Croatia ruling coalition stabilizes after dispute over Ministry official

Leaders of the ruling HDZ and Domovinski pokret (DP) parties met to resolve tensions following a political crisis triggered by recent incidents in Split. The meeting, attended by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and DP President Ivan Penava, resulted in a joint statement confirming the political stability of the coalition.

A primary point of contention was the status of Tomislav Bilandžić, a State Secretary in the Ministry of the Interior. The DP party has signaled that they no longer consider Bilandžić a member of their ranks, following his public support for the police during investigations into Torcida members involved in antisemitic and Nazi-related incidents in Split. While DP officials, including Stipo Mlinarić, have called for his dismissal, Interior Minister Davor Božinović defended Bilandžić, stating that supporting lawful police work is expected of public officials.

In addition to personnel issues, the parties reached an agreement regarding amendments to the budget rebalance. They also expressed joint support for establishing a public institution and memorial area in Macelj to honor victims of crimes committed following World War II.