Croatian Budget Rebalance Sparks Debate in Parliament

The news in Croatian

1. proračun (m.)
   planirani prikaz prihoda i troškova za određeno razdoblje, obično za tijela vlasti ↩︎
2. prihod (m.)
   novac koji se dobiva od poslovanja ili drugih izvora; zarada ↩︎
3. opozicija (f.)
   politička stranka ili grupa koja nije na vlasti i koja se protivi vladajućoj politici ↩︎
4. ulaganje (n.)
   davanje novca ili sredstava s ciljem buduće koristi ili profita ↩︎
5. uvođenje (n.)
   čin ili proces predstavljanja nečeg novog u sustav ili praksu ↩︎
6. digitalizacija (f.)
   proces pretvaranja informacija u digitalni format ↩︎

Translation

Text Comprehension

Question: Who presented the budget rebalance plan in the Croatian Parliament?

Question: What does the opposition criticize about the budget plan?

Vocabulary

Croatian	English
proračun (m.)	budget
prihod (m.)	revenue
opozicija (f.)	opposition
ulaganje (n.)	investment
uvođenje (n.)	introduction
digitalizacija (f.)	digitisation

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Government supporters, especially from the ruling party, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), extolled the achievements, emphasizing record employment levels and low unemployment rates. However, the opposition was vociferous in its criticism. They highlighted areas such as demographics, health care, judiciary, education, and culture as neglected fields. Additionally, the introduction of a proposed windfall tax on banks aimed at boosting pensions stirred further debate.

Opposition figures like Marin Miletić of the Most party and Anka Mrak Taritaš from Glas expressed concerns over insufficient demographic and cultural funding. Urša Raukar Gamulin of Možemo! added that Croatian films have been marginalized in the budget. Moreover, a contentious remark by Minister Primorac regarding the visibility of homelessness in Croatia led to backlash, eventually prompting an apology from him.

Dalibor Paus of the Istrian Democratic Assembly utilized the session to challenge the toll charges through the Učka Tunnel, delivering a petition with nearly 7,700 signatures demanding its removal. He pointed out the disparity in toll costs compared to other national routes, advocating for equitable transportation policies.

As criticisms from SDP members like Sanja Radolović drew parallels between the government’s self-congratulatory remarks and a “Top Gun” scenario, where economic progress is dramatized, Minister Primorac maintained that Croatia’s fiscal advances, under the circumstances, are indeed impressive.

Meanwhile, the parliament moved towards greater digitalisation with plans to introduce an e-amendment system, phasing out traditional paper submissions. Gordan Jandroković, the President of the Croatian Parliament, indicated this change, aiming for more efficient legislative processes.

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