The Croatian Parliament has voted on the state budget. 80 representatives voted for the budget, while 51 were against. A total of 94 amendments were proposed, of which only three were accepted.
According to HRT, one of the accepted amendments provides for a reduction in funds allocated to political parties – parties will lose 7.85 million kuna, and the money will go to the Science Foundation. An amendment from HDZ was also accepted for an additional 4 million kuna for support for returnees to Bosnia and Herzegovina, under the item of the State Office for Reconstruction and Housing Care. A partial acceptance of an amendment from Most was also granted, reducing the funds for the Office of the former President of the Republic of Croatia, Stjepan Mesić, by 500,000 kuna, in favor of civilian victims of the Homeland War.
Among the proposed but rejected amendments was one from Nenad Stazić, which he copied from Željko Reiner. The current President of the Parliament, as a former HDZ representative, had previously proposed a reduction in the budget of the Office of President Ivo Josipović. This time, SDP member Nenad Stazić copied and proposed the amendment. Reiner voted in favor, but HDZ and coalition partners did not.
Total budget revenues are projected at 114.9 billion kuna, while expenditures amount to 122.4 billion kuna, resulting in a planned budget deficit of 7.5 billion kuna or 2.2 percent of GDP.
