Croatian Committee Adjourns Supreme Court Election Debate for Seventh Time; Opposition Member Protests

The ongoing political deadlock in Croatia over the appointment of the Supreme Court president has once again stalled proceedings, as the parliamentary Committee on the Judiciary postponed the discussion for the seventh time. The ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party has repeatedly sought to remove the agenda item, citing unmet conditions for the election.

“

This is already the seventh time in this Committee that HDZ is seeking to remove this item from the agenda. It is completely untrue that the conditions have not been met because all conditions for giving a prior opinion on the election of the president or the president of the Supreme Court have been met.

However, opposition representatives, including Urša Raukar Gamulin from the Možemo! party, strongly contested this move. Gamulin argued that all necessary conditions for providing a prior opinion on the election had been met, pointing out that interviews with candidates were conducted in December of the previous year. She accused the HDZ of deliberately blocking the process, linking it to Prime Minister Andrej Plenković's ultimatum to connect the Supreme Court president's election with the appointment of three constitutional judges—a linkage she deemed unlawful and unconstitutional.

“

HDZ is removing this item from the agenda for the seventh time because Prime Minister Andrej Plenković announced an ultimatum on January 7, to be precise, a blackmail, that the incompatible is being merged, and that is that the election of the head of the Supreme Court is tied to the election of three constitutional judges. And no law or the Constitution states that these two processes should or can be merged.

The situation escalated when, after a brief recess, the committee voted to remove the agenda item concerning the Supreme Court president. In protest against what she described as the "destruction of democracy" and a violation of the constitution and laws, Urša Raukar Gamulin demonstratively left the session. This repeated obstruction highlights deep political divisions and raises concerns about the functioning of judicial appointments within Croatia.

“

We are witnessing the destruction of democracy in the Republic of Croatia, a violation of the Constitution and a violation of two laws. The situation in which the executive branch interferes with the judicial branch is a serious situation, so any discussion about laws that are also on the agenda of the session is superfluous. Therefore, I will leave the session.