PRESS RELEASE - Rijeka, April 9, 2023 - The upgraded version of the most luxurious expedition cruiser in the world is the second ship in Scenic's fleet built in Croatia, and good cooperation with the Rijeka shipyard paves the way for future projects.

After the launch in June of last year, and almost eight months of intensive work in Rijeka at the May 3 shipyard, the new explorer cruiser Scenic Eclipse II set sail from the Rijeka shipyard on its first voyage. The newest ship in the fleet of the world's leading company for luxury cruises, Scenic Group, which has been engaged in shipbuilding since 2007, was completely built in Croatia, and at May 3rd, it was the first new construction after a long four-year break. The management of the construction of this luxury cruiser was led by the domestic company MKM Yachts, which is part of the Scenic group. The ceremony on the occasion of the cruise ship's departure from the shipyard for its first voyage, held in the theater of the ship itself, was attended by Scenic's owner, Australian businessman Glen Moroney, Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia Andrej Plenković, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Davor Filipović, and other distinguished guests and business partners. 

"Today we celebrate not only the launch of a new luxury research cruiser, but also the persistence and collective effort that has brought us here today, where Eclipse II has been built from scratch. This project once again confirmed for us an important lesson that we have learned through the years of working in Croatia, namely that Croatia has a valuable, extremely high-quality engineering staff, as well as hardworking and skilled shipbuilders. When you combine that with the great project management by the MKM Yachts team, you get an outstanding result like this. I can proudly say that we have found great partners in Croatia, primarily in the 3. May shipyard, to whom I hereby thank for their excellent cooperation, and in the Government of the Republic of Croatia, which provided all the prerequisites for this project to come true, and whose support we count on in the future as well so that, as before, we would find quality and sustainable solutions for the realization of future projects", said Glen Moroney, owner of Scenic.

"Trust is the word that adorned the relationship between the Government and Scenic, as well as the Government and May 3, and opened the way for the effective and systematic implementation of the project three months ahead of schedule, and within the budget, which is a unique case. The entrepreneurial spirit and vision that Mr. Moroney brought first to the Uljanik shipyard in Pula, and now here on May 3, created another pearl of Croatian shipbuilding and made a huge contribution to Croatian industry, as well as to the numerous workers and subcontractors who contributed their knowledge. and his work in Eclipse II. I am here in Rijeka today with a sense of pride, convinced that our cooperation will continue, and that in the future, we will build new fascinating ships that will be a kind of heritage of Croatian shipbuilding", said the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Andrej Plenković, and congratulated everyone on a successful project.

Scenic Eclipse II was completed in less than three years since the cutting of the first sheets for the hull of the new construction began on May 3, 2020, and what sets this project apart is the fact that the ship was completed and ready to sail even three months ahead of schedule. Another specific feature of the project to build a highly sophisticated expedition ship is the model of contracted cooperation with the Rijeka shipyard, according to which MKM Yachts took part of the subconcession on May 3, and there, using the existing infrastructure and expertise of local shipbuilders in synergy with Scenic's team, built one of the technological of the most advanced research passenger ships in the world.

The 3rd of May workers and subcontractors participated in the construction of the hull and partial fitting out of the luxury ship, and MKM Yachts also cooperated with numerous Croatian companies for procurement purposes, which resulted in a total value of 170 million euros, with the share of domestic labor and materials amounting to as much as 45 percent of the ship's value, and that the new research cruiser can be called a top Croatian product.

Scenic Eclipse II is the second explorer cruiser in Scenic's fleet built in Croatia, and with the same length of 168 meters and width of 21.5 meters as its predecessor, declared the most luxurious polar cruiser in the world, its appearance resembles a luxury megayacht. 114 designer cabins can accommodate up to 228 passengers, with as many as 200 crew members at their disposal, and in addition to improved design and finesse in luxury equipment, it also differs from its predecessor in additional content, which includes an additional outdoor pool, nine restaurants, two custom-made built submarines that can dive up to 300 meters, and two helicopters. Eclipse II, like its predecessor, thanks to innovative technology, is strengthened for navigation in all seas, including those frozen around the North and South Poles.

April 9, 2023 - Dalmatia is changing slowly - a rather unexpected upgrade in technology on the Jadrolinija ferries.

April in Dalmatia, and Easter on Hvar are among the two greatest joys this wonderful country offers, especially with the weather as exceptional lifestyle. 

