News

Zagreb - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković announced on Wednesday in the parliament that the minimum net wage would increase by HRK 350 or 10.3% as of January, from HRK 3,400 to HRK 3,750, that is to €500.

Zagreb - Before Prime Minister Andrej Plenković submitted an annual report on the government's work, the parliamentary opposition said on Wednesday what they would like to hear from him, while the ruling HDZ said the government fulfilled its obligations in the challenging past year.

Zagreb - The parliamentary majority on Wednesday welcomed amendments to the Reconstruction Act as an improvement that would step up post-earthquake reconstruction while the Opposition insisted that they would not expedite the process.

Zagreb - The parliamentary majority on Wednesday appointed Robert Šveb the new director-general of the HRT public broadcaster, while the opposition Bridge party would not participate in the vote and walked out of the session.

Zagreb - The parliamentary majority on Tuesday supported the appointment of Robert Šveb as director-general of the HRT public broadcaster while the Opposition refused to support him, noting that if he was appointed, the HRT would continue failing to be a public service and serving the ruling party.

Zagreb - Radovan Dobronić, who has been appointed as Supreme Court president, was sworn in on Monday in the presence of Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković and as the chief justice of that court he is by default the president of the State Electoral Commission.

Zagreb - Croatian parliamentary parties on Friday welcomed the adoption of the law ratifying the Croatian-German Visiting Forces Agreement, with some expressing concern about the article on criminal jurisdiction and coercive measures.

Zagreb - Despite consistently criticising the way the coronavirus crisis is being managed and health policies in general, opposition lawmakers on Friday stood in defense of Health Minister Vili Beroš, criticising protestors who rallied outside his home and disturbed his family.

Zagreb - The parliament on Friday adopted a law regulating an institutional framework for the use of EU funds until 2027 and amended the Law on the Croatia's National Centre for the External Evaluation of Education (NCVVO).

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on Friday, Parliament Day and the 30th anniversary of the decision on independence, that the Sabor had fulfilled all its key tasks.

Zagreb - The Croatian parliament on Friday held a special session to commemorate its day, 8 October, when in 1991 it made a decision to sever all state and legal ties with the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), whereby Croatia was declared an independent state.

Zagreb - The parliamentary Judiciary Committee on Wednesday gave a positive opinion on judges Radovan Dobronić and Marin Mrčela as candidates for Supreme Court president while Dobronić, whom the President already announced as his recommendation to the Sabor, received unanimous support from the committee.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Wednesday received Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who was on an official visit, parliament said in a press release.

Zagreb - The Croatian parliament on Friday passed the amendments to the Electronic Media Act and the Copyright and Related Rights Act.

Zagreb - The Croatian parliament on Friday adopted the Electricity Market Act, under which Croatian households will be able to buy electricity from EU suppliers, and EU consumers will be able to choose power providers from Croatia.

Zagreb - Croatia's Fiscal Policy Commission has called on the government to use the expected recovery and the lifting of coronavirus-related restrictions next year to ensure stronger consolidation of public finance and full application of fiscal rules as of 2023.

Zagreb - Croatian MPs on Friday endorsed the ratification of investment protection agreements between EU member states and Vietnam and Singapore, which are aimed at improving the investment climate.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Thursday received outgoing Chinese Ambassador Xu Erwen and they said the Pelješac Bridge would remain a symbol of the friendly Chinese-Croatian relations. 

Zagreb - Culture and Media Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek said on Thursday the new copyright law would protect copyrights in the digital sphere and result in a stronger and more secure environment for cultural and creative industries.

Zagreb - The government on Thursday sent a referendum bill to parliament with the aim to improve the vague referendum legislation, notably concerning referendum petitions by people's initiatives.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament on Wednesday observed a minute's silence for all women victims of violence on the National Day of combating violence against women.

Zagreb - A closing conference for the project "Infrastructure Development of the Ljubešćica Enterprise Zone" was held in this municipality in northern Varaždin County on Tuesday. The aim of this project, launched in 2011, was to build municipal and electricity infrastructure for enterprise development and to attract investment. Nearly 6,000 square metres of roads, several thousand metres of storm drains, and public lighting was built.

Zagreb - Parliament on Friday debated a bill on settlements which should improve and harmonise methods for determining their boundaries, marking the names of settlements, streets and squares and numbering houses, with the opposition saying the bill "resolves some issues but not the most important ones."

Zagreb - The parliamentary Opposition said on Thursday that the minimum wage of HRK 3,400 (€453) was not sufficient for a decent life and should be raised, which was supported by members of the parliamentary majority.

