Unannounced meeting of HDZ leadership, government coalition is strong
On Tuesday afternoon some of the leading politicians from governing party HDZ came to party headquarters and held an unannounced meeting. The only information was unofficial: that the current political situation was being discussed and that it was an informal meeting, wrote Jutarnji list. N1 television broadcasted that after the meeting, Prime Minister and HDZ President Andrej Plenković said he expected Milorad Pupovac (coalition partner, leader of Serb minority) not to contribute to the polarization of society.
Dnevnik.hr had more: "We expect the police to investigate recent attacks on members of the Serb national minority and to prosecute them. We have clearly condemned those crimes," Prime Minister Plenković said after the meeting. "We find inappropriate and inadmissible statements by our partner (Pupovac) suggesting that Croatia is a factor of instability, that Croatia is compared to the NDH. With regard to our further activities, we want the parties that promote polarization to be clearly identified. It's certainly not the HDZ. It is not our policy, and we do not agree with such parties. We are against all exclusivity. We expect Pupovac not to contribute to the polarization of society. I want the negative spiral to stop. We did not discuss the possibility of a coalition being terminated”, Plenković said.
The Croatian government on Tuesday morning issued a press release saying that “Comparing contemporary Croatia to NDH inappropriate and unacceptable”.
This meeting can be connected with information that veteran associations will give their statements on Wednesday. Veteran minister Tomo Medved was on the meeting and it is possible that he was last night on the mission to pacify veterans.
Referring to this subject, Večernji list in its today’s print edition has words of Antun Škvorčević, bishop of Požega (in Slavonia), who on Sunday said: “I condemn the violence committed by certain persons against Serbs in Knin, Đevraske, Viškovo and some other places in our Croatian homeland these days, and I express my sympathy for the victims. It is unacceptable to turn Croatianhood into an ideology for hatred and violence”.
Unmanned aerial vehicle for Croatian Army
The unmanned aerial vehicle "Orbiter 3" has increased the capabilities of the Croatian Army (HV) in the field of aerial data collection. Its importance for the homeland security system and its role in the fire season were shown on Tuesday at the Airport in Sinj. "It is a dual-use system which means that it is used for both military and civilian purposes. This system dramatically increased the capabilities of the HV in the field of aerial intelligence gathering," HV informed.
Zero-interest on € treasury bills
The Ministry of Finance on Tuesday auctioned 81 million kunas and €32 million worth of treasury bills, less than planned, with the euro issuing for the first time at a negative interest rate: 0,05 minus. Zdravko Marić, Minister of Finance, welcomed that auction. More on novac.hr.
A new crisis in Fortenova Group
The Suppliers Association of the Fortnenova Group (formerly Agrokor) decided at a meeting on Tuesday that it would attempt to legally overturn a €1.2 billion roll-up loan refinancing. It would happen if the management of Fortenova realises its notifications that rights of suppliers, guaranteed by creditors settlement, will be diminished. More in jutarnji.hr. Večernji list in its today’s print edition has information that Polyus Gold, a Russian company with second reserves of gold in the world, had a meeting in Fortenova Group. And that they can be interested in Mercator, the biggest Slovenian retail chain. Fortneova Group asked for the permission of EC to acquire Mercator.
A new block in Krško Nuclear Power Plant
Jutarnji list in today’s print edition has a story about a new block in Krško Nuclear Power Plant (NEK). Euractiv.hr published a story about it in Capitals. Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Šarec said Slovenia should plan to build another block of NEK that irritated neighbouring Austria. Croatia is a co-owner of NEK and it supplies 16% of Croatia’s electricity needs. Slovenia is more dependent on NEK which supplies 40% of electricity needs. NEK can work until 2043. Most of experts Jutarnji interviewed think that Croatia should stay in NEK as a partner because we import 41% of our electricity.