January 19th, 2022 - Croatian Prime Minister Blames USKOK for Ruining Croatia's Spectacular Week

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković held an impromptu news conference following the arrest of Construction Minister Darko Horvat. The Prime Minister started the news conference by making an overview of the great week Croatia just had. He goes on to mention “major political events” such as the arrival of the USS Harry Truman aircraft carrier in Split, government inflation measures, EU Fund Absorption extension, and contract signing for the Lekenik-Sisak section of the A11 motorway.

After he used the opening few minutes to commend the work of his government this week, he finally comments on the fact that one of his Ministers was arrested for alleged abuse of authority. Prime Minister ironically thanks to the DORH (State's Attorney Office of the Republic of Croatia) for the new political event he has to handle now and continues to shortly go through the case while mentioning other politicians that are potentially involved. USKOK (Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime) is a special state attorney ofice specialised for the prosecution of corruption and organised crime who is in charge of this case. Finally, we get to the point where the Prime Minister comments on the suspicious timing and over-dramatization while blaming DORH of having a hidden agenda. He continues to blame the media of creating a dramatic atmosphere and USKOK for unauthorized leak of information related to this investigation. The whole press conference passed with Prime Minister downplaying the importance of this case and stating that the case is dealing with relatively smaller sums while making accussation torwards both the press and the State's Attorney Office.

Without going into detail regarding the alleged abuse of authority, it is very interesting to see that during a political turmoil, when one of your ministers is arrested, Croatia's Prime Minister takes the opportunity to commend the work of his government. What is more he tries to relativize the the whole case even though he states that he does not know anything more than the general public. Political spins, accusations and arguments are not something unusual for Croatia's political scene, but as always Croatian politicians never fail to amaze us. 

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February 19, 2022 - Crisis in the Croatian government, as the USKOK launches investigation against several of its officials. Construction Minister Darko Horvat was arrested this morning for alleged abuse of authority, and an emergency meeting is underway. USKOK suspects that Horvat gave 2.6 million kuna in illegal incentives.

In addition to Minister Darko Horvat, as Telegram has learned, investigators have also focused on former Minister Tomislav Tolušić. Along with them, according to the information available so far, this latest procedure also applies to Horvat's former assistant Ana Mandac. Jutarnji List finds out that Deputy Prime Minister Boris Milošević and Minister of Labor and Social Welfare Josip Aladrović are also under investigation. According to the information provided so far, they are suspected of seeking employment through a connection and due to the granting of incentives.

According to currently available information, the Minister of Construction is associated with abuse of office and authority. Sources say investigators are investigating Horvat's role in the abuses suspected by his former assistant Ana Mandac. USKOK suspects that, at the request of Josipa Rimac, Mandac arranged support for craftsmen from the Ministry of Economy at the time when it was led by Horvat.

Horvat arrested

Minister Darko Horvat was arrested this morning, his lawyer Vladimir Teresak confirmed to Media Servis. USKOK suspects that Horvat gave 2.6 million kuna in illegal grants and incentives. According to information from sources close to the investigation, Minister Darko Horvat should be questioned by USKOK in the early afternoon. He will be brought to the USKOK headquarters in Vlaška Street in Zagreb, where he will be able to testify in the presence of a lawyer.

Photo: Vjeran Zganec Rogulja/PIXSELL

This morning, he was taken from Donja Dubrava in Međimurje, where his home had been searched since the morning. It is certain that investigators are following him to Zagreb, where the procedure in coordination with USKOK and the police will continue.

Finance Minister first to comment

The case was commented on by the Minister of Finance Zdravko Marić in a Croatian Radio show. He said he was surprised by the news of a police raid on Horvat's home.

"I assume that I am the first to speak on this topic, I have no knowledge and I cannot comment on that", the minister added. He referred to media allegations that Labor Minister Josip Aladrović, Deputy Prime Minister Boris Milošević, and former Minister Tomislav Tolušić were also being investigated.

"I mean, this is pure information from the media. I didn’t even get to read, driving to the show. But, any scandals do not have a positive effect on the Government", said Marić.

