Zagreb - In the first half of this year, Croatian members of parliament spent €761,000 excluding salaries, according to a cost breakdown – not yet final – published by the Croatian Sabor.
From 1 January to 15 July 2025 when the regular summer sitting of the Sabor ends, MPs typically spent the most on flat rentals (over €253,000) and the use of private cars for official purposes (over €198,000).
Parliament covers the cost of official or rented accommodation up to €650 per month, plus utility bills up to €70 per month, for MPs whose permanent residence is more than 50 kilometres from Zagreb.
It also reimburses travel expenses for those using private vehicles to attend sessions, including mileage and motorway tolls, or pays them a fixed allowance for travelling to and from Zagreb.
In the six and a half month period, just over €37,000 was spent on motorway tolls, just over €18,000 on utilities, and around €15,000 on official flats.
Out of 150 MPs, 125 claimed additional expenses, while 25 incurred no extra costs.
The highest individual expenses were recorded by Andro Krstulović Opara (HDZ) and Ivan Račan (SDP), mainly due to the duties they perform and their membership in working bodies involving frequent international travel.
MPs can also travel to Parliament using public transport and have the costs reimbursed, but this option is used far less frequently. In the first six and a half months of the year, only 15 MPs used public transport, with total expenses amounting to around €2,500.
In addition to their salaries, which vary depending on years of service, personal tax allowances, and deductions, and average around €4,000 per month, MPs also receive a monthly flat-rate allowance of about €200 to cover material expenses. Those who live outside Zagreb are also entitled to a monthly separation allowance of €133, which is paid only when Parliament is in session. In the first half of the year, more than €63,000 was paid out under this allowance.
For other expenses, including taxi services, parking, motorway vignettes, VIP fast-track services, and similar, MPs spent around €3,200.
Sabor Speaker Gordan Jandroković incurred €5,480 in additional expenses in the first half of the year up to mid-July. This included €660 for daily allowances, around €1,200 for air travel, approximately €3,500 for hotel accommodation, and €68 for other expenses.