The announcement of legislative changes expected to increase pensions for nearly 69,000 beneficiaries has sparked a wave of comments, ranging from outrage to calls for a thorough review of the veterans' registry.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković's announcement of pension increases for Croatian veterans, made during the commemoration of the 31st anniversary of Operation Storm, has triggered strong public reactions. The details of the proposed changes, which would affect 68,908 beneficiaries, have become a catalyst for debate over the fairness of the system, the level of pensions, and the disparities among veterans themselves.
According to the proposal, the amount of the increase will depend on the time spent in the Homeland War. Each month served in a combat sector will count as three euros, while a month in a non-combat sector will count as 50 cents. It is this calculation that has provoked some of the harshest reactions, with a disappointed reader of the Zagreb.info portal writing: "Rock bottom, ten cents for a life on the front line, shameful and humiliating for me as a volunteer and honorable veteran, and for all other honorable veterans as well."
On the Zagreb.info Facebook page, where readers were asked for their opinions, numerous conflicting posts quickly appeared. One commenter highlighted the absurd differences in pensions: "The average pension for veterans who did not work after the war is 1,450 euros, while for those who went back to work it's 700 euros. If it weren't so sad, it would be laughable."
Others pointed to the situation of those who maintained the system during the war and now receive significantly lower pensions. "Those of us who weren't on the front lines all had tasks that kept the whole system running. We worked then and continued working in Croatia, and our pensions amount to 600 euros," read one comment.
Particularly emotional was the testimony of a reader whose friends went to war at the age of 17, now work, and have given up their pensions, while "some who never saw the war live off all the benefits, drive Mercedes, BMWs, etc., build buildings, and still get their pensions increased."
Some commenters welcome the increase but believe it should primarily help those with the lowest incomes. "Some have less than 300 euros, meaning they're on social welfare. Raise the minimum pensions, not those who already have plenty," one female reader urged.
Several voices advocated for fundamental changes before any increase. "It's a circus. First, we need a proper registry of Croatian veterans, remove all fake veterans, abolish all privileged ranks and pensions, and then see what injustice has been done to real veterans," wrote a reader. Another was even more direct, demanding that "those who have no work experience but receive pensions due to PTSD should have them revoked, and the money given to those who returned to their jobs."
One comment touched on the broader context, comparing the percentage increase to what the government applied when raising its own salaries, asking: "Will those who created Croatia get anything close to what those who are using it get?"
On the same day, Prime Minister Plenković attended the 311th Sinjska Alka, where he praised the organization and tradition of the Cetina region. "We spent the whole day with the leadership of the Knights' Alka Society and with the many people who came to enjoy another Alka," he wrote on Twitter.
He also addressed pressing issues. He announced that starting tomorrow, August 10, the government will respond on a weekly basis regarding fuel prices, which will immediately lead to lower prices: Eurosuper by six euro cents per liter, Eurodiesel by four, blue diesel by three, and gas in tanks and bottles by eight euro cents. He also commented on the waste problem in Lika, stating that all those responsible for the landfill in Gospić must be held accountable, and the remediation will be carried out, through legal procedures, by the Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Protection Fund, following the example of the resolved case in Varaždin.
One reader linked these news items to the pension topic, assessing that the announcement of the increase was "a smokescreen to distract from the closed Lika; all veterans would give up that raise just to have the poison cleaned up as soon as possible."