Emergency government meeting is underway

In addition to Minister Darko Horvat, the Minister of Pension System, Family and Social Policy Josip Aladrović, Deputy Prime Minister Boris Milošević, and former Minister Tomislav Tolušić were also targeted by investigators on Saturday morning.

The police started searching the house of the Minister of Construction, Darko Horvat, this morning. Although there is no official information, and no one from the Government has responded yet, 24sata finds out that an emergency meeting has been convened in the Government. Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic is expected to address the media soon.

This is developing news.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 18 Feb 2022 - It would be better if elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina were postponed than held under the present election law because nothing good will come of it and the country will continue to function poorly, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in Brussels on Friday. 

"Parliamentary elections should not be held in October this year as scheduled without changing the election law," Plenković said.

Croatia's position on the matter is contrary to the document prepared by the European External Action Service for a discussion on Bosnia and Herzegovina due to be held at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday.

The document says that negotiations should continue in order to reach an agreement on the constitutional and electoral reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that elections should be held as scheduled regardless of the outcome of the talks.

"The Croatian position is very clear - it's better to give more time for negotiations and postpone the elections if necessary than carry on under the present system because that would be bad for Bosnia and Herzegovina and disastrous for the Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina," the prime minister said.

"If the present system remains in place, we know in advance what will happen. We do not want electoral engineering to happen again," he added.

Plenković called on the Bosnian Croat and Bosniak parties to focus constructively on the electoral reform so that the Croats would get guarantees that they would be able to choose their representatives in the state presidency and upper house of parliament. He said that Croatia, as a friend and ally, would do all in its power to improve mutual relations and help Bosnia and Herzegovina on its EU path.

Plenković said that an agreement on the electoral and constitutional reform would be beneficial for the functioning of the country, its territorial integrity, mutual respect, and for everyone in Bosnia and Herzegovina to feel good.

Explaining why some of the representatives of the international community, including the EU, had different views about Bosnia and Herzegovina from Croatia's, he cited the lack of understanding of the complexity of the internal structure of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the need to simplify it, which he said would not lead to anything good.

Plenković said that those who did not know the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina well enough were focusing on three points, the first being a cease-fire agreement that later became the Dayton peace agreement, which became the country's constitution. The second point is the ruling by the European Court of Human Rights in the Sejdić-Finci case and other cases which called for an end to discrimination against three percent of citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina who are not members of any of the three constituent peoples, as 97 percent of citizens identify themselves as Bosniaks, Serbs or Croats. The third point is present efforts to simplify the whole situation.

"When someone who is not from Bosnia and Herzegovina or neighboring countries comes and wants to see how the country is functioning, they see a structure they have not seen anywhere else. They realize that there is one state, two entities, 10 cantons in one of the entities, houses of peoples, and so on. And then the logic of simplification comes in, but in that simplification, you cannot sideline the rights of one of the constituent peoples who voted for Bosnia and Herzegovina's independence in 1992," Plenković said.

He said that the Venice Commission had favorably assessed the Croat proposal to amend the constitution, under which in elections for the state presidency one representative of the Croats and other ethnic groups and one representative of the Bosniaks and other ethnic groups would be elected from the Bosniak-Croat Federation entity and one representative of the Serbs and other ethnic groups from the Serb entity of Republika Srpska.

"That would resolve everything. The constituent peoples would be retained, the others would be included and no one would be discriminated against, and everyone would be allowed to stand as a candidate," Plenković said.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 11 Feb 2022 - Fishing restrictions in the Jabuka Pit is a brilliant example of how such measures can quickly renew the fish stocks and can serve as an example for other situations in the Mediterranean, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković told reporters after the One Ocean Summit in the French port city of Brest on Friday.

The Jabuka Pit, the area stretching from Croatia's Žirje island to the Italian city of Ortona contains almost one-quarter of the total biomass of commercially important fish varieties in the northern and central Adriatic.

