News

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament's Committee on Information, Computerisation and Media on Wednesday called on providers of media services and electronic publications to adopt their own hate speech codes. The Committee also concluded that hate speech should be systematically curbed by promoting media literacy among the public.

Berlin - Within the parliamentary dimension of the German Presidency of the Council of the European Union, a meeting was held among the Chairs of the Committees of National Parliaments and the European Parliament on the topic "For a social and fair Europe".

Zagreb - Part of the Parliamentary opposition said on Thursday the 2020 budget rejig was unrealistic and that the ruling coalition lived in "Happyland". Presenting the revised 2020 budget in Parliament, PM Andrej Plenković said the fiscal policy was transparent and that when the Government said the deficit would be HRK 29.5 billion, "then it is so."

Zagreb - The Government on Thursday sent to Parliament four tax reform bills which envisage cutting income tax from 24 to 20% and from 36 to 30% as well as profit tax from 12 to 10% for enterprises which make up to HRK 7.5 million a year.

Zagreb - Croatian opposition parties used the Prime Minister's annual report to Parliament as an opportunity to draw attention to weaknesses in the Government's work, primarily those concerning public healthcare, clientelism, and corruption.

Zagreb - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in Parliament while presenting an annual report on the work of his Government, that this year was extraordinary in many regards, with many unprecedented challenges.

Zagreb - The Croatian Sabor started its new, 4th session on Tuesday adhering to special epidemiological measures. At the beginning of Question Time, Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković asked lawmakers to be responsible and show solidarity to each other so that they can do their job properly.

Zagreb - The Fiscal Policy Commission has supported the Government's efforts to consolidate public finance as soon as possible, but it noted that due to high public debt and a low rate of potential growth fiscal policy measures must have specific targets and be temporary and efficient.

Zagreb - The Government has sent the final bill amending the Identity Card Act to the parliament, and a novelty is that biometric identifiers in the form of a facial image and two fingerprints will be stored in the storage medium of the new ID cards.

Zagreb - Croatia's Parliament will convene for a new session in November and the new meeting will begin on 3 November with Question Time and Prime Minister Andrej Plenović's report on European Council sessions.

Zagreb - The Croatian healthcare system needs serious restructuring, but should continue to operate on a basis of solidarity and provide care for all, the chair of the parliamentary Healthcare Committee, Renata Sabljar-Dračevac (SDP), told on Monday after a discussion on the debt in the health sector.

Zagreb - The Constitutional Court on Wednesday abolished the "epidemiological" amendments to parliament's rules of procedure, concluding that there were technical solutions to protect health while at the same time not restricting the rights and obligations of lawmakers to participate in debates.

Zagreb - Parliament on Friday unanimously elected Social Democratic Party (SDP) MP Sabina Glasovac as a Deputy Parliament Speaker.

Zagreb - The Croatian Sabor has sat for 21 days this autumn in conditions of the coronavirus pandemic and that is a lot more than the parliaments of Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia. The only parliament that is sitting longer this autumn than Croatia's is Hungary's National Assembly.

Zagreb - Parliament, which is expected to complete its first session on Friday, will discuss a report by Children's Ombudsman Helenca Pirnat Dragičević for 2019 on Thursday.

Zagreb - Deputy Speaker Ante Sanader said on Thursday that when the Croatian Parliament had decided 29 years ago to sever all state and legal ties with the then Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), it had again proven that it was the true guardian of the Croatian people's sovereignity and legal order.

Zagreb - A part of the parliamentary Opposition said on Wednesday that the government-sponsored bill on the rehabilitation of credit institutions and investment companies made life easier for Croatian citizens and should therefore be supported.

Zagreb - The parliamentary media committee on Thursday supported, with 12 votes in favour and one abstention, by Homeland Movement MP Karolina Vidović Krišto, changes to Hina's statute that will enable the national news agency to use drones.

Zagreb - On the occasion of  National Day of combating violence against women, the parliamentary Gender Equality Committee chair, Marija Selak Raspudic of the Bridge party, underscored on Tuesday that domestic violence was one of the worst forms of violence against women.

Zagreb - Several bills were sent on Friday to the Croatian Parliament for a second reading, including the bill on foreign nationals, under which there will no longer be an annual quota for the employment of foreigners.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament on Friday adopted the act on post-earthquake reconstruction of Zagreb and of Krapina-Zagorje and Zagreb Counties, with 124 parliamentary deputies supporting the legislation.

Zagreb - Lawmakers on Wednesday debated a bill on workers posted to Croatia as well as the implementation of a cross-border agreement on money fines in an attempt to protect their rights, and the Opposition also warned about the status of Croatian workers and that Croatia does not have a sensible industrial policy.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament resumed its extraordinary session on Wednesday  with a discussion on amendments to the Protection Against Noise Act proposing measures to prevent excessive noise emissions, reduce the existing noise levels to the permissible levels, and align with EU law.

Zagreb - The Chair of the Health and Social Policy Committee Renata Sabljar-Dračevac participated in the Conference of Chairpersons of committees on health of the EU Member States. The Conference, entitled "Europe in the pandemic: research and innovation for a more resilient health system", organized by the Bundestag as part of the parliamentary dimension of the German Presidency of the European Union, was held via videoconference.

