March the 29th, 2024 – This week in Croatian politics, more serious preparations are underway as we approach election day – April the 17th.
the Official Andrej Plenković TikTok Account has been Opened
An official Andrej Plenković TikTok account has been opened as we edge closer to the elections, scheduled for April the 17th.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, current prime minister and HDZ main man Andrej Plenković has officially opened a profile on the Tik Tok social media platform. In the first recorded video on the new Andrej Plenković TikTok account, he said that his profile will be a new communication channel for exchanging opinions and suggestions with his followers.
“I listened to the advice given to me by my younger collaborators who are behind the camera and who said that it’s high time for me to join Tik Tok,” Plenković said in his first published video.
“Here we have yet another communication channel so that we can exchange opinions and views, and I can hear your suggestions and advice about everything we need to do for Croatia’s benefit,” the Prime Minister told TikTok users.
At the end of his first video, he invited users to follow him on his profile and skilfully spun a basketball on his index finger.
Plenković has now joined numerous other Croatian politicians present and frequently communicating with their followers on the wildly popular TikTok app. Among others, Nikola Grmoja, Marin Miletić, Marijana Puljak, Dalija Orešković, Krešimir Beljak, and Damir Habijan can be found on the app. In addition to those individuals, five of the strongest political parties: HDZ, SDP, Možemo! (We can!), Most (Bridge) and Domovinski Pokret (Homeland Movement) are also on the app.
A constitutional law professor comments on Milanović’s statements about the court
As Index vijesti/news reports, Professor of Constitutional Law at the Faculty of Law in Zagreb, Đorđe Gardašević, was a recent guest of N1. He commented on President Zoran Milanović’s statement that constitutional judges shouldn’t have their mandates extended when they expire in June.
Gardašević believes that the Constitutional Court has been part of Croatia’s legal culture for several decades. “It has existed since socialism, from 1964, and we belong to that continental legal circle under the influence of the ideas of Austria and Germany. In these countries, there are ups and downs regarding this court, but it’s considered to be an integral part of the institutional framework and we don’t need it to change, we instead need to build on it,” he said.
Regarding the selection of the judges themselves, he said that there are always alternatives to current methods. “One of them is to limit the number of mandates to one or to extend that single mandate to eight years. The key is that it’s a political choice, but the question is how do we control it. We’ve got a provision that judges go through the Committee on the Constitution, where their competencies are tested, and it’s crucial to see how competent each of these candidates are,” he added.
“Our Constitutional Court deals with over 90 percent of constitutional lawsuits and resolves the issue of human rights violations, but my opinion is that the court is overloaded with these matters because the main function of the Constitutional Court is to simply assess the constitutionality of laws,” said Gardašević.
“The debate about who the guardian of the Constitution actually is has been going on for a hundred years in other countries,” he added.
images of plenković appear as profile pictures all over facebook
HDZ voters have decided to post Andrej Plenković as their profile pictures as opposed to the usual habit of merely placing the HDZ logo or current slogan. As Index vijesti/news reports, all party organisations and HDZ pages across Facebook have replaced their profile photos with images of the PM as we approach an important date in Croatian politics.
Until recently, only the HDZ logo could be seen, Now, Andrej Plenković’s picture appears instead of the party’s logo with its recognisable blue colour. In the comments below the new photo on the HDZ official page, there’s plenty of praise for the picture perfect politician Plenković. Many state that he isn’t only “the best prime minister but also the most attractive”.
“You’re the best Prime Minister of our beautiful Croatia, let’s strive for victory,” reads one comment below Plenković’s glossy photo. “We’re with you. Intelligence, hard work, ability, culture and good looks, all in one person,” reads another gushing comment. Now with his new TikTok profile, the current PM will be able to communicate with his followers about Croatian politics far more easily and in a less than formal environment.
“rijeke pravde (rivers of justice) are going to get rid of this hdz sh*t”
Rijeke Pravde (Rivers of Justice) are promising to “get rid of this HDZ sh*t” as they present their party programme. As Index vijesti/news writes, the party named after President Zoran Milanović’s recent statement said:
“The rivers of justice have started flowing and they’ll pour into Croatia on April the 17th. We’re going to have a state that will take care of its people, healthcare and insurance; a state that will not steal, that will be there for its people, and not solely for itself. Croatia will not be the same after April the 17th, that’s why we’re here, this coalition standing before you. The rivers of justice are going to flow through the nation and after their arrival, nothing will be the same again.”
“We’re going to get rid of all of the sh*t that HDZ has brought us,” Krešo Beljak added, promising a marked turn in the direction of Croatian politics.
For our previous article in this series on the run-up to election day, click here.