Having lived in Dalmatian exile in Varazdin and Zagreb for almost 7 years now, each visit to Dalmatia out of season evokes memories of an extremely happy, and VERY relaxed, way of life. 

But a little incident on the ferry from Split to Stari Grad this week made my wonder if the unthinkable is true - Dalmatia is changing. 

A little background for those not so familiar with the way of life here. The Dalmatian words of 'laganini', 'fjaka', and 'pomalo' epitomise the way of life here. Nothing is to be hurried, and things function without paying too much attention to official detail. 

This was especially true when it came to Jadrolinija ferries, especially if you were a local. Although I always bought a ticket at the correct price, there were occasions when I was literally running to the ferry or catamaran as the doors were closing - there had not been enough time to buy a ticket. It was never a problem. I simply gave the cash to the Jadrolinija staff member, along with something for a coffee for him. Whether or not the cash went into the till was uncertain, but I was happy to have made the ferry and to have paid my way. Unlike one Split builder I knew, who used to come on once a week with a truck full of materials, slip the man 20 kuna and get on virtually for free.

Such is the way of life in Dalmatia, and in other parts of the Mediterranean. 

Chilled. 

But Dalmatia is changing. 

The annual Easter trip to Hvar was made a little more complicated due to the poor recent weather (hard to believe, looking out at the gorgeous Hvar skies right now). 

Easter on Hvar is a special time, especially for families from Jelsa, with the UNESCO Za Krizen procession, which takes place through the night of Maundy Thursday, starting at 10pm. With the uncertainty of the catamaran, the only sure bet to get to the island was the 14:30 ferry from Split to Stari Grad, which takes two hours. My daughter was a little nervous that we might miss the ferry, so asked if we could leave very early in case there was traffic, or the motorway was closed at Sveti Rok due to the bura wind.

I did as she asked, and we were on the road from Zagreb at 07:15, driving in glorious weather along an empty motorway, arriving at the ferry terminal at 11:15, more than 3 hours before departure. There were only 6 cars in front of us. When I last lived on the island, the car loading was strictly on a first-come, first-served basis. I was pleased with myself. My daughter was pleased, and we also had 3 hours to walk around Split where I could introduce the kids to the joys of Tri Volta, the Discover Croatia shop and my Romanian friends at Break Time. 

Did I mention that Dalmatia is changing? I went to buy the tickets and was shocked to be told that while the kids could get on as foot passengers, I would have to wait for the 20:30 crossing (too late for the procession) to get to the island - the ferry was completely sold out! 

Unbelievable. Apparently, a couple of years ago, the way of selling tickets changed. No longer first-come, first-served, but now you can book online and reserve your spot. I was told that if I explained I was on the 20:30, I could wait in front of the ferry. Usually, several people bought tickets but never showed up, or were delayed on the motorway and would take the later ferry. As I was 7th in the queue, I would almost certainly get on. But I would have to wait until the last minute to find out, meaning I could not plan the day's events. 

But this is Dalmatia, everything is chilled, I thought to myself. I knew that I would be first in the reserve queue, but this laganini lifestyle meant that I should have no problem getting onto the ferry. We returned to the ferry at 14:00 as instructed, and I showed the tickets to the guy checking and collecting, the 14:30 passenger tickets on top. And, as I inspected, a cursory check and we were waved on. We had done it, the kids were ecstatic, and so was I.

And then...

Something rather remarkable happened. As I was being guided close to the car in front on the ferry, it seemed there was a problem. The ferry guy had some kind of gadget in his hand. which told him that there was a problem with my vehicle being on the 14:30 crossing. He asked for my ticket and told me I had to get off this ferry as I was booked on the later one. Holding my hands up to the error, I immediately did as he said, waited second in the reserve line for a nerve-wracking 45 minutes (the ferry left late), before being allowed on - some 20 cars who had reserved tickets had not turned up. 

I felt pleased that such a level of control has come to the service, along with a twinge of sadness that a tiny slice of the old Dalmatian ways is disappearing. But I wonder how this is going to work in the season in the heat, when a tourist who gets on with a later ticket will try and argue his case to be allowed to remain. Loading the ferries in peak season is stressful enough. 

Any stressful thoughts soon disappeared on top deck, however, taking in the magical sea air on a perfect Dalmatian afternoon. 

Dalmatia in April, why aren't you here? 

