#CROATIA: New Coalition Govt Formed With Rightist Party

[world politics news]

Croatia’s parliament on has approved a new coalition government allying the ruling conservatives with a right-wing nationalist party.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković formed the new government with members of the nationalist anti-migrant Homeland Movement (DP) party following an inconclusive election last month.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#CROATIA: Parliament Dissolved Ahead of National Election

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 Croatia's parliament has been dissolved to pave the way for a parliamentary election later this year.

All 143 of a total of 151 lawmakers who were present at the session voted in favor of the move.

The date of the election is yet to be set. Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has suggested it should be held before the vote for the European Parliament, which will be held on June 6-9.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#CROATIA: EU Parliament Lets Croatia Into Travel Zone

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The European Parliament has cleared the way for the admission of Croatia to the bloc’s passport-free Schengen zone, leaving the final decision in the hands of the EU’s government leaders.

With a 534-53 majority, the parliament on Thursday voted in favor of lifting the remaining border controls between the Schengen area and Croatia.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#CROATIA: Parliament Approves Euro As Legal Tender

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The Croatian parliament has passed a law on the adoption of the Euro as legal tender, with 117 MPs voting in favor, 13 against and one abstaining.

MPs rejected amendments by the Bridge Party and the Green-Left Bloc. The euro is expected to be introduced on 1 January 2023.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#CROATIA: Senior Arrested After Threatening Prime Minister With Rotten Egg Attack Online

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A 72-year-old has been arrested for insulting Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, more precisely for saying that the Prime Minister should be hit with rotten eggs.

The insult happened on the eve of the Prime Minister's visit to Zadar County.

The senior, who was not thrilled with the impending arrival of the Prime Minister, took to the internet, writing, "He should be greeted with rotten eggs, him and his minions. No one has humiliated and betrayed Croats so much, the narcissist," the man wrote on Thursday. He was arrested the following day.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#CROATIA: Party Leader Faces Expulsion After "Flat-Earther" Insult Against The Unvaccinated

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The founder and president of the right leaning Croatian Sovereigntest Party, Hrvoje Zekanović, is facing expulsion from fellow members after ridiculing those who refuse to be vaccinated against coronavirus as anti-vaxxers and "flat earthers," in both speeches on the floor of Parliament and in media appearances.

The comments came after Zekanović, a member of Parliament since 2018, himself was vaccinated. He told media that he felt compelled to speak out after hearing so many of his colleagues speaking in parliament against vaccination.

MP Marijan Pavliček, who serves in Parliament with Zekanović, said his comments were unacceptable.

"We knew for months that he had a different opinion, we knew that he was vaccinated and it is up to each individual to decide for himself. We couldn’t forgive him for calling everyone who didn’t get vaccinated anti-vaxxers, responsible for people ending up on a respirator. 

"He exaggerated on one show, where he spun a globe and called people flat earthers. On a personal level, he insulted colleagues. This decision has nothing to do with his position on vaccination. He is neither the first nor the last to be vaccinated in the party. But ridiculing all colleagues is unacceptable."

[FULL STORY HERE]

 

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#CROATIA: Parliament Debates Copyright, Electronic Media Bill

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

Culture and Media Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek said the biggest contribution of the Copyright Bill was that it eliminated legal uncertainties concerning exceptions and restrictions.

It ensures a broader approach to protected content as well as equitable compensation for stakeholders in the digital environment.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#CROATIA: Italian EU Parliament Members Investigating Migrant Abuse Claims Stopped At Croatian Border

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Croatia’s Interior Minister, Davor Bozinovic, condemned a failed visit by a group of Italian European Parliament Members to the Croatia-Bosnia border as having “the obvious intention to damage Croatia’s reputation."

He spoke out after the MEPs and accompanied reporters tried to reach the Croatian border with Bosnia and Herzegovina to check allegations that Croatian police routinely mistreat migrants and refugees trying to enter the EU member state.

The delegation was thwarted in its mission by Croatian police officers.

“This is another in a series of provocations related to the actions of the Croatian police in fulfilling their tasks, and that is the protection of the state border,” Bozinovic told the media.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#CROATIA: Prime Minister Blames Political Opponents For Police Officer's Shooting

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Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Thursday that it should be looked into whether he personally was the target of Monday's attack on the government headquarters, criticising right-wing politicians and media for spreading hatred and aggression against him.

Speaking to Croatian reporters in Brussels ahead of a two-day EU summit, Plenkovic said that the attacker who shot and seriously wounded a police officer guarding the government building in St Mark's Square in Zagreb on Monday did not get this idea on his own, but was prompted by the atmosphere in society created by ?hatemongers."

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#CROATIA: Parliament Installs New PM, Andrej Plenkovic

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Croatia’s parliament on Thursday voted in a new government under former prime minister Andrej Plenkovic, president of the leading party, the Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ.

