Croatia: Literary funding dispute and career reflections

In Croatia, writer and journalist Miljenko Jergović has publicly responded to Culture Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek following a dispute over state literary grants. Jergović accused the Minister of manipulation and ideological disqualification after he claimed she personally crossed his name off a list of grant recipients compiled by a commission. The Ministry has defended its actions, stating that the Minister does not exclude dissenters and noting that Jergović has received various forms of support, including book buybacks by national libraries and foreign translation grants.

Separately, former journalist and presidential advisor Mirjana Hrga shared a retrospective of her career on social media. Reflecting on the past 15 years, Hrga described her life as a “crazy merry-go-round,” documenting her transition from war reporting in locations such as Gaza, Sarajevo, and Syria to serving as a presidential advisor and later engaging in property renovation and restaurant management.