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What is it like to live in Croatia? An expat for 20 years, you can follow my series, 20 Ways Croatia Changed Me in 20 Years, starting at the beginning - Business and Dalmatia.

Follow Paul Bradbury on LinkedIn.

Croatia, a Survival Kit for Foreigners is now available on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.

April 9, 2023 - Where will you vacation this summer? Take a tour of the spectacular Dalmatian capital of Split, through the eyes of new luxuy Hotel Ambasador.

Having lived in Croatia for over 20 years, the majority in Dalmatia, I can honestly not remember Split looking as clean or as beautiful.

New measures from the current mayor, Ivica Puljak, have had a big effect already, and the area by the ferry terminal in particular is now unrecognisable.

But in addition to a much cleaner city, there have been many other improvements too, including the addition of the first luxury waterfront 5-star hotel in the Dalmatian capital. And the location of Hotel Ambasador, which opened last October, is truly 7-star - a short walk from both the marina and the historic Diocletian's Palace. Sleep with the curtains and watch the colours of the palace change through the night. Truly magical.

American digital nomad Steve Tsentserensky captured the magic of Split and Hotel Ambasador shortly after it opened. Check out a view of Split and the new hotel through his lens in this gorgeous video. You can learn more about the hotel on the official website - https://ambasadorsplit.com/

April 9, 2023 - Looking for a job in Croatia? A new weekly feature on TCN, in partnership with leading job site agency, Posao.hr, who present a selection of weekly job listings.

How hard is it to find a job in Croatia, and what is on offer?

We spoke to Ines Bokan, director of leading jobs site Posao.hr, who kindly took the time for this excellent interview overview.  

This week's top 10 jobs from Posao.hr:

E.G.O. Elektro-komponente d.o.o. is hiring a person in the position of Junior IT Developer (m/f). Place of work Zagreb. We offer on-the-job training with targeted training and mentor support. Send complete applications via link by April 15th.

Ziegler d.o.o., Kutina is hiring a person in the position of Program engineer - electrical engineer (m/f). Place of work Kutina and Zagreb. The possibility of constant improvement and advancement. Send complete applications via link by May 5th.

Manpower is hiring a Key Account Manager - IT (m/f). Place of work Zagreb. We offer attractive salaries and numerous benefits: company car, bonuses, Pet-Friendly office, flexible working hours, work from home, etc. Send complete applications via link by April 17th.

Austrian Business Agency GmbH / Work in Austria is hiring a person in the position IT employee (m/f). Place of work Austria. Send complete applications via link by April 25th.

Bridge Personal & Service d.o.o. is hiring a person in the position of Software development / Software developer (m/f). The place of work is the whole of Austria. Send complete applications via link by April 30th

Jet2.com Limited is hiring a person in the position of Customer Service Agent (m/f). Place of work Dubrovnik. They offer a competitive salary as well as fully paid training and progression opportunities, along with one-to-ones and coaching. Send complete applications via link by April 12th.

Strabag BRVZ d.o.o. is hiring a person in the position of Senior Backend Developer (m/f/d) in Zagreb. If you are interested in a job, apply by April 12th via link.

AGV Group Malta is looking for a Nurse (m/f) and a Personal assistant (m/f) in Malta. Candidate must have good knowledge of the Italian language. Apply by April 21st via link.

CCPORTER Sp. z o.o. is hiring a person in the position of Sales Trainer with Croatian and English (m/f) for work from home. They offer attractive remuneration and an opportunity to develop coaching skills. If you are interested in a job, apply by April 21st via link.

For more career options and job listings, visit posao.hr.

These weekly job listings will appear in the weekly TCN newsletter - you can subscribe here.

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What is it like to live in Croatia? An expat for 20 years, you can follow my series, 20 Ways Croatia Changed Me in 20 Years, starting at the beginning - Business and Dalmatia.

Follow Paul Bradbury on LinkedIn.

Croatia, a Survival Kit for Foreigners is now available on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.

April the 8th, 2023 - Yet more new Croatian fuel prices are set to come into force in petrol stations across the country this Tuesday. Here are the new costs for diesel, petrol and more.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, at a recently held government session, during which revised Croatian fuel prices were discussed, the Decree on determining the highest retail prices of oil derivatives was adopted, according to which the highest retail prices will be calculated according to the formula according to the basic price of fossil fuel in the previous fourteen-day period.

