News

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković extended greetings on Wednesday to the Jewish faithful in Croatia on the occasion of Hanukkah, expressing hope that this year it will serve as a herald of peace amidst growing global challenges.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković extended his Christmas greetings on Tuesday to Croatian citizens and Croats at home and abroad, calling for more concrete solidarity with those living in poverty, fear, or facing personal tragedies.

Zagreb - The first Constitution of the independent Republic of Croatia was adopted by parliament on 21 December 1990, and solemnly proclaimed by the Sabor the following day. Since it was passed on the eve of Christmas, this highest legal and political act became known as the Christmas Constitution.

Zagreb - "The terrible tragedy at Prečko Primary School has deeply shaken all of Croatia," Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on Friday, expressing on behalf of the MPs and personally, his condolences to the parents of the child killed in a knife attack.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Tuesday received the Peace Light of Bethlehem from representatives of the Croatian Scouts Association, who traditionally bring it to the Croatian Parliament.

Vinica - The Opeka Castle in Vinica, a historic 17th-century structure, has been fully reconstructed and, as part of an investment worth €18.5 million, has become the Regional Competence Centre for Agriculture. It opened on Monday in the presence of Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Friday reaffirmed Zagreb's support for Kosovo's aspirations to join Euro-Atlantic organisations during his meeting with visiting Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

Zagreb - Foreign nationals holding a work permit who lose their jobs will now be able to register with the Croatian Employment Bureau (HZZ) and collect unemployment benefits, according to amendments to the Labour Market Act discussed by the Croatian Parliament on Wednesday.

Zagreb - While some opposition MPs on Tuesday praised some aspects of the government-sponsored amendments to six tax laws, some members of the parliamentary majority, including Dario Hrebak (HSLS), raised concerns about some other specific provisions.

Zagreb - During a debate on the Final Bill on Building Management and Maintenance, opposition MPs on Monday supported efforts to bring order to housing but criticised the requirement for obtaining consent for short-term rentals, calling it a partial, unfair, and even unconstitutional solution.

Zagreb - State Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, Davor Zoričić, said on Monday that amendments to three laws -- the Open-End Investment Funds with Public Offering Act, the Alternative Investment Funds Act, and the Insurance Act -- aim to ensure digital and operational resilience for the financial sector.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament on Friday passed the state budget for 2025, projecting revenues of €33 billion and expenditures of €37 billion. The budget received the support of 76 MPs, while 65 voted against it.

Zagreb - On Friday, the Croatian Parliament approved twelve decisions to deploy Croatian troops to missions abroad, however, it did not vote on the decision to send officers to the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU) mission, leaving it pending.

Zagreb - Sabor Speaker Gordan Jandroković and his Slovenian counterpart Urška Klakočar Zupančič agreed on Wednesday that the outstanding issues between Croatia and Slovenia should be addressed "constructively" and in the spirit of the existing good-neighbourly relations.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament's Committee on the Constitution, Standing Orders and Political System on Wednesday endorsed the names of 10 candidates for the Constitutional Court.

Zagreb - Sabor Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Tuesday announced a packed schedule for the next ten days, leading up to the conclusion of the regular autumn session.

Zagreb - In Croatia, about 13% of buildings are listed ones, and the restoration or reconstruction of such buildings of particular architectural or historic interest deserving special protection require obtaining licences, Culture Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek said in the parliament on Tuesday.

Zagreb - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in Parliament on Tuesday that the SDP's motion for a vote of no confidence in his cabinet is a "performance and a short pamphlet" and added that the proposal to oust the entire government because of one minister will not succeed.

Zagreb - Sabor Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Friday visited the construction site of the building that will house the Croatian National Theatre in Mostar, and so far Croatia's government has appropriated €4.5 million for this project.

Sarajevo - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said in Sarajevo on Wednesday that Croatia remains steadfast in its commitment to respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and supporting the equal status of its three constituent peoples.

Zagreb - The parliamentary Health and Social Policy Committee on Tuesday supported Irena Hrstić as the new minister of health by a majority vote.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on Friday that before the parliament goes into recess it will discuss the SDP's no confidence motion against Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and his government, which that opposition party put forward after the arrest of former Health Minister Vili Beroš.

Zagreb - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Wednesday, while presenting the budget proposal for 2025 in parliament, that child allowances will be redoubled and that the government will continue cushioning inflation pressure and reducing the public debt.

Zagreb - Croatia’s strategic commodity reserves are in good condition and are constantly being replenished, State Secretary at the Ministry of Economy Vedran Špehar said while presenting to Parliament the 2023 report on the reserves on Tuesday.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on Monday in Vukovar that this eastern city is a symbol of Croatia's suffering and freedom and that it deserves all the love of Croatia.

Zagreb - Croatia is among the fastest EU member states in meeting key milestones and targets and in receiving payments from the Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF), Ivana Maletić, a member of the European Court of Auditors, said on Wednesday.