For years the Jabuka Pit was an area where more than 30% of catches by Croatian and Italian trawlers came from. However, excessive fishing exhausted the fish stocks, and fishing has been restricted there since 2015.

The measures were successful and the fish stocks have been revived.

Addressing the summit, Plenković said that preserving the oceans is one of the most important global challenges and Croatia wants to make additional efforts in the fight against sea pollution and to preserve biodiversity.

He noted that Croatia "is making a very clear contribution" in the fight against plastic waste.

Croatia has banned the use of plastic bags and other disposable plastic products.

"Plastic is not easily degradable. Any piece of plastic that ends up in the Adriatic is negative both from the aspect of animal and plant habitats and from the aspect of keeping the Adriatic clean and maintaining Croatia's attraction as a tourist country," the prime minister told reporters.

He participated in the One Ocean Summit at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron.

Plenković said that as a maritime country, Croatia wants to be an example in the fight against ocean and sea pollution.

He added that on the 40th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, it is necessary to invest maximum effort to conclude the treaty on the conservation of biodiversity to be above the national legislative framework.

"That would be yet another joint step of a binding nature that would reduce the impact of global warming," Plenković said.

BiH needs a fair election system

The prime minister used the summit in Brest to meet on its margins with European Council President Charles Michel and some other colleagues to discuss the election reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).

Plenković announced that the issue could be discussed at the European Council and added that "Michel has a lot of understanding" in that regard.

He said that in the meantime it is important for talks between political parties in BiH to continue, primarily between the Croat and Bosniaks.

"It's good that talks were held yesterday in Sarajevo and that they will continue," he said.

"We will do everything on our part for an agreement to be reached, naturally, one that will enable a fair election system," Plenković said.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 11 Feb 2022 - Protecting oceans is one of the most important global challenges and Croatia wants to make additional efforts in combating sea pollution and preserving biodiversity, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in Brest, France on Friday.

"Protecting oceans, the biggest ecosystem on Earth, is equal to protecting our planet, preserving our biodiversity, our lives," he said at the One Ocean summit, which he attended at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron.

Plenković said protecting oceans and seas was necessary and that, as a maritime country, Croatia wanted to set an example in the fight against the ocean and sea pollution.

Oceans absorb one-third of global carbon emissions and play an important role in lowering the global temperature, but they are not immune to climate change and human impact, so it's necessary to protect them.

Croatia has banned plastic bags and single-use plastic products and intends to contribute to the global goal of protecting oceans, Plenković said. "By 2030, we will protect 30% of the sea under our jurisdiction."

Croatia wants to designate more restricted fishing areas so that excessively exploited marine ecosystems can replenish on the model of Jabučka Kotlina, an example of how to replenish the fish stock and preserve biodiversity to the satisfaction of fishermen, scientists, and all people.

"That shows that protecting a small area can significantly advance biodiversity and food safety," Plenković said.

After his address, he wrote on Twitter that "protecting oceans is one of the most important global challenges" and that "on the 40th anniversary of the Convention on the Law of the Sea we must invest the maximum effort to conclude an agreement on the preservation of biodiversity above national legislative frameworks."

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 11 Feb 2022 - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković will on Friday hold a speech on sea protection and efforts to deal with plastic pollution during  "The One Planet Summit for the Ocean" in Brest, which is being hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.

France, the current chair of the European Union, is organizing this 9-11 February summit on ecology.

"The goal of the One Ocean Summit is to raise the collective level of ambition of the international community on marine issues and to translate our shared responsibility to the ocean into tangible commitments," it is stated on the summit meeting's website.

Image: @AndrejPlenkovic/Twitter

"Several important initiatives will be launched on this occasion in favor of marine ecosystem protection and sustainable fisheries, intended to fight pollution, in particular from plastics, respond to the impacts of climate change, as well as advocate for improved governance of the oceans."

In attendance at the summit are European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel.

Plenković, who flew to France on Thursday evening, met Michel ahead of the summit meeting last night.