The regulation enters into force on April the 11th, 2023, and this regime will be valid for the next fourteen day period. Petrol will increase in price by 4 cents per litre from Tuesday onwards, and diesel will be cheaper by one cent.

The new Croatian fuel prices as of tuesday will be as follows:

· 1.43 EUR/l (10.77 HRK/l) for petrol (an increase of 0.04 EUR/l)
· 1.33 EUR/l (10.02 HRK/l) for diesel fuel (a reduction of 0.01 EUR/l)
· 0.83 EUR/l (6.25 HRK/l) for blue diesel (a reduction of 0.01 EUR/l)
· 1.30 EUR/kg (9.79 HRK/kg) LPG for tanks (an increase 0.01 EUR/kg)
· 1.86 EUR/kg (14.01 HRK/kg) LPG for bottles (an increase 0.01 EUR/kg).

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated news section.

April the 8th, 2023 - The new Croatian road toll system is set to function somewhat differently to what we're used to, and a tender for a contractor has now been announced.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, with the new Croatian road toll system, tolls will be charged depending on the distance a particular vehicle has travelled, and on the basis of specific groups of vehicles. At each location along the motorway where vehicles need to be recognised - at toll booths both on and off the motorway - there will be a portal with built-in DSRC readers, which will enable communication with the ENC devices installed in the vehicles.

The portals will also have cameras placed at the toll booths to detect the passage of vehicles, writes Vecernji list.

Croatian Motorways (HAC) announced a public tender very recently for the selection of a contractor for the country's new electronic toll collection system, with the estimated value of the procurement of the new system amounting to an enormous 100 million euros.

"The estimated value of the purchase of the new toll collection system on the motorways under the management of Hrvatske Autoceste/Croatian Motorways, Bina Istra and Autocesta/Motorway Zagreb-Macelj amounts to 100 million euros in total,'' it was pointed out in the announcement made by HAC.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated news section.

April the 8th, 2023 - Someone making the decision to steal a tram, take it for a joyride of sorts around town, abandon it at a certain area and then go home, isn't something you hear of on a daily basis. But who could be the one who has committed this rather strange Zagreb crime?

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, ''the other night just before 23:00, an unknown perpetrator stole a low-floor ZET tram that was prepared to be used as normal and drove it east to Tratinska Street, where they then left the vehicle and went off in an unknown direction.

The ZET traffic control and management centre, in accordance with the provided protocol, sent traffic control out into the field immediately after learning about it, and the police were also called, who found the abandoned tram at Tratinska 65. There were no passengers on the tram during the incident, and no one was injured, nor was the vehicle damaged during the incident. The police investigation into this is currently ongoing, and the video surveillance footage from the vehicle has been seized in order to attempt to find the perpetrator,'' ZET confirmed for Index when asked about this odd (and rather amusing) Zagreb crime.

"ZET promptly launched an internal investigation to determine what happened and who is responsible for this failure, so that it does not happen again," they added.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated news section.

April the 7th, 2023 - This week in Croatian politics, we've seen ex Prime Minister but current prison inmate Ivo Sanader's art collection begin being sold off, Plenkovic has been accused of encroaching on peoples' rights by a law expert, another HDZ official has been accused of inappropriate behaviour, and more. Happy Easter!

Former PM Ivo Sanader's art collections are being sold off

Ivo Sanader is arguably HDZ's most infamous criminal of all, currently serving his sentence in Remetinec prison for corruption. His art collection is now being sold off. 

As Index reports, the state confiscated art works belonging to former PM Ivo Sanader and will put many of them up for public auction to be sold off. Although the former prime minister once claimed that he had works of art worth 1.5 million kuna in his collection, it's now clear that their value is actuallty much higher. Among the paintings that will be auctioned off are five works by no less than Vlaho Bukovac.

However, the road to the public auction was arduous. Back at the end of December 2010, investigators spent a massive sixteen hours cataloging all of his works of art. Taking them out around midnight was not an easy task at all, but there were no Bukovac paintings among the seized materials back then, so a month later, the police issued a warrant for them. They were removed after twelve years.

Five paintings by that famous painter are being kept in the Museum of Contemporary Art. As Dnevnik Nova TV writes, appraisers assessed a total of twelve works of art by Ivo Sanader at a total value of more than 240,000 euros. The state is demanding slightly more than 11 million euros from ex PM Sanader. What will happen to Bukovac's works is also being closely monitored in the painter's birthplace (his former home) down in Konavle, in the extreme south of Dalmatia, which has been converted into an art gallery.