The new coalition government comprising the HDZ, two liberal formations, the Croatian People’s Party, HNS, and Reformists and all eight national minority MPs, obtained the support of 76 of the 151 MPs in parliament.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#CROATIA: Parliament Installs Prime Minister Elected Earlier This Month

[world politics news]

Croatia’s parliament has approved a new government led by a conservative party that won a parliamentary election earlier this month.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković's Christian Democratic Union Party government won support in the 151-member assembly in a 76-59 vote. The remaining lawmakers either weren’t there or didn’t vote.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#CROATIA: July 5th Election Will Go Ahead, Despite Surge In Covid-19 Cases

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Croatian Democratic Union Party president Andrej Plenkovic says that July 5 remains to be the date of the parliamentary election, despite a surge in Covid-19 cases in the country in recent weeks, and that wise and smart balancing was needed to do good for the economy and protect the public healthcare system.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#CROATIA: Leftist Candidate Defeats Conservative Incumbent President

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Zoran Milanović, the candidate for Croatia's Leftist Social Democratic Party, has won the country's presidential race, beating incumbent Croatian president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović on a run-off.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#CROATIA: Pres. Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic To Face Runoff

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Croatia's tight presidential race will go to a runoff vote in two weeks, after exit polls and initial returns indicated that none of the 11 candidates had won the office outright.

Left-wing politician Zoran Milanovic led the first round of voting with nearly 30% support. President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic had almost 27%, followed by nationalist singer Miroslav Skoro in third place with around 24%.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#POLAND: "Visegrad" Nations And Croatia Seek To Form Central European Army In 2019

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The Visegrad Four countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) will form a joint European army group that will become operational in the second half of 2019, Hungarian Defense Minister Tibor Benko told Hungarian media after a meeting with his V4 counterparts. Benko said the Hungarian government considers paramount the safety of Europe, a position shared by all the members of the Visegrád Group.

Benko also said Croatia - not a member of the group - has offered to join the initiative and the offer was accepted by the V4. Croatia will participate in this group with a dozen staff officers. The new military force comes at a time when Germany and France are speaking more strongly about creating an "EU army," something the more Euro-Skeptical and independence-minded Central European nations reject.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#CROATIA: Pres. Says "Europe Has Failed Miserably" Handling Migration Crisis

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In an interview with the Austrian newspaper Kleine Zeitung, Croatian Pres. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic admits that Europe "has failed miserably" in handling the vast numbers of migrants arriving within its borders in the past decade. She said that while "everyone in the world" has a right to seek asylum, she admits that "Europe can not bear the misery of the world... Europe's responsibility can not be exhausted in receiving and distributing a certain number of people." She said the problems causing the migration crisis are complex, and Europe, "must fight the causes of flight within our means. We have the tools for it. But Europe has failed miserably. We have turned our attention in the wrong direction, not the causes of the flight, but its consequences." (translated by Google Translate)

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#CROATIA: EU Press Freedom Team Make Return Visit Amid Concerns With Croatia's Media

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The issue of media freedom in Croatia has earned the EU’s newest member the dubious honour of being visited twice in as many years by a team of press freedom organisation representatives. Upon return, they said the situation has improved but serious concerns remain. The country has fallen ten places in the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index since joining the bloc in 2013 and it now ranks 74th on the list.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#CROATIA: Center-Right Gov't Survives No Confidence Vote Called Over Handling Bailout Of Retailer

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The center-right Croatian government has survived a no-confidence vote launched by the opposition over the cabinet's handling of the debt crisis at Agrokor, the country's largest private food and retail company. The vote early Saturday in the Croatian parliament was 78-59 in favor of the center-right government. The vote was triggered by the opposition, which claims the government bailout of the biggest retailer in the Balkans favored some creditors and lacked transparency.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#CROATIA: Ruling Conservatives Win Snap Election, But Not Decisively; Oppo. Ldr. Resigns

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The ruling conservative Croatian Democratic Union, or HDZ, won a snap parliamentary election Sunday, but unlikely by enough to form a government on its own. HDZ won 61 seats in the 151-member parliament, while left-leaning Peoples' Coalition won 54. The Bridge Party won 13 seats and may decide the winner. The Human Shield populist group won eight seats. Zoran Milanovic, whose Social Democrats - the main party in the Peoples' Coalition - were projected to win, said he'd resign.

#CROATIA: Parties Hope "Snap" Election This Weekend Breaks Governing Stalemate

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Croatia votes this weekend in an early general election – the second in less than a year as the EU’s newest country grapples with a political crisis that has revived divisions from the 1990s Balkan wars. Neither the right-wing Croatian Democratic Union, nor the People’s Coalition, led by the Social Democrats have been able to rule on their own.

Pictured: Andrej Plennkovic, Leader of the Croatian Democratic Union