WHAT'S IMPORTANT IN CROATIA? HDZ and SDP are very close in new polls

SDP is very close to HDZ

CRO Demoskop published its new polls on rtl.hr. HDZ is still the biggest party, but SDP is approaching and the difference is now on the level of statistical error. Both biggest parties are in a growing trend.

But, all polls in Croatia have a malware: they are made on basis that Croatia is one constituency. Croatia still has old (from 2000.) electoral law (Croatia is divided into 10 constituencies) that is not even more valid regarding the Constitutional obligations: the number of votes needed for entering Sabor (parliament) is lower is some constituencies than in other. Law is fixed and the demographic situation has changed. Political parties do not bother with that problem. And, with the help of that law, a lot of regional parties enters Sabor making it fragmented which opens door to them for requiring concessions and favours from the electoral winner. Here are the main results:

rtl.hr / rtl.hr

rtl.hr / rtl.hr

There is no definition of family, says the Family minister

Vesna Bedeković, new Croatian minister for Demographics, Family, Youth and Social Policy, in an interview (more on jutarnji.hr) said: “ There is no single definition of family. From a sociological point of view, the circle of persons considered family members has changed throughout history. Therefore, until now, the laws governing family relations have not defined the family”. Her Ministry is working on the new Family Law.

Let's look: “Family, a basic social group, related with a kinship, based on the marriage and cohabitation of a close circle of relatives, above all parents, who take care of and raise children (their own or adopted)”. Croatian Encyclopaedia

“Family, a group of persons united by the ties of marriage, blood, or adoption, constituting a single household and interacting with each other in their respective social positions, usually those of spouses, parents, children, and siblings. The family group should be distinguished from a household”. Britannica.com

Goran Mehkek / CROPIX

Vesna Bedeković, new Croatian minister for Demographics, Family, Youth and Social Policy (HDZ)

Porsche increases its stake in Rimac Automobili

The German carmaker Porsche has decided to boost its stake in the Rimac Automobili, company based in Sveta Nedjelja near the Zagreb, from 10% to 15.5%. Lutz Meschke, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board and Chief Financial Officer of Porsche AG was quoted as saying that "Porsche has accompanied Rimac in its positive development for a year. It quickly became clear to us that Porsche and Rimac could learn a lot from each other. We are convinced of Mate Rimac and his company, so now we have increased our stake and are expanding our cooperation in battery technology." "As Porsche increases the scale of its electrified model range, the partnership will call on Rimac’s expertise in vehicle electrification, including powertrains, batteries and other components related to electrification and autonomous driving," Rimac Automobili says on its website. Hina

Sandra Simunovic / CROPIX

Mate Rimac, owner of Rimac Automobili, with some of his products in his factory

The LNG terminal is a huge construction site

LNG Croatia on the island of Krk, one of the key capital projects in our country, is beginning to receive concrete outlines, writes novac.hr. It should be operational in 2012. Good news: The total value of the project is €233.6 million, which is one hundred million less than initially planned: European Commission is giving non-refundable €101,4 million and Croatian government €100 million and those funds are closing financial construction. The heart of the LNG terminal will be the FSRU ship, whose delivery is scheduled for October next year. The ship is being built in Shanghai at it will cost €159,6 million.

Unmanned aircraft system for safety and pollution

A system of unmanned aerial vehicles for safety and cleanliness inspections of the Adriatic Sea was presented at a ceremony at the airport on the island of Brač. Croatia has obtained state-of-the-art unmanned Schiebel Camcopter S-100 for Coast Guard functions. The Maritime Affairs and Transport Ministry's State Secretary Josip Bilaver said that Croatia was among the first European Union countries to use such remotely-piloted aircraft. The project is being implemented in cooperation with the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). Hina

7th World Literature Festival started in Zagreb and Split

The Fraktura publisher's 7th World Literature Festival is taking place in Zagreb on September 8-14 and in Split on September 9-10, bringing more than 100 foreign and domestic guests, including award-winning Spanish author Fernando Aramburu, who opened the event on Sunday evening.

This year's edition focuses on Spanish literature.

Guests include Jorge Bucay from Argentina, David Lagercrantz from Sweden, Paul Beatty from the US, Lyudmila Ulitskaya from Russia, Leila Slimani from France, Srđan Valjarević from Serbia and Mojca Kumerdej from Slovenia.