A Croatian MP Bruna Esih (Independents for Croatia) was unjustifiably absent from the April joint parliamentary session, which is the smallest number of absences since July when the absences became punishable, and in the past nine parliamentary months, the statistics show that almost half of the MPs have been unjustifiably absent.

As the report of the Election, Appointment and Administrative Affairs shows, Esih was absent for only one of the total of nine days during which the Parliament sat in session, so her salary for the time spent in session worth HRK 1,500 (around EUR 200) would be reduced by HRK 150 (around EUR 20).

Ever since the unjustified absences became punishable in July 2017, most deputies were absent is December (27), July (26), and February (21). A review of nine parliamentary months shows that almost half of the 151 MPs, 68 or more, were unjustifiably absent from 1 to 17 days.

Most unjustified absences were made by the former deputy Ivan Klarin (SDP), who made 17 absences in July and September. He is followed by the Croatian Democratic Union’s (HDZ) Drazen Barisic (12) and the Social Democratic Party’s (SDP) Sinisa Varga (10).

Since the last July, MPs were charged in the total amount of around HRK 35,000 (around EUR 4.700).

MP’s absences are justified if they were ill, which must be confirmed by a doctor, if they had a death case in the family, if they have to respond to court a date or be on the social, political or nonprofit meetings they were invited to.

(EUR 1 = HRK 7.426)