Croatia

A law that will grant benefits to civilian victims of the 1991-95 war was adopted by Croatian MPs on Thursday with 107 votes in favour, 16 against and five abstentions.

It was passed after heated discussions in parliament about whether the law would also give benefits to people who were part of 'enemy' Serb forces during the war.

The retrial of former general Branimir Glavas and other defendants for war crimes in the Croatian eastern city of Osijek in 1991 opened at Zagreb County Court on Monday.

At Monday's hearing, Glavas's defence requested that the trial be transferred from Zagreb to the Osijek County Court.

Zagreb – The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) has given Slovenia’s energy company Petrol a green light on the takeover of Croatian petroleum products seller Crodux as well as authorised the Iskra electronics group to acquire Croatian electric cable manufacturer Elka.

Almost half of high-school students that will soon be eligible to vote don't know the definition of dictatorship or constitution, and less than half can correctly name the prime minister, who constitutes the opposition or how ministers in the government are chosen.

In a new anti-corruption action that started with arrests on Wednesday, Croatian police and anti-corruption investigators have launched an investigation into associates of former Zagreb mayor Milan Bandic, including the director of Croatian Radiotelevision, HTV, Kazimir Bacic.

Ljubljana – The government has changed the list of countries and territories placed in the red zone in terms of the Covid-19 epidemic to exclude, among others, the Croatian Adriatic area, Germany and the Czech Republic. The relevant decree adopted on Thursday will enter into force on Saturday and be valid until 20 June

Zoran Milanovic said on Monday that his decision to return state honours to Branimir Glavas was legally sound, even though he is on trial for alleged war crimes.

"Glavas asked for this, he sent a request, because he has been formally unconvinced for five years. If he had not asked me, I wouldn't have interfered," Milanovic told media.

Croatia will procure 12 used French F3R Rafale fighter jets to modernise the country's airforce, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic announced on Friday.

"This is the largest investment in the Croatian Armed Forces, the largest investment in ensuring lasting peace and the security of Croatian citizens," the Prime Minister said referencing the price of 999 million euros.

A collection of portraits of migrants and refugees who lost their lives on the so-called Balkan Route to Western Europe has opened in the Living Atelier DK gallery in Croatia's capital Zagreb.

Green-Left Trend?

Croatian leader of 'Mozemo' Party Tomislav Tomasevic casts his ballot at a polling station in downtown Zagreb, Croatia. Photo: EPA-EFE/ANTONIO BAT