Zoran Milanović

In a widely expected outcome, Croatia's ruling conservative party, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), emerged victorious in the parliamentary elections. However, as forecasted by pre-election polls, the HDZ falls short of securing enough seats in the Assembly to form a government independently, setting the stage for challenging negotiations with populist factions.

The arrest of 95 Croatian soccer fans in connection with the violent incidents and the death of Michalis Katsouris outside the AEK stadium in Athens on August 7 has tested relations between the two countries, but "Croatia trusts the Greek justice system," according to the country's ambassador to Greece, Aleksandar Sunko.

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic has been criticised for banning the daily Jutarnji list on Tuesday without any explanation from his press conference.

Hanza Media is the owner of several Croatian daily and weekly newspapers, including Jutarnji list, Slobodna Dalmacija and many others, which Milanovic has called "a cartel".

Defence ministers of NATO states met on Thursday in Brussels with representatives of 25 companies from the defence industry, including Croatia's Djuro Djakovic, with whom they discussed strengthening military aid to Ukraine.

"As the president of Croatia also said - each EU member state has its own historical path. And this is the richness of the EU - that we have different historical roots, we have different national ideas, we have a different path until we reach the EU.

Croatia's prime minister says he sees no prospect of cooperation with the country's president. The president says the PM has not shown "even the slightest interest" in resolving a raft of issues where their jurisdictions overlap.

That Andrej Plenkovic, the premier, and Zoran Milanovic, the president, do not see eye to eye has long been apparent.

Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar and her Croatian counterpart Zoran Milanović affirmed the two countries' commitment to the Brdo-Brijuni process and an expansion of the issues it covers as Pirc Musar travelled to Zagreb for her first visit abroad on 1 February.

Ljubljana – Slovenian President Borut Pahor will host the leaders of the Brdo-Brijuni initiative of regional cooperation for a summit at Brdo estate on 12 September which is to call on the EU to step up enlargement to the Western Balkans.

Ljubljana/Zagreb – President Borut Pahor will be the guest of honour at the traditional Sinjska Alka equestrian competition in the Croatian town of Sinj this Sunday upon invitation of his Croatian counterpart Zoran Milanović. Pahor will be the first foreign statesman in this capacity at the tournament, the president’s office has announced.

Brijuni – The presidents of Slovenia, Croatia and Austria urged accelerating EU accession talks with Western Balkan countries and condemned the war in Ukraine, which they believe cannot be resolved diplomatically at the moment. At their annual meeting in Croatia, they also discussed NATO enlargement and Croatia’s eurozone and Schengen zone entry.