Zagreb - The twelfth simulated session of parliament for high school students, organized by the Croatian Parliament's Citizen Service, was held in the Parliament on Tuesday. Students from 54 high schools in Croatia took on the role of representatives in order to exchange their views on the "Tourism Act" in the debate.
The Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, Gordan Jandroković, made an introductory address to the young representatives and wished them a welcome and a successful simulated session of parliament. He praised the choice of the topic for this year's simulated session, considering the importance of tourism for Croatia.
The Speaker of the Parliament solemnly presented awards to primary and secondary school students and their mentors for the best results achieved in this year's online quizzes "How well do you know the Croatian Parliament?".
This was followed by the constitution of the Student Parliament. The positions of speaker and secretary of the simulated session were taken over by Petar Kovačićek and Karlo Kunjas, 4th grade students of Ban Josip Jelačić High School in Zaprešić. Luka Kateković and Marta Ostermann, 4th grade students of V. Gymnasium in Zagreb, were elected as deputy speaker and deputy secretary od the Student Parliament.
The young representatives presented their proposals in a clear and argumentative manner. The session discussed the sustainability of the destination, Croatian heritage, transport connections, environmental and natural resource protection, development of continental tourism, tourist facilities, excessive construction, infrastructure development, taxes, green technologies, digital transformation, the need to involve the local community in decision-making on the management and development of destinations, and other current topics related to the improvement of Croatian tourism.
After completing all stages of the legislative procedure, the student representatives voted on the text of the Final Proposal for the Tourism Act, which, together with all amendments, was adopted with 91 votes in favor, 9 abstentions and 18 votes against.
By simulating the work of representatives in the Croatian Parliament, high school students directly acquire knowledge about the legislative procedure and the process of passing laws, which is a valuable experience for them. Participating in the simulated session also increases the level of knowledge of the highest representative and legislative body of the Republic of Croatia and provides the opportunity to better understand its role in the lives of citizens. The simulated session is conducted according to its own Rules of Procedure and contributes to the development of democratic political culture among young people.