Zagreb - Government representatives on Tuesday accepted five of the 38 amendments submitted to the revised 2026 state budget, three from the ruling Homeland Movement (DP) and two from the opposition. The DP, which had proposed seven amendments, withdrew three and reserved one for a vote on Friday.
The DP parliamentary group withdrew three amendments seeking nearly €13 million for grain and oilseed storage capacity, support for the production of Croatian products with protected designations of origin, and small dairies, after Agriculture Ministry State Secretary Ivan Matijević said funding for these purposes would be provided in the 2027 budget.
The government rejected a DP amendment seeking €500,000 for the Franciscan monastery and the Parish of Our Lady of Sinj, which helps organise commemorations at the Husina jama pit in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Finance Ministry State Secretary Stipe Župan said the Commission for Relations with Religious Communities did not allocate state budget funds for such purposes. DP parliamentary group leader Ivica Kukavica said the party would nevertheless seek a vote on the amendment on Friday.
The government granted the DP's requests in three areas, two of them partially.
The party had sought €6 million in co-funding for the purchase of vehicles with seven or more seats for families with four or more children. The government announced that it would provide €2 million for this purpose by the end of the year.
DP leader Ivan Penava had requested €2 million to expand the berthing capacity of the marina in Vukovar. The government agreed to provide €250,000 to prepare the documentation required for the project.
The DP accepted the compromise. Its request for an additional €466,000 for the renovation of the Church of St Peter and St Paul in Gvozd was accepted in full.
The government also accepted two of the 31 amendments submitted by the opposition.
One of the three amendments proposed by the Istrian Democratic Party was accepted: a request for the state to provide €21,500 to install two air quality monitoring stations in Raša. The government also accepted an amendment by Ivica Baksa of the Independent Platform North to co-fund the expansion of the grammar school in Čakovec. Although Baksa had requested €6 million, the government said it would provide €1.5 million by the end of the year, a compromise he accepted.
The five accepted amendments automatically became part of the revised 2026 state budget.
The government rejected all 13 amendments submitted by SDP MPs. Construction Ministry State Secretary Dario Tišov explained the proposed reduction in funding for housing for victims of domestic violence by saying that no suitable offers to purchase flats had been accepted in 2026 through public calls issued by the state's APN real estate agency. He said sufficient funds had been secured to provide housing for all victims.
Marija Lugarić said the lack of accommodation increased the risk of victims being exposed to violence again and made the work of shelters more difficult.
An amendment by Arsen Bauk to extend the ferry route to the port of Povlja on the island of Brač was also rejected. The government said it would analyse options for connecting the port and potentially including it in the route during 2027.
Martina Vlašić Iljkić said funding for child benefits was being cut by €18 million and proposed a one-off payment of €70 per child, which would cover 253,500 children. The government said a new child benefit act was being prepared and that future measures should be based on an analysis and impact assessment.
Nino Raspudić of the Drito party criticised the rejection of his amendments calling for steps to provide meals in secondary schools, build additional student accommodation in Zagreb and introduce free public transport for students. Education Ministry State Secretary Stipe Mamić said providing meals in secondary schools was not currently feasible because the schools lacked the necessary facilities.
Miro Bulj of the Bridge party requested funding to build a general hospital, a primary school and a home for older people and people with disabilities in Sinj. The government said a hospital was not currently planned, that 20 centres for older people were being built across 18 counties, and that the building permit for the school was being processed.
Bulj also proposed increasing the Defence Ministry's budget to deploy the military to the borders in response to irregular migration. The government rejected the proposal, saying there was no justified reason to deploy the Armed Forces for such duties.
Marijana Puljak of the Centre party requested funding to remediate the site of the former ferroalloy factory in Dugi Rat, saying residents had been living alongside hazardous slag for 20 years. Economy Ministry State Secretary Ivan Rakocija rejected the amendment, saying work to prepare for remediation was ongoing.