Zagreb - The Deputy Chairwoman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Olena Kondratiuk, called in Zagreb on Wednesday for continued Croatian support to Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression. Kondratiuk is on an official visit and was received by Sabor Speaker Gordan Jandroković.

Zagreb - Justice, Administration and Digital Transformation Minister Damir Habijan said on Wednesday during a parliamentary debate on amendments to the Companies Act that, of the 24 companies listed on the stock exchange, six have balanced gender representation on their management and supervisory boards.

Zagreb - Banks and other payment service providers have until 9 January 2025 to make it possible for their customers to receive instant credit transfers, while sending such transfers should be ensured by October, the State Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, Davor Zoričić, said on Tuesday.

Zagreb - The Sabor's Defence Committee on Tuesday unanimously endorsed the procurement of eight High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) worth close to 290 million US dollars.

Zagreb - Croatia has a total surplus of € 16.36 billion as the difference between the funds paid to Croatia and its contribution to the EU budget, the Regional Development and EU Funds Ministry's State Secretary, Domagoj Mikulić, told the parliament on Thursday.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković extended congratulations on Tuesday to all Roma on the occasion of World Day of Romani Language, celebrated on 5 November.

Zagreb - Ahead of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, a Croatian Parliament delegation led by Speaker Gordan Jandroković laid wreaths and lit candles at Zagreb's Mirogoj Cemetery on Wednesday for those who had given their lives for the country and played an important role in the creation of an independent Croatia.

Zagreb - A total of 28 out of 32 NATO member states have agreed to participate in NSATU so far, NATO Deputy Secretary General Boris Ruge said in the Sabor on Wednesday, stressing that the mission does not make NATO a party to the war in Ukraine and that Croatia can refuse to send its officers to Ukraine.

Zagreb - Opposition parties in the Croatian parliament warned on Wednesday that the minimum wage did not cover living costs because half the people receiving the minimum wage had trouble making ends meet, while members of the ruling coalition claimed that the minimum wage had never increased faster.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament's Committee on the Constitution on Thursday began hearings of the first 11 of 63 candidates for Constitutional Court judges, which is the first step before Parliament chooses 10 new judges by a two-thirds majority. The terms of 10 of the 13 current judges expired in June.

Zagreb - Last year, the Croatian police achieved the best results in many aspects of their work since statistics were tracked, Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović said in Parliament on Thursday.

Zagreb - MPs on Tuesday supported a final bill ratifying an agreement between the governments of Croatia and Ukraine on cooperation in mine action, while the opposition warned that many in Croatia still live near suspected mine-contaminated areas.

Zagreb - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in parliament on Tuesday that by the end of his government's term the average net pay would rise to €1,600, while the minimum net pay would rise to €970 by the New Year.

Zagreb - Members of parliament on Friday welcomed the final Bill on Audiovisual Activities which introduces new financial incentives for the development and production of audiovisual works, but the Opposition warned that the funds envisaged are insufficient.

Zagreb - The Fiscal Policy Commission, considering the government's proposal to revise the 2024 budget, has warned of the importance of prudent budget planning and called for a return to anti-cyclical fiscal policy next year.

Zagreb - Finance Minister Marko Primorac said in Parliament on Thursday, while presenting the proposal to revise the 2024 budget, that this year Croatia will meet the Maastricht debt and deficit criteria for the first time in history.

Zagreb - The Parliament's Committee on the Constitution, Standing Orders and Political System on Thursday determined 63 valid applications for the posts of ten Constitutional Court judges whose terms expired in June, scheduling public hearings of the candidates for 17-25 October.

Zagreb - Presenting the 2023 report on the work of the state prosecutor’s offices in parliament on Wednesday, State Attorney General Ivan Turudić warned that if urgent action is not taken, state prosecutor’s offices will face a severe staffing crisis, leading to a drop in their current effectiveness rate of 96%.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament marked its day on Tuesday, with Speaker Gordan Jandroković recalling that on 8 October 1991, one of the most significant sessions in the history of the Sabor was held.

Zagreb - Members of the Croatian parliament on Thursday mainly supported the bill on the transfer of 35 state-owned properties to trade unions and the Trade Union Real Estate Fund, but wondered why it has taken 27 years to solve this issue.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Wednesday congratulated members of the Jewish faith on the occasion of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

Zagreb - The opposition on Wednesday sharply criticised Agriculture Minister Josip Dabro for not coming to parliament to present a bill of amendments to the Agriculture Act, warning that agricultural subsidies have never been higher while production has never been lower.

Zagreb - Croatia's parliament on Wednesday will discuss draft amendments to the Agriculture Law, which are designed to reduce fraud risks and fraudulent use of European Union funds for the farm sector.

Zagreb - At the end of the parliamentary Justice Committee's thematic session on Friday, which was marked by one-upmanship between the HDZ and the Opposition, the motion proposed by the committee chair Nikola Grmoja (Bridge) about the continuation of the session was turned down.