Zagreb - The first Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, Žarko Domljan, died on Saturday aged 86. In Croatia's first democratic election in 1990, he was elected to Parliament on the slate of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). As an HDZ member, Domljan was the Speaker of the first Parliament from 1990 to 1992. In the second Parliament, from 1992 to 1996, he was the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. During his parliamentary term, the Christmas Constitution was passed on 22 December 1990.

Zagreb - Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Head of the Croatian Parliament Delegation, Gari Cappelli together with the Chair of the Defence Committee, Franko Vidović participated in the 17th Inter-Parliamentary Conference for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy (IPC CFSP/CSDP) of the European Union, within the parliamentary dimension of the German Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Zagreb - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković presented the final text of the bill on the post-earthquake reconstruction of Zagreb and its environs to Parliament on Wednesday, saying that people who were left homeless should be ensured a roof over their heads and that Zagreb should again be a pleasant place to live and work.

Zagreb - Parliamentary opposition parties on Wednesday strongly criticised the bill on the reconstruction of buildings in Zagreb and its environs damaged by a March 22 earthquake. "The Government will be open to as many suggestions as possible from MPs and parliamentary groups during a debate on the bill on the reconstruction of earthquake-damaged buildings in the City of Zagreb, Zagreb County and Krapina-Zagorje County", Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said.

Zagreb - Wearing face masks in the Parliament chamber will be mandatory as of Wednesday, and not more than 41 MPs will be allowed to attend per session, Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on Tuesday after a meeting of the Parliament Presidency.

Zagreb - The Government asked that Parliament be convened for the extraordinary sitting in order to debate the final bill on the reconstruction of Zagreb and two neighbouring counties affected by the March 22 earthquake.

Zagreb - The Government on Thursday sent to the Parliament a bill of amendments to the Law on Identification Cards and the Law on Foreigners which should also regulate the temporary residence of digital nomads.

Zagreb - The Government on Thursday sent to the Parliament a bill on the execution of prison sentence, which should speed up the process of sending convicts to serve their prison term and create conditions for parole under electronic surveillance.

Zagreb - The Government on Thursday sent the bill on the post-quake reconstruction of Zagreb and its environs to Parliament for second reading, and the document has incorporated social criteria for co-financing the reconstruction of buildings damaged in the March 22 earthquake.

Barban - 34-year-old Antonio Osip from Draguzeti has won the 45th Prstenac Race tournament, held in the Istrian town of Barban on Sunday.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said during the celebration of the 25th anniversary of Operation Storm in Knin on Wednesday that the Croatian people are celebrating with respect and pride, and called for building a Croatia based on social justice, solidarity and inclusion.

Zagreb - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Wednesday reported to the Croatian Parliament on the recent EU summit at which Croatia was granted access to €22 billion over the next seven years, which he said was a strong lever for economic recovery.

Zagreb - Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on Tuesday the Parliament Presidency was agreed today about recommending that all MPs wear masks in the chamber and that he would continue to ask all to do so.

Zagreb - In accordance with the Act on the Co-Operation of the Croatian Parliament and the Government of the Republic of Croatia in European Affairs, the Government of the Republic of Croatia submitted a written Report on the Extraordinary meeting of the European Council held in Brussels from 17 to 21 July 2020. The Report was presented at the Committee’s session by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Zdravko Marić.

Zagreb - The Report was presented by the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, emphasizing the unprecedented circumstances in which the first Croatian Presidency of the Council of the European Union took place, given the Covid-19 pandemic, but also the challenges associated with the migration crisis.

Zagreb - The Parliamentary Construction and Zoning Committee on Monday supported a government-sponsored bill on the reconstruction of the Zagreb area after the 22 March earthquake under which the Government will cover 60% of the costs and local governments and owners 20% each.

Zagreb - After a debate that lasted the whole day, the Croatian 151-seat Parliament on Thursday evening gave a vote of confidence in Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and his second cabinet. Thus, 76 MPs, who make up the ruling majority, voted for the new government, and 59 voted against, with no abstentions.

Zagreb - The new Croatian Parliament, which on Wednesday morning held its founding session, elected the five deputy speakers, three of whom come from the ruling majority and two from the Opposition.

Zagreb - The founding meeting of the new, 10th Parliament began on Wednesday morning with the election of Gordan Jandroković as the Speaker of this 151-seat legislature.

Zagreb - Speaker Gordan Jandroković told MPs on Wednesday at the first session of the tenth parliament that being appointed speaker for the second time was a great honour and that he would discharge his duty responsibly.

Zagreb - President Zoran Milanović has convened the first sitting of the new Sabor in Parliament House on Wednesday, 22 July at 10 a.m. 

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on Wednesday that MPs would not go on holiday following the July 5 election, but that the new parliament would immediately resume work as soon as a parliamentary majority is constituted.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković issued on Friday a message on the occasion of Statehood Day, May 30, recalling that 30 years ago the first multi-party parliament was constituted, which paved the way to the democratic change, freedom, and statehood and independence of Croatia.

Zagreb - The Croatian state leadership on Saturday laid wreaths at Zagreb's Mirogoj cemetery on the occasion of Statehood Day, which as of this year is again observed on May 30 instead of June 25.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Saturday extended greetings on the occasion of Ramadan Bayram to the head of the Islamic Community in Croatia, Mufti Aziz Hasanović, and all Islamic believers.

Zagreb - The parliamentary election will be held on July 5, President Zoran Milanović decided on Wednesday.