After Prime Minister Plenković’s government legally weakened what was once an important anti-corruption body, the President of the Commission for the Resolution of Conflicts of Interest is now warning the Parliament that its work is being obstructed from within and that it lacks adequate tools to counteract this. The Parliament should urgently respond to the appeal made by Aleksandra Jozić-Ileković, the Commission’s President.
While corruption in Croatia is rampant, even among the highest officials, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković is actively working to weaken independent institutions and undermine the rule of law. He has successfully dismantled the most important preventive anti-corruption body, the Commission for the Prevention of Conflicts of Interest. First, his government weakened the Commission through amendments of the Law on the Prevention of Conflicts of Interest, and now it has come to light that two out of five members, appointed by the parliamentary majority, are obstructing its work, preventing decisions on some of the most significant cases from being made.
Independent institutions are supposed to oversee those in political power. Without oversight, there is no rule of law. For years, the Commission has raised concerns about conflicts of interest among top government officials, and its challenges began during Plenković’s first term.
When former President Nataša Novaković began investigating conflicts of interest involving the Prime Minister and the ruling party, her mandate was not extended—she did not receive support from the HDZ-led parliamentary majority. The same happened to her predecessor, Dalija Orešković, who scrutinized the actions of top government officials. Now, Aleksandra Jozić-Ileković is facing pressure to resign after exposing the questionable behavior of two Commission members.
It is worth noting that the Law on the Prevention of Conflicts of Interest was weakened through amendments supported by the HDZ parliamentary majority. Gong advocated for financial penalties for violations of principles of conduct, but the ruling party rejected this, leaving the Commission without one of its most important tools.
Now, the Commission’s President warns that members Nike Nodilo Lakoš and Igor Lukač are unjustifiably recusing themselves from working on certain cases and refusing to vote on decisions, thereby blocking their adoption. Lukač went even further by attempting to intervene in a case before the High Administrative Court in favor of HDZ’s State Secretary, Vedrana Šimundža-Nikolić, thus putting himself in a conflict of interest.
Igor Lukač was the rapporteur in the case of Marko Milić, where the Commission ruled that Milić did not send messages to the director of Croatian Forests with the intention of securing a job for his friend. Meanwhile, President Jozić-Ileković argued that Milić should be fined €2,500. Gong believes that this decision has effectively legitimized the use of high-ranking government positions for cronyism in state institutions, despite the law explicitly classifying such behavior as prohibited.
