Croatia🏛️ PoliticsProgressiveOverlooked by conservatives9/2/2026
Citizens' Initiative refused to meet with Plenkovic: 'It is repairing political damage'
A meeting focused on cleaning up illegally dumped waste in the town of Gospić will take place in the premises of the Ličko-Senjska County administration. The meeting will include Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and members of his government, along with representatives from environmental protection agencies and public health institutions. However, the Citizens' Initiative 'Gospić is Our Home' has decided not to attend the meeting. According to Daria Došen from the initiative, the timing of the meeting, just four days before a major protest in Zagreb, suggests the government is attempting to mitigate political damage rather than addressing the issue of waste cleanup. The initiative claims they have repeatedly contacted the prime minister over the past year and a half but have received no responses. They plan to focus their efforts on the upcoming protest in Zagreb.
Premier Andrej Plenković and members of his government will visit Gospić today for a meeting focused on addressing the illegal dumping of waste in the area. The session, scheduled for 9:00 AM at the offices of the Ličko-Senjska županija, will include representatives from relevant institutions, local authorities, and citizen initiatives working on the issue. The visit comes just four days before a major protest in Zagreb planned for September 5th under the banner "Hodaj za Liku, hodaj za Hrvatsku." The Građanska inicijativa "Gospić je naš dom," which organizes the protest, has announced it will not attend the meeting with Plenković. According to Daria Došen from the initiative, the timing of the meeting, just ahead of the protest, is perceived as an attempt to address political damage rather than solve the environmental issue. She stated that the group had previously raised concerns with the premier over the past year and a half without receiving satisfactory responses. "Every time we take action, the government seems to make these moves to manage the situation," she said. The initiative criticized the government’s approach, noting that officials have repeatedly changed plans and failed to provide clear solutions. They claim that after previous meetings, they were dismissed as a "case" despite negative findings. The group emphasized that its focus is now on the upcoming protest, where they hope to hear directly from citizens and demand concrete actions from the government. Vjekoslav Bušić, another member of the initiative, confirmed that they received an informal invitation to the meeting but chose to decline it. He described the scenario as familiar, recalling a similar setup two days before a previous protest in June. At that time, he said, officials staged a show in Gospić involving ministers and other agencies, which was meant to mask political missteps. "This pattern repeats itself," he said. Bušić stressed that while the group remains open to dialogue with institutions, they believe it is essential that the voices of citizens be heard first. "We are always ready to talk, but now that the protest is organized and public attention is on this issue, we want the government to listen to the people's demands first," he added. He also expressed disappointment with the pace of action so far, saying it has been too slow and ineffective. Political figures from the ruling party, such as Nikola Grmoja of Most, have accused the government of trying to suppress the protest. Grmoja called Plenković’s visit to Gospić a tactic to calm people down and undermine the demonstration, claiming it would not succeed. He argued that citizens expect swift action and accountability, particularly against those responsible for the environmental crisis. He pointed to the involvement of the main state inspector, Andrija Mikulić, whom Plenković appointed, and suggested that Mikulić had been instructed to turn a blind eye to the illegal dumping. Grmoja also highlighted the broader implications of the issue, stating that the illegal disposal of hazardous waste in Lika is not merely an ecological concern but a matter of national security and sovereignty. He claimed that allowing pollution to continue is tantamount to treason. "Plenković has betrayed his people. No amount of soap in the world can clean him of that," he said. Meanwhile, Marin Miletić, a parliamentary representative of Most, echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing that the delay in addressing the waste issue poses serious risks to public health and national integrity. He warned that failing to act decisively could lead to irreversible harm. As the protest approaches, the tension between the government and civil society continues to escalate. While officials insist they are taking steps to resolve the issue, critics argue that the lack of transparency and responsiveness undermines public trust. With the protest set to take place in Zagreb, the coming days will likely see heightened scrutiny of the government’s handling of the environmental crisis.
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A meeting focused on cleaning up illegally dumped waste in the town of Gospić will take place in the premises of the Ličko-Senjska County administration. The meeting will include Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and members of his government, along with representatives from environmental protection agencies and public health institutions. However, the Citizens' Initiative 'Gospić is Our Home' has decided not to attend the meeting. According to Daria Došen from the initiative, the timing of the meeting, just four days before a major protest in Zagreb, suggests the government is attempting to mitigate political damage rather than addressing the issue of waste cleanup. The initiative claims they have repeatedly contacted the prime minister over the past year and a half but have received no responses. They plan to focus their efforts on the upcoming protest in Zagreb.