Plenković tweeted on his account that he and Charles Michel discussed Croatia's aspirations to join the Schengen Area and the euro area, and efforts to address energy price rises as well as the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the importance of the reform of that country's election legislation.

Croatian Economy Minister Tomislav Ćorić is also expected to participate in the Brest event.

Due to strict health protection measures, physical access to attend the One Ocean Summit in person will be limited to the main professionals and officials from the international community, namely over 500 personalities representing more than 65 countries, while other speakers will join via video conference.

In Brest, apart from Plenković, another two premiers from EU member-states, Michael Martin of Ireland and Robert Abela of Malta have arrived. Furthermore, heads of state or government from Morocco, Tunisia, Tanzania, Ghana, and so on are also among the guests.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau are expected to address the event via video link.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 11 Feb 2022 - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, who flew on Thursday evening to France for "The One Planet Summit for the Ocean", met European Council President Charles Michel ahead of the summit meeting, which is taking place in Brest on 9-11 February.

Plenković tweeted on his account that he and Charles Michel discussed Croatia's aspirations to join the Schengen Area and the euro area, and efforts to address energy price rises as well as the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the importance of the reform of that country's election legislation.

On Friday, PM Plenković and Croatian Economy and Sustainable Development Minister Tomislav Ćorić will participate in the summit, which is being held to mobilize the international community to take concrete action to reduce these adverse effects on the ocean.

French President Emmanuel Macron is the host of this summit.

Plenkovć is due to hold a speech on the protection of oceans and seas and the struggle against plastic pollution.

For more, check out our politics section.

February 9, 2022 - The vaccination campaign across the country continues during omicron, as Prime Minister Andrej Plenković received booster dose today. Croatia is currently leading in terms of mortality per million inhabitants, and at the same time, is at the bottom of the EU in terms of vaccination.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković received booster dose of the vaccine, reports Telegram. With the publication of a photo of the moment when he received the dose, Plenković again called on the citizens to respond to the vaccination, especially in the middle of the wave of the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

“In addition to my previous recovery from COVID-19 and two doses of vaccine, I also received a booster dose today, in consultation with doctors. The additional dose is particularly important during omicron circumstances. Get vaccinated and use a booster to protect against more severe forms of COVID'', Plenković announced on Twitter. The Prime Minister received the second dose five months ago, on September 10, 2021.

Plenković calls for vaccination in the midst of the collapse of the vaccination campaign. It was announced today that the CNIPH is developing a new strategy because sufficient quantities of vaccines, mobile teams, and counseling centers have not yielded the desired results. Yesterday, only 613 people were vaccinated with the first dose in Croatia.

Croatia is currently leading in terms of mortality per million inhabitants, and at the same time, is at the bottom of the EU in terms of vaccination. The number of deaths in Croatia during the pandemic is 14,244, and in the first week of February alone, 367 people died. In January, 267 people died in the same period, which means that in the first seven days of this month, as many as 100 people died more than in the same period last month - and this can be attributed to poor vaccination.

In Croatia, only 56.5 percent of citizens were vaccinated with the first dose which, when it comes to COVID, is too little to reduce mortality. 54.3 percent of citizens were vaccinated with two doses, and 19.6 percent with the booster. Citizens' interest in vaccination is declining from month to month - yesterday only 613 people were vaccinated with the first dose of the vaccine, and the day before, on Sunday, just 11 of them.

For more, check out our politics section.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated section and select your preferred language if it isn't English.

February 4, 2022 - Through their official social media accounts, both the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia and the Croatian Government shared the winning motifs for the 2 and 1 Croatian euro coin, and the 50, 20, 10, 5, 2, and 1 cent coins, all of which will enter in circulation next year.

In recent years, the conversation around Croatia's accession to the eurozone has been increasing significantly. Since joining the European Union in mid-2013, the idea of carrying out a transition from the kuna to the euro has gone from being a distant scenario to near reality. It is no secret that the Croatian government's position on such change was favorable and that, eventually, it was simply a matter of defining how and when.