"Until now, we've witnessed a large number of auctions where various Bukovac works were sold off, including very important examples, and, unfortunately, we can't obtain such material," said Antonika Ruskovic Radonic, the director of the Public Institution for culture, museums and galleries in Konavle. In the opinion of many people, it's somewhat absurd that now, when the state finally has the paintings of the most valued Croatian painter in its possession, it's selling that material off.

"For the Bukovac house, those works would be exceptional because that represents the beginning for everyone who researches Bukovac, his life and his work. It's the first place you come to because of its archive and the valuable materials kept here," said Ruskovic Radonic. However, not all of them are available to the public because many of Bukovac's works are privately owned. They can be purchased from private collectors.

Euronews claims certain Croatian MEPs have been downplaying crimes committed during Croatia's time as an Axis country and beyond

Croatia, then the Independent State of Croatia (Nezavisna drzava hrvatska/NDH), was aligned with the Germans (perhaps better to say with the array of Axis states) during the second world war. The government back during those days was led by Dr. Ante Pavelic, and numerous crimes were committed in Croatia much like they were across the majority of Europe in that dark period of history. Euronews has accused Croatian MEPs of downplaying Croatian crimes committed between 1941 and 1945, and beyond it.

Recently, Croatian representatives in the European Parliament in Brussels organised events where, it seems to some, they dragged up controversial issues related to terrorism and Nazi collaborators from a certain period of Croatian history that nobody really likes to talk about.

Zeljana Zovko, representative of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), attended a seminar last week as part of a series of events of the European People's Party group in the European Parliament, according to Euronews. According to the panel's premise, they focused on the terrifying secret services of former communist nations, because "the totalitarian regimes of the past may no longer exist, but their secret services and networks live on," Zovko said.

As Index reports, Zdravka Busic, a member of the Croatian National Resistance or Otpor back during the 1970s, gave a presentation at the event. Many consider Otpor to be a ''far-right organisation responsible for several terrorist attacks around the world.'' Of course, things run a little deeper and are more complex than that, as with all things Croatian, but I digress.

"I'm sure that Zdravka Busic will contribute significantly to this seminar with her deep knowledge and personal experience on this issue," continued Zovko.

Back in September 1976, Zdravka's brother Zvonko Busic participated in the hijacking of a Trans World Airlines plane flying from New York to Chicago and planted a bomb at Grand Central Station in New York, demanding that an appeal for Croatian independence be published in a leading American newspaper. The plane was diverted to Montreal and then to Newfoundland, where 35 passengers were released. After negotiations with the American ambassador in Paris, the hijackers surrendered.

One New York policeman was killed while dismantling the bomb, and the perpetrators were convicted of air piracy. This leads some to the question of: just why did Zdravka Busic feel the need to speak about these topics in the European Parliament? The panel appealed for the opening of state archives of the former communist secret services, "so that they can be fully investigated and deal with the existing structures from the communist era and their crimes". This is a request that has been being revisited and reopened for many years now.

Zdravka Busic and her brother were rehabilitated after the breakup of Yugoslavia and the declaration of Croatia's independence. She was a member of the Croatian Parliament and a member of the European Parliament after Croatia joined the EU in 2013. In her presentation, Busic focused on the actions of Yugoslavia's state security, or UDBA, which she accused of committing heinous crimes, including imprisoning, torturing and killing those deemed to be participating in "hostile activities against the state."

"Many individuals from the young Croatian generation believed that the creation of an independent and democratic state of Croatia was of crucial importance," Busic explained at the meeting.

Busic did not directly address - or even mention - the activities in which she, her brother and husband were convicted, although she expressed several views on the activities of Croatian emigrant communities or the diaspora, according to a recording of the panel obtained by Euronews. Why are communist crimes being talked about today, you might ask? Zdravka Busic insisted that "the biological descendants and ideological followers of communists have great power even now in the modern age" and that communist ideology left a "clear mark of contamination" on all of Croatian society. Most with any knowledge of the period wouldn't disagree, and although the topic of the discussion might seem reasonable at first glance, Busic and other speakers failed to mention the fact that the conversation about communist crimes is still a platform for gathering the far right, ultra-nationalists and Nazi apologists who promote ideas that promote discrimination even today.

