Orsat Miljenic

Elections for a new head of Croatia's main centre-left opposition party, the Social Democratic Party, SDP, are vital no only for reviving the damaged image of the party but to restore some "balance" to Croatia's political scene, political analyst Davor Gjenero told BIRN.

Croatia's new law on bankruptcy came into force on Tuesday, sending 19,646 companies with 10,139 employees into bankruptcy.

The new law proscribes that all companies that have their assets blocked for over 120 days will automatically be pushed into declaring bankruptcy.

Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic on Wednesday said a number of Croatian citizens had joined the conflict in eastern Ukraine on the side of the government and against pro-Russian rebels.

"They are not joining paramilitary units; they strictly fight for the Ukrainian side, in the regular Ukrainian army," Pusic noted.

Croatia wants Serbia to process war crimes

Croatian officials said Zagreb will block Serbia's European integration unless Belgrade processes the war crimes committed on Croatian territory during the 1990s.

The release of war criminal Vojislav Seselj sparked tension between Croatia and Serbia. [AFP]

Croatia "to condition Serbia's EU talks with new trials"

BELGRADE -- It is not a good practice to set bilateral issues as a condition in the course of the EU negotiation talks, Jadranka Joksimović has said.

BELGRADE - It is not a good practice to set bilateral issues as a condition in the course of the EU negotiation talks, Serbian Minister without portfolio in charge of European integration Jadranka Joksimovic stated in reaction to the recent statement by Croatian Minister of Justice Orsat Miljenic, Belgrade media report.

Croatia’s Journalists’ Association, HND, has slated the country’s proposed new criminal code, which still defines embarrassment, or shaming, [sramocenje] as a criminal offence.

The HND says that amendments in the new code regarding the act of embarrassment are purely “cosmetic”, and do not help journalists – the main category of people affected by the offence.