently prevail in the region. In a time when there’s increasing temptation for political figures to weaponize diversity to gain public favour, we have a collective responsibility to self-educate and approach new ideas with a spirit of tolerance and respect. That said, while substantial work lies ahead for Croatia in the field of social justice, critics should not disregard the headway the country has already achieved. Croatia has made a remarkably rapid recovery after decades under the hand of a devastating regime. The simple fact is that social change takes time. As long as Croatia maintains its trajectory towards European integration while staving off harmful government fearmongering, I am optimistic about the future of LGBTQ rights on this side of the Adriatic. 

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, 30 Jan 2022 - The Croatian Parliament's Committee on the Constitution and Rules of Procedure have decided on the distribution of HRK 54.9 million (€7.32m) for the work of political parties and independent members of Parliament, as provided for in this year's budget.

The money will be divided according to election results, and the parties will receive HRK 352,351 per male MP and 387,587 per female MP due to their underrepresentation.

The largest amount of HRK 22.4 million will be distributed to the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), which has 45 male and 16 female lawmakers in the present 151-seat parliament. 

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has 19 male and 15 female MPs and will receive HRK 12.5 million, while the Homeland Movement (DP) will get HRK 3.9 million for eight male and three female MPs. This is despite the fact that 18 lawmakers who were expelled from the SDP have since formed the Social Democrats group, while the DP has been left without their founder, Miroslav Škoro.

Bridge, with seven male MPs and one female, will receive HRK 2.8 million. HRK 1.8 million will go to the We Can! platform (3 male and 2 female MPs), HRK 1.1 million to the Independent Democratic Serb Party (1 male and 2 female MPs), and HRK 1.09 million to the Istrian Democratic Party (2 male and 1 female MPs).

The Croatian Social Liberal Party, Croatian Peasant Party and Croatian Conservative Party have two MPs each and will receive HRK 704,000 per party.

The New Left, the Workers Front, the Civic and Liberal Alliance (GLAS), the Party with a First and Last Name, Centre, and the Reformists each have one female MP and will each receive HRK 387,587. The same amount will also go to independent Ermina Lekaj Prljaskaj.

The HRK 54.9 million will be paid out quarterly in equal amounts into the bank accounts of the political parties and independent MPs.

(€1 = HRK 7.5)

For more on politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated politics section.

January the 28th, 2022 - First came transparent Bjelovar, and now after years of Milan Bandic being, well, let's say ''less than transparent'' about where and how the City of Zagreb's money is spent, new mayor Tomislav Tomasevic is introducing the Smart City Hub Zagreb, which will openly show how the capital's cash is spent.

As Novac/Jutarnji/Hina writes, on Wednesday, Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomasevic presented the Smart City Hub Zagreb, the goal of which is to unite all different types of applications and information from various city offices in one place, and one of the novelties is the Open Budget of the City of Zagreb.

Tomasevic emphasised that the coronavirus pandemic has become an "engine of change" that aims to provide various digital services to all citizens, digitise existing services and further simplify them.

"The idea of ​​the Smart City Hub Zagreb is to have all different types of applications that exist in different city offices and institutions on one platform. There are so many digital projects in Zagreb that it's difficult to list them all, and a largr number of people don't even know they exist, let alone how to use them,'' Tomasevic said.

This idea will put everything in one place with the simplest possible approach and increase the amount of data that is systematically collected by the City of Zagreb, as well as its companies and institutions. All of this data should be processed as much as possible in real time, so that there is no need to interact and wait for information.

Part of the platform is the Open Budget, which shows the priorities of the local government, what the money is spent on, what its projects are. "This is just the beginning of opening the budget up so people can see what's going on, because a transparent and open budget is the foundation of any transparency of the government," Tomasevic pointed out.

He expressed regret that the City of Zagreb is not a pioneer in Croatian digitalisation, but assured that it will do everything to reach the level of other digitised cities in a very short time.

"For the first time, the city budget is not only available in an excel spreadsheet, but also in a machine-readable form so that everyone can analyse, process and present it in different ways," Tomasevic said.

Detailed information on budget revenues and expenditures will be available to the public through the Smart City Hub Zagreb.

He explained that the budget was adopted on the so-called the third level of detail, although under the new law it must be presented at the second level, with less detail.

"We want to present it on the fourth level of detail, we'll be one step ahead of what is now the standard and two steps ahead of what is the legal standard. We want more detailed data on budget revenues and expenditures to be available to the public," said the mayor.

He announced that they are expected to comply with the law, which will not only show the budget, but also the actual transactions made from the account, where exactly an amount is paid, to whom and why it has been paid will be monitored.

"There will be countless questions now, it isn't something pleasant to go through for any government, but we absolutely need to do that, we won't hesitate to make all data as accessible as possible to people and to open up topics we may not even know about," he said.

The government's exposure to criticism is an integral part of any democratic society, we must accept criticism even when it isn't well-intentioned, we must endure it without arresting people,'' Tomasevic said, referring to the recent arrests of people for writing various comments about certain politicians on social media.

Sanja Malnar Neralic, Head of the Department for Realisation and Coordination of the Zagreb Smart City Project, pointed out that the platform isn't creating a new database, but integrating different databases to be available in one place.

