Plenković announced that elections will be held on schedule and announced a new aid package for the most vulnerable

Plenković participated in the ceremonial session of the County Assembly held in the Municipality of Sopje on the occasion of the Day of Virovitica-Podravina County, and journalists asked him after the session when parliamentary elections would be held, to which he replied that ‘parliamentary elections will be held on schedule’.

– Elections will be when the time comes – said the Prime Minister.

New aid package for the most vulnerable

Plenković also announced that during September, the Government will adopt a new package of measures to assist the most vulnerable citizens, among whom retirees will certainly be included.

– The Government is preparing a new package of measures, which we will present during September, aimed at helping those citizens who are the most vulnerable – he said.

When asked whether the government is considering, in the context of rising inflation, a tax on excess profits on trade margins, Plenković said that the Government will assess the situation and talk to entrepreneurs, emphasizing that everything is open.

– We believe that the revenues from the additional profit tax last year were such that we currently have enough resources for redistribution to those who need it most, such as retirees. Given the circumstances, everything is open – stated Plenković.

When asked about the consequences of inflationary pressures, Plenković believes that they cannot undermine social cohesion and that it has been preserved. He stated that at the EU level, the situation last year was much worse than this year, and that there were practically no protests in Croatia last year, while this year there were ‘some orchestrated protests’ of lesser intensity, but those issues have been resolved, such as those concerning officials in the judiciary.

When asked when he expects inflation to decrease, Plenković stated that he believes it will happen at the end of the tourist season, when prices must go down, and expressed confidence that it will then return to some normal levels.

Let us recall that yesterday the State Bureau of Statistics published the first estimate of inflation for August, according to which it accelerated to 7.8 percent year-on-year, up from 7.3 percent in July, with food prices rising the most.

When asked whether he believes there is some kind of cartel regarding retail chains and price increases, Plenković said that it is the task of the Competition Protection Agency to determine that.

– It is the task of the Competition Protection Agency, if there are such practices that are contrary to Croatian or European regulations for the protection of market competition, if there are such indications, it should be investigated and punished immediately. This is when an agreement among those who have the largest market share puts consumers in a disadvantaged position – said Plenković.

Decentralization policy materialized through a legal framework

The Prime Minister emphasized at the ceremonial session that the Government’s decentralization policy enabled the revenue of that county to be almost 80 percent higher last year than it was in 2017.

– This means that we have materialized the decentralization policy through a legal framework that allows for greater revenues for counties, cities, and municipalities. And this is particularly evident here, and I believe that in this way you come into a position to more concretely realize all the goals of your programs at the county, city, and municipal levels – said Plenković.

He also commented on the discussion about the Trade Act and working on Sundays, stating that the proposed solution with 16 working Sundays a year takes into account Croatia as a tourist country and consumer habits and that there is enough space for everyone to organize, while still placing emphasis on family.

– Therefore, I believe this is a good move that does not put the predominantly coastal counties at risk during the intense part of the tourist season, and on the other hand, during the year, it allows the majority to dedicate that part of their time to family and themselves. Because life cannot be just work; it must be about what are the fundamental values, and family is the core, the nucleus of our society, and that is why we want to strengthen and nurture it in this way – he said.

He believes that after some time ‘everything will fall into the right place’ and that the model they have found ‘will certainly be accepted’.