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🇭🇷 Croatia /Crime & Justice

Varaždin Considers Fines and Ban on Alcohol Sales After 10 p.m.

From Večernji List · () Croatian

Translated from Croatian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Varaždin is considering a ban on alcohol sales at shops and gas stations between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
  • The proposed rules would also prohibit drinking alcohol in public spaces during those hours, with fines of up to 260 euros.
  • The proposal must undergo public consultation before the city council votes on it, and could take effect in early November.

Varaždin could become the first continental city in Croatia to restrict overnight alcohol sales at shops and gas stations. Under the proposed rules, those businesses would not be allowed to sell alcoholic drinks between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., and drinking alcohol in public spaces would also be prohibited during the same hours.

Before, it was only on weekends, but now it is every day. What is happening here is unbelievable. At night they race cars, circle around the roundabout, park cars from eight o’clock, and drink.

· Vlado KošćakA resident described the recurring disturbances in Miroslav Krleže Street.

The city says the measure aims to reduce nighttime noise, public disorder and the accumulation of rubbish in places where large groups gather. Residents of Miroslav Krleža Street have repeatedly complained about loud music, drinking and empty bottles and cans. Resident Vlado Košćak said the disturbances, including cars racing around a roundabout, had become a daily occurrence rather than a weekend problem.

Mayor Neven Bosilj said the city needed to regulate both the sale and consumption of alcohol. Otherwise, he argued, people could buy alcohol at one location and drink it in public elsewhere. The proposal would give municipal wardens and police a basis for enforcement, with public safety and nighttime peace as the stated goals.

We need a decision under which our municipal wardens and police can act. The goal is the safety and nighttime peace of citizens.

· Neven BosiljThe mayor explained the purpose of regulating both alcohol sales and public consumption.

The city plans to hire two additional municipal wardens. Fines for violations could reach 260 euros, while the sales restriction would not apply to hospitality businesses. Hospitality operator Marijan Tači supports efforts to restore order but warned that people drinking in public might simply find other places rather than move into bars. The proposal will first go through public consultation, then face a city council vote. If approved, it could take effect at the beginning of November.

Those who consume alcohol in public spaces will not come to bars because of this. They will find other places.

· Marijan TačiA hospitality operator warned that the proposed restrictions might displace rather than eliminate public drinking.
About this summary

Originally published by Večernji List in Croatian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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