Precisely, as of today, the answers to both questions are already known, as the Croatian Government, its Ministry of Finance, and the Croatian National Bank (HNB) are working on the final details. The Croatian Kuna will cease to be the official currency, and the Euro will replace it in 2023. From September 5th, prices will be displayed in both Kuna and Euros, so that both locals and foreigners get used to the idea and become familiar with the new currency. Likewise, the first two months of 2023 will serve to withdraw the Kuna from circulation. As the Governor of the HNB Boris Vujčić reported shortly ago, citizens will have the possibility of paying with kunas, but only as a way to collect those coins for their subsequent storage.

Now that the idea of the euro as the official currency in Croatia is getting closer and closer to reality, many questions have arisen from both financial authorities, companies, and even Croatian citizens themselves. The positions are diverse: from rejecting the Euro in order to defend a Croatian symbol such as the Kuna, to wondering what the economic consequences will really be. The rejection of a large sector of the population was expressed through a referendum that was recently held throughout the country. The objective of the referendum was to postpone Croatia's access to the eurozone because, it should be remembered, by being a member of the European Union, Croatia cannot bail out of using the Euro as currency, but it could keep an indefinite period of transition.

The government responded by guaranteeing that not only will the transition from one currency to another take place smoothly, but that the long-term benefits will allow Croatia to reach economic standards that allow it to equalize its status with other European Union countries. Minister Zdravko Marić revealed that the Ministry of Finance will make sure to monitor that prices are set correctly, and does not rule out the existence of sanctions for those who increase them unsustainably. For its part, the Croatian National Bank promised to effectively control the inflation rates that may be generated as a result of this currency change.

Today's session of the National Council for the Introduction of the Euro as the Official Currency in Croatia. (Photo: Goran Stanzl/PIXSELL)

Most likely, doubts will be resolved along the way, since it seems that the decision has already been made and there is no going back. Following an official Croatian government meeting earlier today, the Government of the Republic of Croatia shared the official winner designs of the Croatian Euro coin, and all the details about each design, on their social media accounts. You can watch the complete session here. Each coin was accompanied by a video and information about its designers. The Government shared the following on their Instagram account:

''At today's session of the National Council for the Introduction of the Euro as the Official Currency in Croatia, the design solutions of the Croatian side of the euro and cent coins were presented. A total of 1,299 proposals were submitted to the open competition, and the commission in charge of selecting the most successful solutions did not know who the authors were, but evaluated and ranked each proposal only on the basis of the proposed design.

The first-ranked proposals were officially approved by European Council on January 28 this year. We also thank and congratulate the authors of the selected motifs! These are:

• Ivan Šivak - author of the conceptual design "Geographic Map of Croatia" for a 2 euro coin

Najuspješniji dizajn za motiv „Geografska karta Hrvatske" - kovanica 2 € pic.twitter.com/XSxLU3OTDI

— Vlada Republike Hrvatske (@VladaRH) February 4, 2022

The author of the 2 euro coin motif, "Geographical Map of Croatia", is Ivan Šivak, born in 1985 in Zagreb. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb in 2011 at the Department of Animated Film and New Media. Since 2011 he has been a member of the Croatian Society of Fine Artists. He lives and works in Samobor.

• Stjepan Pranjković - author of the conceptual design "Kuna" for a 1 euro coin

Najuspješniji dizajn za motiv „Kuna” - kovanica 1 € pic.twitter.com/CJwzWMcIqR

— Vlada Republike Hrvatske (@VladaRH) February 4, 2022

The author of the 1 euro coin motif, ''Kuna'', is Stjepan Pranjković, born in 1995 in Ostfildern, Germany. At the Academy of Applied Arts in Rijeka, majoring in Applied Arts, module painting, he obtained the title of Master of Applied Arts in 2020. He lives in Rijeka.