These topics are meant to stoke fears and justify their beliefs, believes Michael Colborne, a journalist and researcher at Bellingcat who has covered Croatia and the Balkans extensively.

Former HDZ Parliamentarian is going to court for allegedly threatening a journalist

The county court in Split has now confirmed the legality of the indictment against the long-time mayor of Seget Municipality and former HDZ MP, Vinko Zulim, who is being charged with threats against Slobodna Dalmacija journalist Vinko Vukovic.

The prosecution, without specifying any of the actual identities of the individuals involved, reported that the court had accepted the state attorney's appeal against the earlier decision of the indictment panel of the Split Municipal Court against Zulim, with the explanation that the words uttered were not specified and that the factual description of the indictment didn't represent a serious threat. It was also said that ''there was no intention [that could be taken from his words] of frightening or disturbing Vukovic.

According to the opinion of the indictment panel of the first-instance court, it's an inappropriate and offensive form of communication, and not a serious and specific threat, as was added by the prosecutor's office.

Zulim told the journalist that he knew who he was and where he lived, which I'm not sure could be taken in any other manner than a threatening one. The High Court, the prosecution added, in the explanation of the ruling on the merits of the indictment stated that the indictment contains everything necessary to be able to act on it, including the content of the words which the state attorney considers to be the legal features of the criminal act of threat.

At the same time, the court states that the state attorney correctly indicates in his appeal that the words spoken by the defendant should be viewed in the context of the entire event and that all the words spoken indicate the existence of well-founded suspicion of the alleged criminal act. The prosecution accuses Zulim that during a telephone conversation on January the 20th last year, when outraged by a question about his son's employment in the Seget Municipality, he first used insults in raised tones of voice, and then made a serious threat, which caused the journalist a feeling of anxiety and fear for the safety of himself and his family.

According to the indictment, Vukovic called Zulim to ask him if an individual called ''M. Z.'', whom he states is employed by the Seget Municipality, is in actual fact his son. At that, Zulim burst into anger and told Vukovic that he knew who he was and where he lived, and that he had two little girls. He insulted him and mentioned the possibility of coming to Vukovic's residential address. When the journalist asked what he would do if he came, Zulim told him that he would kiss him on the forehead, according to the indictment.

This particular indictment against Zulim came to the attention of the authorities last summer, and in the autumn of 2022, USKOK also came to suspect him of unjustifiably spending municipal money on the national team in both 2017 and 2018. He was accused of ordering that the municipality of Seget Donji, while he was at its head, issue purchase orders for the consumption of food and drinks from private gatherings in various catering and hospitality facilities, which he gave the green light with his signature, and although there was no basis for this, he ordered such services to be paid for by the municipality.

Based on the purchase orders issued in this way and Zulim's verbal orders, the catering and hospitality facilities issued invoices to the municipality for the services provided. At the same time, according to USKOK, he allegedly wrote explanations for such gatherings with his own hand, claiming that members of various commissions, associations and representatives of state institutions were hosted, when in actual fact they were members of HDZ as the municipal ruling party, as well as individual municipal employees.

Ivan Rimac, a Professor of Law has stated that PM Andrej Plenkovic is ''directly encroaching upon peoples' rights''

Ivan Rimac, a professor from the Faculty of Law in Zagreb, analysed the Sortirnica and Agrokor affairs and other current topics from the sphere of justice and legislation on N1 television. Referring to the Sortirnica affair, i.e. the new action of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) in which five people were arrested because of the waste sorting plant in Rijeka, Rimac said that all HDZ members probably now feel relieved because they can point the finger at someone else after a lot of fingers having been pointed at them by others.

"Plenkovic directly encroaches on the peoples' rights,'' Rimac believes. When asked if he expected the announcements of changes to the CPC to stop data leakage to be followed through, Rimac said the following:

"The solution offered by Plenkovic is a direct encroachment on peoples' right to be informed about what state services do and how state money is spent. The introduction of such an institute, especially with the slowness of our judicial system, means a practical embargo on the publication of any information about the actions taken by government officials. It is the same as having a censorship of the press. I see nothing further than that that could go in favour of such proposals. I believe that it would be good for judicial processes to make decisions with calm heads, but the public has the right to know what goes on in this regard.''

For more on Croatian politics, make sure to check out our dedicated section and keep your eyes peeled for our Week in Croatian Politics articles which are published every Friday.