News

Zagreb - The government's proposal to introduce the euro as the official currency in Croatia on 1 January 2023 divided MPs on Wednesday, with some seeing multiple benefits and others claiming that it will further lower living standards.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković extended his best wishes for International Women's Day on Tuesday, saying that a lot of effort still needed to be made to achieve equality between women and men in all spheres of society.

Zagreb - The government on Thursday sent the Parliament a bill on the introduction of the euro as legal tender in Croatia for first reading, and, among other things, the bill concerns the basic principles of euro introduction, possibilities of exchanging kuna for euros and the period of both currencies being in use.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Tuesday spoke on the phone with Ruslan Stefanchuk, the Chairman of the Ukrainian Rada, who informed him of the current situation in his war-torn country.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament on Friday adopted the Agricultural Strategy 2030, which aims to increase the value of agricultural output from the present HRK 20 billion to 30 billion annually.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament on Friday adopted the Declaration on Ukraine, with 133 votes for and one abstention, which condemns in the strongest terms Russia's unprovoked aggression on Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence.

Zagreb - The government's agriculture strategy up to 2030 resulted in a heated polemic in the Sabor on Thursday even prior to the official debate, with the opposition saying that it did not contain anything specific to Croatia and as such was inapplicable, yet the ruling HDZ commended the document.

Zagreb - Croatian parliamentarians on Thursday supported amendments to a law on the establishment of infrastructure for alternative fuels, underlining the importance of building as many charging stations for alternative fuels as possible.

Zagreb - Croatia's agricultural production has not contracted, as data for the first 11 months of 2021 show that both exports and imports increased considerably, with exports increasing faster, Agriculture Minister Marija Vučković said in Parliament on Thursday.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on Wednesday talked about intensifying Zagreb-Riyadh cooperation. 

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament on Friday adopted a package of judicial laws as well as a report on the effects of epidemiological measures against coronavirus from 1 September to the end of December 2021.

Zagreb - Parliament on Friday asked the Government to verify the number and authenticity of the signatures collected for the Bridge party's referendum petitions to abolish COVID certificates and the crisis management team, and to include at least two representatives of each petition in the process.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Thursday held talks with the visiting Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Zagreb - The problem of systematic radioactive waste management in Croatia will be resolved with the construction of a radioactive waste management facility, Žarko Katić, state secretary at the Ministry of the Interior, said in parliament on Wednesday.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Wednesday received the ambassadors to Croatia from the United Kingdom, Spain, and China - Simon Derek Thomas, Alonso Dezcallar De Mazarredo, and Qi Qianjin, with whom he discussed closer cooperation with their countries. 

Zagreb - The parliamentary Committee on the Constitution and Standing Orders on Thursday asked the Government to verify the signatures collected for two referendum petitions by the opposition Bridge party and notify Parliament.

Zagreb - Health Minister Vili Beroš defended in Parliament on Thursday the COVID certificate mandate and children testing as part of the fight against the pandemic, and underlined the importance of vaccination because the tourist season could depend on it.

Zagreb - The Domestic Policy and National Security Committee on Wednesday convened to discuss the 12 October 2020 attack on Government House in Zagreb and the arrests of individuals over their acrimonious and insulting comments on social networks.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament's Committee on the Constitution and Rules of Procedure has decided on the distribution of HRK 54.9 million (€7.32m) for the work of political parties and independent members of Parliament, as provided for in this year's budget.

Zagreb - Despite criticisms from the Opposition, the Croatian Parliament on Friday passed the Social Welfare Act, which is part of a set of seven laws aimed at reforming the system.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament started its session on Thursday with a minute of silence for Holocaust victims, with Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković saying that the Holocaust had begun with hate speech and ended in acts of evil.

Zagreb - Things will have to change and in the future no central bank employee should be allowed to hold or trade-in stocks or bonds of banks supervised by the central bank - this is one of the conclusions of a thematic session of the parliamentary Finance and Central Budget Committee held on Thursday.

Zagreb - The parliamentary Committee on agriculture convened in Osijek on Wednesday to discuss the impact of climate change on food provision and cooperation with the scientific community to adapt the farm sector to that change.

Zagreb - Members of parliament were agreed on the need to protect people reporting irregularities during a debate on a bill on the protection of whistleblowers on Tuesday, with opposition MPs citing the most famous whistleblowers and their fate.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on Monday that the parliamentary Committee on the Constitution would probably request the Constitutional Court to check the constitutionality of the referendum questions proposed by the Bridge party in its two referendum petitions.

