Zagreb Mayor Reverses Deceased Predecessor’s ‘Populist’ Decisions

Tomislav Tomasevic, who has been in office as Zagreb's mayor since the beginning of June, announced fresh changes to the city's management on Tuesday, including abolishing free parking spaces in front of healthcare facilities.

He said that public company Zagrebparking had asked to suspend former mayor Milan Bandic's decision to make parking in front of all healthcare institutions in Zagreb free.

"I will accept this proposal because the epidemiological situation is currently favourable, and there is no pressure on these institutions," Tomasevic told a press conference.

He also announced that the fees for members of the governing boards of Zagreb schools and all administrative councils of city institutions will be reduced by 50 per cent.

Bandic died of a heart attack in February while campaigning for a seventh term as boss of the Croatian capital.

Widely viewed as a populist, Bandic had a colourful career that was marred by allegations of corruption. He was investigated several times, detained by police in 2014 and was acquitted of graft in 2018. He was still on trial in a second case when he died.

Last month, in a series of anti-corruption operations, Croatian police and anti-corruption investigators launched investigations into associates of Bandic. New mayor Tomasevic said at the time that the city authorities were ready to help investigate any suspicious deals.

At Zagreb's local elections on May 30, Tomasevic, who represents green-left party Mozemo! (We Can!), came out on top, winning the most votes in the history of mayoral races in the city. He is well-known for his activism and criticism of Zagreb's decay under Bandic's rule.

Shortly after taking office in June, Tomasevic stated that the situation in the...