Zagreb - The state budget for 2026, with projections for 2027 and 2028, was voted in in the 151-seat Sabor on Friday, with 77 MPs voting for. In addition to the majority, independent MP Boška Ban also voted in favour, and her amendment to the budget was accepted.
Alongside Ban's amendment, amendments proposed by the opposition parties IDS (Istrian Democratic Party) and the Independent Platform North (NPS) were also endorsed by the government to become an integral part of the budget.
The IDS, which had been perceived in some circles as a potential supporter of the budget and a possible new partner for the slim parliamentary majority, abstained, while two MPs from the NPS did not take part in the voting.
Of the 133 MPs who voted on the budget, 77 voted in favour, two abstained, and 54 voted against.
Next year, the state plans to generate €35.7 billion in revenue, while expenditures are expected to total €39.8 billion.
Economic growth of 2.7 % is expected, with domestic demand, predominantly personal consumption, being the main driver of GDP growth.
The share of public debt in GDP is expected to decline further next year, to 56%, while the consolidated general government deficit is projected to remain at 2.9 %, the same as in 2025.
Before voting on the budget, Parliament considered around 270 amendments to the budget and accompanying financial plans. Following the government’s stance, all but 15 of these amendments were rejected.
Among these 15, six were proposed by majority MPs and 11 by the opposition: Ban, Dubravko Bilić and Ivica Baksa from the NPS, and the IDS.
As a result of the opposition amendments, the state allocated funds, among other things, for the renovation of Pula Airport, the restoration of the Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč, the rehabilitation of the mouth of the Mirna River, protection of Novigrad-Cittanova from flash floods, the construction of a secondary school in Ludbreg, and the extension and equipping of the Home for the Elderly and Disabled in Čakovec.