Bias read (Progressive): The article frames the government's actions as an attempt to 'sanitize political damage,' suggesting a critique of the ruling authorities. It highlights the citizens' initiative's frustration with the lack of response from the government and emphasizes their planned protest as a more effective venue
Why factuality (85): The article accurately reports that the initiative 'Gospić je naš dom' has decided not to attend the meeting with Plenković, citing concerns about political damage mitigation. It also includes direct quotes from Daria Došen, aligning closely with the primary source document. However, it omits some s
Why objectivity (75): The article uses emotionally charged language like 'saniranje političke štete' (political damage mitigation) and frames the government's actions as evasive. While it presents both sides, the tone leans toward criticizing the government, making it slightly biased.
Predsjednik vlade Andrej Plenković, zajedno s članovima vlade, planira posjet Gospiću tri dana prije velikog prosvjeda u Zagrebu, gdje će održati sastanak s lokalnim vlastima i građanskim inicijativama o sanaciji ilegalnog otpada. Građanska inicijativa 'Gospić je naš dom' odbila je neslužbeni poziv za sastanak, tvrdi da su dosad više puta iskusili slične scenarije, uključujući sastanak 27. lipnja koji su smatrali ciljom saniranja političke štete. Inicijativa kritizira vladu za nedostatak transparentnosti i poštovanja građana, uz poziv da se čuje narod 05. rujna i donese konkretne odluke.
Bias read (Progressive): Artikel naglašava kritiku vlade i građanske inicijative, koristi izraz 'DOSTA JE BILO!' kao simbol frustracije građana, te opisuje vladine poteze kao političku štetu. Kritika je usmjerena prema vladini pristupu problemu, a inicijativa se prikazuje kao voćnica građanskog udaljenja od vlasti. Uspoređu
Why factuality (80): The article accurately conveys that the initiative 'Gospić je naš dom' has refused to attend the meeting with Plenković. It includes relevant details about the timing of the meeting relative to the protest and quotes from the initiative. However, it lacks some nuance present in the primary source, p
Why objectivity (65): The article uses strong language such as 'DOSTA JE BILO!' (Enough is enough!) and criticizes the government's handling of the situation. While it provides the initiative's perspective, it does so in a way that emphasizes their frustration and resistance, potentially skewing the narrative.
Novi listIndependentProgressiveFactual 70Objective 609/2/2026
Predsjednik Mosta Nikola Grmoja kritikuje pokušaj premijera Andreja Plenkovića da smiri prosvjed protiv ilegalno odloženog opasnog otpada u Lici, tvrdeći da će mu to neće proći. Grmoja navodi da su vladajući politici, uključujući Plenkovića, politički i moralno odgovorni za situaciju, te da su pokušavali minirati prosvjed, posebno pretpostavljajući da je prosvjed lijevog karaktera. Kritiku usmjerio je i prema državnom inspektoru Andriji Mikuliću, kojeg je Plenković postavio na funkciju, tvrdeći da je bio pod uticajem da 'zatvara oči' na zločin. Grmoja poziva građane da se pridruže prosvjedu u Zagrebu, naglašavajući potrebu za brzinom i kaznjavanjem odgovornih. Mostov saborski zastupnik Marin Miletić dodaje da je odlaganje otpada pitanje nacionalne sigurnosti i suverenizma, te da je Plenković izdao svoj narod.
Bias read (Progressive): The article frames the issue as a struggle against political corruption and national sovereignty, criticizing the ruling party and Premier Plenković for alleged complicity in environmental harm. The language emphasizes moral responsibility, national identity, and opposition to perceived right-wing (
Why factuality (70): The article mentions the meeting but focuses more on Nikola Grmoja's statements than on the actual event itself. It does not directly quote Bušić or provide detailed information about the initiative's decision-making process. Some facts are inferred rather than explicitly stated in the primary sourc
Why objectivity (60): The article takes a clear stance against Plenković and frames his involvement as an attempt to undermine the protest. The language is highly critical and biased, using terms like 'miniranja prosvjeda' (undermining the protest) and emphasizing the moral responsibility of the government.
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