• Ivan Domagoj Račić - author of the conceptual design "Nikola Tesla" for 50, 20 and 10 cent coins

Najuspješniji dizajn za motiv „Nikola Tesla” - kovanice 50, 20 i 10 centi pic.twitter.com/sGfVnrTaCX

— Vlada Republike Hrvatske (@VladaRH) February 4, 2022

The author of the 50, 20, and 10 cent coin motif, ''Nikola Tesla, is Ivan Domagoj Račić, born in 1999 in Zagreb. Today he is a full-time third-year aeronautics student at the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences in Zagreb. His interest in graphic design began in high school, when he began to study independently.

• Maja Škripelj - author of the conceptual design "Glagolitic" for coins of 5, 2 and 1 cent

Najuspješniji dizajn za motiv „Glagoljica” - kovanice 5, 2 i 1 cent pic.twitter.com/kh1IYEzSXV

— Vlada Republike Hrvatske (@VladaRH) February 4, 2022

The author of the 5, 2 and 1 cent coin motif, ''Glagolitic'', is Maja Škripelj, born in 1988 in Zagreb. She graduated from the Faculty of Architecture in Zagreb with a master's degree in engineering and architecture in February 2014. From graduation until July 2020, she worked in the architectural office, and now has her own business.

The designers behind the winning motifs for the Croatian euro coin: Ivan Šivak, Ivan Domagoj Račić, Stjepan Pranjković, and Maja Škripelj. (Photo: Goran Stanzl/PIXSELL)

After presenting the winners and their designs, the Croatian Government continued: 

''In addition to the mentioned motifs, the Council of the European Union also approved another, additional motif, ie the text, which is an inscription that each country can choose and engrave on the 2 euro coin, which is the largest.

On the Croatian 2 euro coin, in addition to the Croatian chessboard, as an element of the Croatian coat of arms, and a map of the Republic of Croatia, Gundulić's verse "O LIJEPA O DRAGA O SLATKA SLOBODO" will be engraved on the rim.

As is well known, this is one of the most famous and beautiful verses from the Anthem of Freedom, which is an integral part of the pastoral "Dubravka" from the 17th century by Ivan Gundulić. The Republic of Croatia, as a symbol of Croatian statehood and independence, should also have a verse from the Anthem of Freedom, which best symbolizes the millennial aspiration for freedom of the Croatian people''.

Below we show you each Croatian euro coin in detail:

The Croatian Euro coin designed by Ivan Šivak features the geographical map of Croatia and due to its size also features the verse: ''O LIJEPA O DRAGA O SLATKA SLOBODO'' engraved on the edge.

The Croatian Euro coin designed by Stjepan Pranjković features the Kuna, Croatia's symbolic animal.

The Croatian Euro coin designed by Ivan Domagoj Račić features Nikola Tesla, the world-famous inventor and engineer born in Smiljan.

The Croatian Euro coin designed by Maja Škripelj features the Glagolitic alphabet, the oldest Slavic alphabet, from Croatia. The two Glagolitic letters chosen will form the Croatian ISO: HR.

 For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 3 Feb 2022 - GLAS party leader Anka Mrak Taritaš on Thursday called for removing the metal fence put up in St. Mark's Square, where the government and parliament are located, and for finding an appropriate security solution, accusing PM Andrej Plenković of arrogance and of fencing himself off from Croatia's reality.

Speaking at a news conference, Mrak Taritaš said the fence in St. Mark's Square had been put up more than a year ago, after a shootout outside the government offices in which a police officer was wounded.

"Absolutely nothing has happened since except for the prime minister expressing yesterday his dissatisfaction with the work of the institutions that have investigated the incident. ... the prime minister will be dissatisfied until the institutions agree to make a report that will suit him, and St. Mark's Square will remain closed," she said.

"Some people who live in the Upper Town (where the government and parliament buildings are located) can pass through, some can't. That is not normal or common in reasonable countries. State institutions must be respected and protected but citizens and tourists must also be able to access St. Mark's Square," she said.

As for arrests of citizens over comments on social networks in which they expressed their dissatisfaction with the prime minister, Mrak Taritaš said that that was becoming a synonym for Plenković's status of an untouchable official, adding that if the prime minister was more in touch with the reality in the country, those things would not be happening.

For more, check out our politics section.