In addition, the City of Zagreb and ZICER want to use the Hackathon competition to choose a prototype of a digital solution whose primary goal will be a simpler overview of city budget items. The hackathon will be held at ZICER from February the 25th to the 27th, so all people involved in design, programming, data processing, investigative journalism and other related occupations are invited to apply for it.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 7 Sept, 2021 - The Lučko Anti-terrorist Unit, which earned its fame on all Croatian battlefields and handles the most complex police tasks today, on Tuesday marked its 31st anniversary with a demonstration exercise.

Before the exercise, wreaths were laid and candles lit at a memorial to the unit's fallen members, with Interior Minister Davor Božinović attending.

"ATJ Lučko was the first organised unit and the first Croatian armed formation which protected the constitutional order, the state leadership, and which earned its wartime fame on all Croatian battlefields," he said, adding that this elite unit had always been on the front lines and engaged in the toughest operations.

During the 1991-95 Homeland War, more than 350 people were in the unit, 19 were killed and 52 were wounded, the minister said.

He said that in peacetime the unit showed its new equipment every year, such as the best specialist vehicles.

Božinović said the incumbent government had invested considerable funds in the police, including European funds, and that HRK 144 million was invested in the special police alone in the past four years.

Procurement will continue and there are plans to equip ATJ Lučko with three new multipurpose helicopters, he added.

The minister said the government cared a lot about the unit and that its elitism was not fake as the unit was not closed but there to help civilians in various disasters. The helicopters, he added, will be made available to the civil protection system.

"Our special forces do not make only Croatia proud. They have been recognised as members of ATLAS and their colleagues across the EU have a high opinion of them," said Božinović.

The ATLAS network is an association of the police tactical units of the EU's 27 member states established following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 upon the initiative of the Police Chiefs Task Force.

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

ZAGREB, 4 Aug, 2021 - President Zoran Milanović said on Wednesday that the fact that some of the army generals will not attend the Victory Day celebration in Knin is not a boycott, but that they received invitations too late.

Who has announced a boycott? Ljubo Ćesić Rojs has not. Josip Đakić is not a general, he is a bum, and a member of parliament, in other words he is nobody. Rojs will be there, Pavao Miljavac will be there and Ante Kotromanović will be there. Of course, not everyone can come every year, but most  people will be there," Milanović said during a visit to the southern town of Sinj.

He said he did not think there was any pressure on some of the generals by the Defence Ministry "because no one can exert pressure on those people," but noted that some of the generals and commanders were put in an awkward position because they received the invitation the day before the event, which was the ministry's responsibility.

During the visit, Milanović conferred high state medals on retired Brigadier Dušan Viro and posthumously on Franciscan Frane Bilokapić for their acts of humanity during the 1991-1995 Homeland War.

He said he did not consider the decoration of General Mladen Kruljac disputable even though he had been found guilty of corruption. "He is a war commander and is decorated what he did in the war. No one is perfect, but what he did in the war is without a doubt impeccable, and he is not the only one."

Judge Dobronić is my candidate for Supreme Court President

Answering questions from the press, Milanović confirmed that 61-year-old Judge Radovan Dobronić is his candidate for the position of Supreme Court President.

He has responded to the call for applications and "now we will see what will those who undermined, torpedoed and dishonoured my previous candidate do," Milanović said, describing Dobronić as smart, educated, honourable and incorruptible.

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

ZAGREB, 4 Aug, 2021 - The European Commission has approved an additional HRK 220 million (€29.3m) in aid to Croatian livestock farmers, the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. 

HRK 130 million (€17.3m) has been approved under the Animal Welfare Measure of the EU Rural Development Programme, while HRK 90 million (€12m) has been approved for the use of manure on fields.

The Ministry noted that since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic it had adopted a number of aid schemes, worth nearly HRK 450 million (€60m) in total, including those for the livestock sector, adding that aid schemes for the poultry and dairy farming sectors were under preparation.

Due to an increase in prices of cereals and other components of livestock feed, at the last meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Agriculture Minister Marija Vučković called on the European Commission to look into possibilities of granting financial aid to stabilise the livestock sector, as well as other possible mechanisms to ensure the equal treatment of Croatian producers on the global market.

The request was supported by 15 member states, and the Commission is expected to continue monitoring the situation and take any emergency measures as may be necessary, the statement said.

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

ZAGREB, 4 Aug, 2021 - On the eve of Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day, War Veterans Day and the central commemoration in Knin, state delegations laid wreaths at Zagreb's central Mirogoj cemetery on Wednesday.

The government delegation was led by Veterans' Minister Tomo Medved and a delegation of the Croatian Parliament was led by Deputy Speaker Željko Reiner.

The delegations laid wreaths at the Wall of Pain monument, the Central Cross in the Alley of Fallen Croatian Homeland War Defenders, the grave of Croatia's first president Franjo Tudjman, and at the common grave of unidentified victims of the 1991-95 war.

Wreaths were also laid by a delegation of President Zoran Milanović, led by his advisor on defence and national security Dragan Lozančić, as well as a delegation of the City of Zagreb, led by deputy mayor Luka Korlaet.

Shortly after that, a delegation of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), led by member of the SDP presidency and MEP Predrag Fred Matic, laid flowers and lit candles at the Wall of Pain monument and the Central Cross in the Alley of Fallen Croatian Homeland War Defenders.

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