Sabina Glasovac, Irena Dragić, Eroš Gašić and Vedran Mišković highlighted systemic failures in waste management, from Diklo and Benkovac to Gospić, Štikada and Crno Brdo. They demand accountability, the resignation of the director of Čistoća, and political accountability from the government.
Eroš Gašić stated on Wednesday in front of the Diklo landfill: 'Loving Croatia means protecting the environment. This is a betrayal of the nation.' Local SDP members, along with MP Sabina Glasović and Iva Dragić, and the regional SDP president, Vedran Mišković, addressed the situation in the Zadar waste management system. The focus is once again on Diklo, where 54,544 tons of waste were recorded in 2024 under the key number 19 12 12, classified as non-hazardous. Opposition councillors had previously requested data on the origin, composition, and laboratory analysis of the waste.
Sabina Glasović linked the issue to the case in Gospić. According to the official remediation plan, there are approximately 44,000 tons of hazardous and non-hazardous waste in Gospić, of which nearly 30,000 tons are buried waste mixed with soil and stone. The opposition has initiated a procedure for a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Andrej Plenković's government, with 54 MPs having signed the request. Glasović criticised the government's waste management oversight, stating that waste imports to Croatia have tripled in the last ten years, while control mechanisms have simultaneously diminished. She noted that certain control mechanisms, including the notification of shipments and the register of importers, had been abolished, and that penalties had been reduced. The SDH presented in Parliament the claim that the notification of shipments was abolished in 2019, the register of importers in 2021, and penalties were reduced seven times. Glasović considers the case in Gospić not to be isolated and stated: 'Criminal liability is one thing, political responsibility is another.' She indicated that the opposition would insist on holding the government accountable, and raised accusations against the State Inspectorate and its head.
Iva Dragić reminded that the closure of Diklo has been announced for years. She stated that waste was still being brought to the Diklo site after the start of operations at the Biljana Donja waste management centre. 'We have recordings, we have documents, we have filed reports, but there is no response,' said Dragić. She criticised the management of Čistoća for their handling of waste classified under key number 19 12. The city of Zadar clarified in September that mixed municipal waste is no longer deposited at Diklo following the start of operations at the new facility, and the aim is to close Diklo for all remaining waste types and begin remediation. The Ministry, in its decision on the appeal by Čistoća, annulled the ruling by the State Inspectorate which had prohibited waste disposal at Diklo. The report by Čistoća for 2024 states that inspections were carried out in 2024 and 2025, and according to the same report, the identified deficiencies were resolved within the stipulated time.
Eroš Gašić stated: 'Loving Croatia means keeping the land healthy and sustainable.' He stated that Ivan John Kršić, who is no longer leading the municipal company, speaks only of increasing bills, by up to 300 percent. 'But what have the residents of Zadar received? More rubbish,' said Gašić. He raised the issue of waste from Varaždin and the criminal complaint associated with that case. 'What now, when a criminal complaint has been filed due to waste from Varaždin? I ask, what happens after the criminal complaint? A lot of nothing,' he stated. He added: 'We have become hostages of the waste mafia, which is leading the waste management system.'
Vedran Mišković warned that Diklo is not the only problematic site. 'Diklo is just one black spot in the county. We know some, but for others we will only find out later,' she said. She mentioned Benkovac and the waste case near the former landfill, the area of Štikada near Gračac, and the case of Crno Brdo. She highlighted the issue of water and the long-term consequences of pollution. She believes the problem at Crno Brdo has not disappeared with the relocation of waste. 'Crno Brdo has not disappeared, it has only been displaced,' she said.
The state has initiated a remediation plan for the case in Gospić, and for a part of the hazardous waste in Gospić, a method of disposal outside Croatia has already been selected. The SDH believes that the core of the matter is the question of who has been profiting from waste for years, and who will ultimately pay the price. They stated: 'Someone has made a fortune and stolen the future of the children of Lika, who will grow up surrounded by poisoned soil.'
