PM Plenkovic: EC forecast is encouraging for economic and fiscal policy

The European Commission's estimate of increasing economic growth in Croatia is encouraging for economic and fiscal policy, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Monday, noting that the Commission's projections were almost the same as those of his government.

"Good news," Plenkovic told the press during a visit to radio broadcasters Antena Zagreb, Narodni Radio, Enter Zagreb, Gold FM and Media Servis on the occasion of World Radio Day, which is observed on February 13.

World Radio Day has been observed since 2012 to commemorate the first broadcast of United Nations Radio on February 13, 1946.

In its Winter Forecast released on Monday, the European Commission revised upward its projections for Croatia, forecasting growth at 2.8% in 2016, 3.1% in 2017 and 2.5% in 2018. In its Autumn Forecast, released in November, the Commission had expected the Croatian economy to grow at rates of 2.6% in 2016, 2.5% in 2017 and 2.4% in 2018.

Plenkovic said that the government would continue working on fiscal consolidation and boosting growth and development. "I'm glad that the EC's projections largely correspond to ours, both in respect of GDP growth and reducing unemployment and increasing the employment rate," he said.

In an interview with Media Servis, Plenkovic said he regretted that researcher Ivan Djikic was planning to leave Croatia after Science and Education Minister Pavo Barisic, who is accused of plagiarism by some members of the scientific community and politicians, survived a no-confidence vote in Parliament.

Djikic said earlier that Plenkovic, too, was to blame for his decision to leave the country, to which the prime minister said that he was not. "Croatia is a free country and he is a free scientist," Plenkovic said, adding that he did not want to interfere in Djikic's decision to emigrate.

Asked whether he would ask Barisic to go if the accusations of self-plagiarism turned out to be true, Plenkovic said: "We'll see what the only competent authority has to say about that, and that authority is the University of Augsburg," which had accepted Barisic's doctoral dissertation.

The prime minister described the two years in office of President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic as very good. "I think she is making an effort to carry out her programme and her duties as President, and those include ensuring respect for all Croatian institutions," he said.

Commenting on Sunday's attack on an LGTBIQ party in a Zagreb night club, Plenkovic said that the government had clearly condemned the violence that had occurred at the event. "Throwing tear gas at any public event deserves the strongest condemnation and I expect the police to investigate the case and bring the perpetrator to justice."

News