Mato Topić is the new president of the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts. At a very lively Assembly, the outgoing president of the Zagreb Chamber of Trades and Crafts ultimately received 45 votes out of a total of 73 present assembly members.
The new president of HOK was elected in the second round, but there was no voting because Stjepan Šafran, who received 33 votes in the first round, withdrew his candidacy before the re-vote. After that, a situation arose that was not foreseen by the rules of procedure, but since the third candidate Željko Vrbanus also withdrew from further competition, the present assembly members publicly confirmed Topić as the new president by raising their hands.
Šafran thus failed to secure a third term at the helm of HOK, citing opposition to his concept of ‘order, work, and honesty’ as the reason for his withdrawal. – I cannot promise decentralization because it does not exist; there is only work and discipline – emphasized Šafran, adding that some clearly want to return to the state as it was and to spend money as they wish, reminding of the Petko case, as well as the chambers of trades and crafts in Šibenik-Knin and Split-Dalmatia counties. Both of his opponents cited decentralization of HOK as their main asset.
– First, I will limit the number of presidential terms to a maximum of two and increase the powers of regional chambers and associations – stated Mato Topić after his victory, emphasizing that his program largely aligns with Vrbanus’s and that he will be a close collaborator. (Matilda Bačelić)
