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'Projects Delayed, Money Wasted on Failed Studies, and Zagreb Residents Pay': HDZ Official Criticizes City Hall
๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท Croatia /Elections & Politics

'Projects Delayed, Money Wasted on Failed Studies, and Zagreb Residents Pay': HDZ Official Criticizes City Hall

From Veฤernji List · (23h ago) Croatian Critical tone

Translated from Croatian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • An HDZ official criticizes Zagreb's city government for mismanagement of major projects, including the Park Novi Zagreb and Sarajevska cesta tram line.
  • Projects are reportedly delayed, funds are spent on "failed studies," and citizens are bearing the cost of poor planning and "PR experiments."
  • The HDZ demands clear deadlines, transparent costs, and genuine citizen participation in decision-making processes.

Zagreb's citizens are footing the bill for what appears to be a pattern of mismanagement and questionable decision-making by the current city administration, according to Tugomir Majdak, president of the HDZ Novi Zagreb-istok branch. In a pointed critique, Majdak highlights two significant projects โ€“ the Sarajevska cesta tram line and the Park Novi Zagreb โ€“ as prime examples of the city's failings.

Projects are delayed, money is spent on failed studies, and citizens are paying.

โ€” Tugomir MajdakCriticizing the city's management of public projects.

The Sarajevska cesta tram project, a โ‚ฌ25 million undertaking meant to be completed by the end of 2025, is already behind schedule, with trams expected to run in early 2026. Majdak argues this project, initiated as an election ploy, lacked proper preparation, leaving citizens to face the consequences of delays and unresolved issues like the crucial tram turnaround point. This mirrors issues seen in Sloboลกtina, where public funds were spent on bollards that residents subsequently demanded be removed, underscoring a disconnect between the administration's actions and the community's needs.

The Sarajevska cesta road and tram line project, worth around 25 million euros, was supposed to be completed by the end of 2025, and the tram was supposed to be running by early 2026. This is a project that was initiated as an election campaign move and therefore started without complete preparation, and citizens are now paying the price for such an approach.

โ€” Tugomir MajdakDetailing the delays and perceived mismanagement of the tram project.

Furthermore, the Park Novi Zagreb project is lambasted as a "PR experiment." Majdak points out the absurdity of the city commissioning an expensive study only to later solicit public input via an online survey. This approach, he contends, wastes public money and treats Novi Zagreb as a testing ground for political maneuvering rather than a community deserving of efficient governance. The HDZ's call for clear timelines, transparent costs, and authentic citizen involvement reflects a broader demand for accountability and effective urban planning in Zagreb, moving beyond what they perceive as superficial initiatives.

The pompously announced Park Novi Zagreb project is another example of poor management and, as he says, a 'PR experiment by the city authorities.'

โ€” Tugomir MajdakDescribing the Park Novi Zagreb project as a public relations stunt.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Veฤernji List in Croatian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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