WHAT'S IMPORTANT IN CROATIA? Main question: does prime minister Plenković controls his party, HDZ, and government

Another minister left, Goran Marić

The print edition of Jutarnji list on Tuesday on the front page: “PM told him - I am sorry, Goran!”

This alleged, but probably true statement makes clear different PM’s approach to the case of former minister Lovro Kuščević and Goran Marić. Although both were deep in affairs.

Goran Marić was imposed to PM Andrej Plenković at the beginning of his mandate and Ministry of State Assets was invented during the night.

Matija Djanjesic / CROPIX

Former minister of state assets Goran Marić leaving press conference where he announced his resignation

There are some voices in media saying that Marić affairs were PM’s response to the attack on Kuščević who shifted sides and became an ally of Plenković. Same goes for agriculture minister Tomislav Tolušić.

The government stated that resignation of Goran Marić is a result of talks with PM, but on the main TV show on state television analysts disagree. Ivica Relković said that it is different than in case of Kuščević: Marić was alone, surprising public, even minister of transport Oleg Butković who was with him. But, Jutarnji list reports about compromise.

All affairs of former minister Marić here.

Prime minister held a meeting on Monday evening about the reconstruction of government. More on Jutarnji list.

Opposition SDP wants new elections, but more important is statement from HDZ (EPP) coalition partner HNS (liberals): "Following resignations of Minister Lovro Kuščević (on July 8th) and Minister Goran Marić, the HNS can only reiterate that it expects an effective government reshuffle," the party says in a press release. The HNS also welcomes the possibility of downsizing the number of ministries. But Matija Posavec, Medjimurje County Prefect, called for parliamentary election with presidential at the end of the year.

The opposition announced that they have enough votes for recall of several ministers: Tomislav Tolušić, Gabrijela Žalac (EU funds), Milan Kujundžić (health), Marko Pavić (labour and pension), all of them HDZ. Plenković can not let all of them leave the government because it would be a sign of his weakness and provoke rebellion in the party. But, he has to do some reconstruction. Večernji list in today’s print edition names five candidates for president of HDZ:

• Davor Ivo-Stier
• Miro Kovač
• Domagoj Ivan Milošević (he did not succeed in party elections 2012. when Tomislav Karamarko was elected).

Večernji even speculates with Ivan Penava, mayor of Vukovar (more in yesterday’s WHAT’S IMPORTANT IN CROATIA) and former HDZ president Tomislav Karamarko. Vladimir Šeks, Nestor of HDZ politics, is defending PM in an interview.

Media generally conclude that Andrej Plenković does not control HDZ any more. Even the government.

Tom Dubravec / CROPIX

Two former prime ministers, Miro Kovač and Davor-Ivo Stier are planning to challenge Andrej Plenković as the president of HDZ

FinMin announces a set of measures to lower labour costs by July's end

Finance Minister Zdravko Marić said on Monday that a new set of measures that will reduce the labour costs would be presented by the end of the month, but stopped short of specifying them. Marić said that only sound and robust economic growth, job creation and education preparing people for the labour market could facilitate efforts to retain Croats in their homeland, attract other citizens to move to Croatia and persuade expats to come back to Croatia. Hina

IMF: Number of workers in CESEE could drop 25% by 2050

Over the next 30 years the countries of Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe (CESEE) could be faced with a strong shrinking of the labour force, International Monetary Fund Deputy Managing Director Zhang Tao said in Dubrovnik on Monday, underlining the need to boost the labour force, raise productivity and utilise new technologies. Zhang said a new IMF report showed that the population of CESEE countries, excluding Turkey, would drop 12% by 2050 due to ageing and migration. He said the labour force over that time could drop by as much as 25%, and that this meant the working population could have to support more than twice as many older persons as now. Hina

Antifascist League for changing dedication to Zagreb Holocaust memorial

The Croatian Antifascist League said on Monday it had filed a request to change a conclusion on the erection of a monument to Holocaust victims in Zagreb so that the inscription would say it was dedicated "to victims of the Ustasha regime" instead of "to victims of the Holocaust". The League also requested that the dedication be in the scripts and languages of the victims - Latin, Cyrillic, Yiddish and Roma. The Zagreb City Assembly conclusion of June 4 has elicited condemnation from Jewish organisations in Croatia and the World Jewish Congress, the League said in a press release.

In a letter of June 19, the Jewish Community of Zagreb called the conclusion shameful, claiming it was an attempt to cover up the truth about the killing of Jews on the territory of the WWII Independent State of Croatia, the League said. Hina

The debacle on high school graduation exam

9.4 per cent of high school students (from the gymnasium) did not pass the graduation exam. It is the biggest percentage in 10 years that exam is being conducted. Last year it was 5,2 per cent. These results will contribute to the public discussion on the reform of the educational system and high school education exam. Hina