The tender for the new Director General of public television has been open since July 15, with the current chief's mandate expiring in October. Several names are in play, but the final decision will be made by the Prime Minister.
The Supervisory Board of Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT) officially announced a public tender on July 15, 2026, for the appointment of the Director General of this public institution. The reason is the expiration of the five-year mandate of the current Director General, Robert Šveb, who leaves the position in October. Although political neutrality is a prerequisite for candidacy, the election procedure in the Croatian Parliament, where the decision is made by a majority vote of all deputies, rarely passes without political upheaval.
According to information from Dnevni.hr, intense turmoil is already underway within the ruling party over control of the public broadcaster. Minister of Culture Nina Obuljen Koržinek, according to sources familiar with the situation, is not inclined to the idea of long-time media analyst and editor Miljenko Manjkas taking the top position. Manjkas, supported by a faction of HDZ members, has been close to Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković in recent years, indicating factional divisions within the party.
Although the official list of candidates has not yet been confirmed or published, in addition to Manjkas and current director Šveb, Renato Kunić is also mentioned as a potential candidate. He is a long-time journalist and former director of HRT's program, who served as acting director after the arrest of former chief Kazimir Bačić. Although Kunić is godfather to the husband of the Minister of Culture, Hrvoje Koržinek, sources claim their relations have seriously cooled recently, making it unlikely he will receive her support.
Also in the running for the top position is State Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Mladen Pavić, who built his career at HRT and is close to various factions within the house. However, his name is taken with a degree of caution because he has also been mentioned as a possible successor to the recent Chief State Inspector, Andrija Mikulić.
According to Dnevni.hr, Minister Obuljen Koržinek and her long-time associate, State Secretary Krešimir Partl, would be most satisfied if Robert Šveb retained the top position. If that is not possible, their favorite is producer and owner of the company Antitalenti, Danijel Peko. He currently serves as the artistic director of the Pula Film Festival and has close, friendly relations with Partl.
In addition to them, potential female candidates include Eliana Čandrlić Glibota, editor-in-chief of Croatian Radio programs, who has good relations with Minister of Construction Branko Bačić, and Sanja Ivančin, former acting director of Production. However, Ivančin last year mutually terminated her employment at Prisavlje with a severance package, which calls her candidacy into question. The Minister of Culture is reportedly not entirely opposed to the candidacy of journalist and former editor of the religious program department, Mario Raguž.
While battles rage within the party, the atmosphere at HRT itself is poor. Rumors of financial negligence can be heard, and the departure of recognizable figures and long-time female journalists, such as Martina Validžić and Lucija Judnić Rašljanin, is interpreted as a sign of deeper dissatisfaction.
While the intra-party struggle continues, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, whose word is final in all appointments, shared a congratulatory message on social media platform X on Saturday for the 29th Lađa Marathon in the Neretva Valley. "A beautiful day in the Neretva Valley and a fantastic 29th Lađa Marathon race! Congratulations to all participants, especially the teams from Crni Put and Komin on their great sporting achievement and joint finish," wrote Plenković, thanking the Lađari Association for preserving tradition.
The Government of the Republic of Croatia also congratulated the winners the day before, the teams of the Lađari Association Crni Put and the Lađari Association Gusari Komin, emphasizing that the Lađa Marathon "confirms the strength of tradition, unity, and Croatian heritage." Those who know the Prime Minister do not dismiss the possibility that he might ultimately support a third, operational candidate of high trust whose name has not been mentioned in the context of candidacy at all. The final decision, insiders agree, will reflect Plenković's intention to ensure continuity of moderate policy on public television.