Zagreb - A final bill on seeds, propagating/reproductive material and acceptance of varieties of agricultural plant species was sent by the government to the parliament on Thursday.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Wednesday extended greetings to the Jewish faithful in Croatia on the occasion of Yom Kippur and Sukkot, wishing that they spend the holidays in peace and joy with their families.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament's Information and Media Committee on Tuesday endorsed the Copyright and Related Rights Bill and the Electronic Media Bill after debating copyright protection and user comments.

Zagreb - The parliamentary Judiciary Committee will vote at a later date on candidates for the Supreme Court president due to a dispute over disciplinary proceedings launched before the State Judicial Council against President Zoran Milanović's candidate for the post, Judge Radovan Dobronić.

Zagreb - The Croats in Austria are extremely important to Croatia, which wants to develop the best relations possible with them, notably the younger generation, Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said in Vienna on Wednesday.

Zagreb - Stability in Croatia's neighbourhood is important for an effective response to a possible migrant wave, Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on Tuesday. The issue of migration is one of the key security issues of our two countries, Jandroković told reporters after a meeting with Wolfgang Sobotka, President of the Austrian National Council.

Zagreb - Protecting the environment contributes to prosperity, particularly in tourist countries like Croatia, Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said in Vienna on Tuesday.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Tuesday issued message offering his best wishes to the Jewish community on the occasion of the holiday of Rosh Hashanah.

Zagreb - Parliament will begin its autumn session on 15 September, Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on Monday after a meeting of parliament's Presidency.

Zagreb - The government the final electronic media bill to Parliament on Thursday, under which providers of electronic publications are also held responsible for the content of user comments. The bill was amended in cooperation with the Croatian Journalists' Association and the Association of Newspaper Publishers at the Croatian Employers' Association and was submitted to Parliament for discussion under the fast-track procedure.

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

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament on Friday extended the eligibility to work part-time and receive a full pension to family pension beneficiaries.

Zagreb - By a majority vote (with 75 votes in favour, two abstentions, and 43 votes against), the Parliament adopted the Waste Management Act. When it enters into force, eight days after its publication in the Official Gazette, it will ban the sale of single-use plastic products, including plastic cotton buds, straws, cutlery.

Zagreb - The Opposition-sponsored motion for a commission of inquiry into alleged irregularities in the post-war reconstruction was rejected by the Parliament on Thursday, the last day before its summer recess.

Zagreb - The law on the civilian Homeland War victims was passed on Thursday by 107 to 16 votes, with five members of the Croatian Parliament abstaining from the vote.

Zagreb - The parliamentary Committee on the Constitution, Rules of Procedure, and Political System has unanimously decided on the distribution of funds for the work of political parties and independent MPs from 1 July to 31 December, allocating HRK 31 million for this purpose.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said at Dubrovnik Forum on Saturday that the pandemic would "change lives permanently" and there would be no going back to the way of life before the pandemic, while cooperation, solidarity, and unity were needed more than ever.

Zagreb - Health Minister Vili Beroš told the national parliament on Wednesday that he was satisfied with how the government and competent authorities had dealt with the coronavirus epidemic from mid-January to the end of May 2020.

Zagreb - Draft amendments to pension insurance legislation, whereby recipients of family pensions will be allowed to work part-time and continue receiving a full family pension, will be on parliament's agenda this week.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković greeted Croatian citizens in the country and abroad on the occasion of Independence Day, calling on lawmakers to turn to topics of the future and challenges of the modern era. 

Zagreb - The COVID-19 epidemic has affected especially hard the lives of persons with disabilities and children with developmental difficulties and their families, the Ombudswoman for persons with disabilities, Anka Slonjšak, said in parliament on Friday, presenting a report on her work in 2020.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Tuesday congratulated all Croatian citizens on Antifascist Struggle Day, saying the values of antifascism were built into the foundations of independent and sovereign Croatia.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament on Friday amended the state budget for this year, under which revenues would increase by HRK 3 billion to 150.3 billion and expenditures by HRK 9.4 billion to 167.4 billion, while the general government deficit would grow from the initially planned 2.9% to 3.8% of GDP.

Zagreb - The new law on the electricity market "absolutely" stimulates solar power for households, state secretary in the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Energy Ivo Milatić said on Wednesday, presenting the bill in Parliament.

Zagreb - Finance Minister Zdravko Marić reiterated on Wednesday that the budget revision was not primarily related to COVID-19 but to the problems in healthcare and settling debts to drug wholesalers after all the legal possibilities of resolving that through budget reallocation had been exhausted. Hence the major part of the proposed increase in expenditure will go to the health sector, with an additional HRK 2.8 billion secured for that, Marić said in Parliament.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament on Wednesday adopted several decisions on appointments and replacements, including for Hina's Steering Council. The parliament appointed and relieved four of the five members of Hina's Steering Council of their duties.