Zagreb - The parliamentary Opposition on Thursday strongly criticised a reform set of social welfare bills, saying that the opinions of professionals have not been taken into account, that the system is being unnecessarily centralised, and that there might be long-term negative consequences

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Tuesday congratulated the newly-elected President of the European Parliament, Maltese Roberta Metsola, whose election was supported by 458 MEPs earlier in the day.

Zagreb - After a month-long recess the Croatian Parliament will convene for its 10th session on Wednesday which will run through mid-March and longer if need be.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Saturday congratulated all Croatian citizens and Croats at home and abroad on the 30th anniversary of Croatia's international recognition.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković has extended condolences to the family and colleagues of European Parliament President David Sassoli, who passed away early on Tuesday at the age of 65.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Thursday sent Christmas greetings to believers who celebrate it according to the Julian calendar on behalf of lawmakers and on his own, underscoring that the spirit of Christmas encourages people in facing life's challenges.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on Wednesday that the Parliament would start its new session on 19 January and that it would be in session for two months, possibly longer.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković issued a Christmas message on Friday, highlighting the importance of dialogue and fostering mutual understanding and unity in society.

Zagreb - Thirty-one years ago the Republic of Croatia got its first Constitution, which was adopted on 21 December and was officially promulgated on the day after that, that is on  22 January 1990, and became known as the Christmas Constitution since its promulgation happened a few days before Christmas.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament on Wednesday adopted the new Conflict of Interest Prevention Act which significantly expands the number of persons to whom it applies, envisaging the submission of declarations of assets once a year and faster proceedings before the Conflict of Interest Commission.

Zagreb - The Act on the Protection of the Population Against Infectious Diseases was amended on Wednesday, with 77 MPs voting in favour and 27 against, while the members of the Bridge party walked out of the Parliament chamber.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament on Wednesday adopted the new Budget Act which provides for penalties ranging from HRK 10,000 to HRK 50,000 for local government officials failing to present their budget spending transparently.

Zagreb - Davorko Vidović of the Social Democrats group, the largest opposition group in the Croatian Parliament, was appointed a new, fifth Deputy Parliament Speaker on Wednesday. This decision was made by a majority of MPs - 114 of them, while one abstained, with Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković congratulating Vidović on the appointment and wishing him success.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on Wednesday, on the last day of the autumn session, that the Parliament had passed about a hundred laws in that period, and he commented on the protests against epidemiological measures, calling on the silent majority to be the voice of reason.

Zagreb - The Light of Bethlehem, the light of peace and hope, is shining in the Croatian Parliament as of Tuesday, where Scouts Croatia traditionally placed it outside the Parliament Chamber.

Zagreb - Members of the Croatian Parliament on Thursday started a heated debate on a bill on the protection of the population against infectious diseases which envisages fines up to HRK 50,000 for responsible persons not complying with the COVID-19 certificate mandate in bodies governed by public law.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament on Wednesday confirmed a year-long extension of the deadline for the submission of applications for Croatian citizenship under the current law since the coronavirus pandemic has made it more difficult for everyone to apply.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament on Wednesday passed the state budget for 2022 with projections for 2023 and 2024, with 77 MPs voting in favour, one more than the required 76, and 49 against.

Zagreb - The state secretary at the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, Ivo Milatić, said on Tuesday that in addition to HRK 390 million set aside for the energy renovation of family housing, as much money would also be allocated to companies for the same purpose.

Zagreb - The opposition on Monday called the five amendments worth HRK 11 million to the draft 2022 state budget which the government accepted from the opposition "peanuts," announcing that they will not vote for it and that they will demand a property tax.

Zagreb - The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah was marked officially in the Croatian Parliament on Thursday, by lighting the Hanukkah candles.

Zagreb - The state secretary at the Defence Ministry said on Thursday, during a parliamentary debate on the sending of Croatian troops to eight peace missions and operations, that "for now" there were no requests that Croatia participates in war operations.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament will begin next week's session already on Monday after 475 amendments have been submitted to the 2022 budget proposal, Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković announced at the start of the Parliament session on Thursday. 

Zagreb - During Wednesday's debate on a draft 2022 state budget, opposition MPs said it showed a lack of reforms, no change of direction, and that it did not offer solutions as prices are rising and living standards decreasing.

Zagreb - Addressing the impact of the devastating earthquakes, increasing social welfare payments and parental allowances, ensuring the fiscal viability of local government units are the fields to which the Government pays special attention in the 2022 budget, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Wednesday.