The President of the Republic has called for an extraordinary session of Parliament and a 15-day deadline for appointing the Chief State Inspector, while Plenković says he will do so when the Government deems it necessary.
The State Inspectorate (DIRH), a key institution overseeing compliance with regulations in Croatia, has been without a Chief State Inspector for over eight months. Prime Minister Andrej Plenković has publicly stated that he will appoint a new leader "when we deem it necessary," which has drawn a sharp reaction from President Zoran Milanović, who is calling for an extraordinary session of Parliament and a 15-day deadline for the appointment.
Having requested an extraordinary session of Parliament due to illegally dumped waste in Gospić, President Milanović proposed, among other things, that Parliament oblige the Government to appoint a new Chief State Inspector within the shortest possible time, no longer than 15 days. The appointment of the person to succeed former Chief State Inspector Andrija Mikulić is solely within the purview of the Government and the Prime Minister, who, according to the law, has the right to propose a candidate.
However, since the HDZ holds a majority in Parliament, it is likely that the President's request will be rejected. Milanović is therefore proposing a workaround through Parliament, aware that the Prime Minister does not give the impression that the appointment is on his agenda, let alone a priority.
The State Inspectorate is currently led by Ivan Samac, who is not a classic acting director but was appointed as Deputy Chief State Inspector in November 2022 for a four-year term. The situation at DIRH reflects a trend that has become characteristic of Plenković's leadership: key positions and duties are filled on a temporary basis, without a full mandate.
Plenković has no issue with this, and his public statements suggest he has no intention of changing this practice. Milanović, it seems, holds a different view, especially when it comes to the State Inspectorate.
At a press conference a week ago, the Prime Minister openly stated that he would appoint the new head of DIRH "when we deem it appropriate." When asked seven consecutive times by journalists why the Inspectorate still lacks a leader with a full mandate, Plenković failed to provide a reasoned answer. He only asserted that the deputy is currently running the show, that "the Inspectorate is functioning," that the Government has not set itself any deadline for the appointment, and that it will depend "on our assessment."
However, even before that statement, it was clear that the Government had no problem with the fact that the state lacks a Chief State Inspector. In July, Plenković also received a question from an MP on this topic, which remains unanswered in Banski dvori.
From Plenković's words, Milanović concludes that "it follows that Croatia does not need a Chief State Inspector and that the State Inspectorate will continue to operate without a leader, which is unacceptable, especially in the current situation where the Chief State Inspector should be ensuring legality, efficiency, and uniform action of all inspections in the state, and deciding on the priorities of inspection oversight."
It is certain that the ruling majority led by the HDZ will reject Milanović's conclusions at the extraordinary session of Parliament and adopt its own. A similar situation occurred when Parliament convened extraordinarily at Milanović's request in July 2023. In a country where, without an effective response from the competent authorities, 37,000 tons of potentially hazardous waste can accumulate, this will also be a strong political message.
