Zagreb - Disputes over the set of laws in the construction and zoning sector, the reintroduction of compulsory military service, as well as reactions to Thompson's concert at Zagreb's Hippodrome marked the work of the Croatian Parliament in 2025, while the governing majority, although slim, remained stable.
Despite opposition resistance, at the end of the year the Sabor passed three laws: the Construction Act, the Physical Planning Act and the Energy Efficiency in Buildings Act.
They come into force on the first day of 2026 and, in practice, this means that obtaining building permits should no longer take more than 30 days, that all spatial plans must be digitalised, and that the instrument of urban land consolidation is being reintroduced.
The opposition, which accused the government of favouring the interests of big business at the expense of citizens through these laws, also announced its future steps, saying it would first turn to the Constitutional Court and, if necessary, proceed to a referendum. "We will bring down this law, and then this government," said Sandra Benčić of the left-Green We Can! party.
In July, parliamentary proceedings were marked by MPs' reactions to a concert by Marko Perković Thompson at Zagreb's Hippodrome, attended by around half a million people.
Opposition parties from the left spectrum claimed that the banned Ustasha salute “Za dom spremni" (For the Homeland Ready) was used at the concert, while the HDZ and right-wing parties said it was not appropriate to label concert-goers as Ustasha supporters. The right called the left communists and Yugoslavs, while the left accused them of promoting Ustasha ideology. Ideological disputes between the ruling parties and the opposition, accompanied by mutual accusations, also dominated the start of the autumn parliamentary session.
Amended Defence Act, introduction of Fiscalisation 2.0
In the autumn, the Sabor amended the Defence Act, reintroducing compulsory basic military training, which had been suspended in 2007. Basic military training in barracks in Knin, Slunj and Požega for a new generation of conscripts will begin in early 2026. The training will last two months, while for those with conscientious objection it will last three months in civil protection or four months in local government units. Compensation for military training will amount to €1,100 per month and will count towards pensionable service, while compensation for civilian service will be lower.
Throughout the year, parliamentary debates were also dominated by the issue of inflation, with the opposition accusing the government of not doing enough, while the ruling parties responded that they were continuously working on measures to curb it.
At the beginning of the year, legislative amendments extended the application of the reduced VAT rate of 5% on the supply of natural gas, firewood, pellets, briquettes and wood chips, as well as district heating, and a law was passed requiring retailers to publish the prices of their products on their websites, thus enabling consumers to compare prices.
In 2025, Parliament also passed a number of other laws, including the Act on the Construction of a Radioactive Waste Management Centre at the preferred site of Čerkezovac on Mount Trgovska Gora, and the Fiscalisation Act aimed at introducing so-called Fiscalisation 2.0.
It declared 5 June as Croatian Flag Day and added 3 May to the list of memorial days as the Day of Remembrance for Children Killed in the Homeland War.
It also passed a law enabling the introduction, from 1 March 2027, of a new toll collection system across the Croatian motorway network, allowing free-flow traffic without stopping to pay tolls.
Legislative amendments removed betting machines from hospitality establishments, and the catalogue of criminal offences was expanded to include the offence of bribery of members of Parliament.
Parliament also adopted a proposal by the Homeland Movement to remove monuments glorifying Greater Serbian aggression, and amended the State-Subsidised Housing Construction Act to allow people under the age of 45 to receive support in the form of a refund of 50% of VAT or the full amount of property transfer tax.
By amending the Social Welfare Act and the Maternity and Parental Benefits Act, Parliament expanded the number of beneficiaries and increased guaranteed minimum benefits, and enabled adoptive parents to receive a one-off payment of €1,327, as biological parents do for a newborn child.
It also increased compensation for long-term sick leave and abolished some banking fees. In order to regulate the residence and employment of foreigners in Croatia, it amended the Aliens Act, and to enable heating charges based on actual consumption, the Thermal Energy Market Act.
A number of laws were also amended due to Croatia's bid to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Supreme Court President not elected
The SDP's request to dismiss Chief State Attorney Ivan Turudić over alleged political bias did not receive Parliament's approval.
The arrest of musician Mile Kekin and the husband of the We Can! MP Ivana Kekin in early April, on the day of the vote on Turudić, unofficially marked the beginning of the pre-election campaign for the local elections held on 18 May.
Among opposition initiatives, We Can!'s proposal to recognise Palestine also failed to receive approval.
In 2025, Parliament also carried out a number of appointments. The year began with the confirmation of a new Minister of Agriculture, David Vlajčić, after his predecessor Josip Dabro had to resign following the publication of a video showing him firing a pistol through the window of a moving car. After his resignation, Dabro returned to the parliamentary benches.
In July, Nataša Mikuš Žigman was elected as the new Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds after Šime Erlić left the post to run for mayor of Zadar in the local elections, which he won.
Tatjana Katkić Stanić was elected as the new Ombudswoman for Children for an eight-year term, and Ines Pavlačić as President of the Commission for the Prevention of Conflicts of Interest, filling a position that had been vacant since April, when the former president Aleksandra Jozić Ileković requested her dismissal due to what she described as problems in the work of the body.
A public call was published for the election of a new President of the Supreme Court following the death of Radovan Dobronić, but by the end of 2025 Parliament had failed to elect one, as, despite hearing the candidates, even on the third attempt no agreement was reached between the President of the Republic as the authorised proposer and the ruling majority.
After some MPs were elected mayors in the local elections, Parliament confirmed their replacements. Thus, Peđa Grbin (SDP) was replaced by Maria Blažina, and Sovereignist MP Marijan Pavliček by Martin Kordić. Centre MP Viktorija Knežević, who had been a deputy to Ivica Puljak, left Parliament and returned to legal practice, and was replaced by Damir Barbir. Mišel Jakšić (SDP) was elected as a Deputy Speaker of Parliament in place of Grbin.
Upon returning to the parliamentary benches, Josip Dabro (DP) conditioned his support for the new minister on changes in the Croatian Forests forest management company, briefly putting the ruling majority to the test. It also appeared to be hanging by a thread during the vote on the Criminal Procedure Act, when Željko Lacković (Independent) from the ruling majority failed to support it, necessitating a repeat of the procedure. The parliamentary majority, however, remained stable. On several occasions, the ruling majority was joined in voting by independent MP Boška Ban and NPS MPs Ivica Baksa and Dubravko Bilić, who rejected claims that this meant they were joining the ruling majority.
In 2025, MPs also established a parliamentary football team, led by manager Ivica Kukavica of the DP, to promote sport, friendship and unity. So far, the team has played only one match, against a team of priests, but more matches are planned for 2026.