Zagreb, Croatia
Croatia’s new law banning drinking and driving went into force last week to a general wail of dismay. It is now a crime for drivers to have any trace of alcohol in their bloodstreams. The previous limit was 0.05 percent. The stricter standard was proposed after a series of high-profile accidents involving prominent people. In 2002, the mayor of Zagreb was involved in a hit and run while drunk; he was caught later. And last month, the intoxicated governor of Lika-Senj county plowed his official jeep into another car, injuring two people. While members of the general public complain that the new standard is unrealistic, priests in the predominantly Catholic country are lobbying for an exemption. “Consumption of wine is the main component of the Eucharist,” Father Zivko Kustic told Jutarnji List. “Since we serve Mass daily, sometimes up to three times a day, half the clergy is bound to wind up behind bars.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
What has Kamala Harris done as vice president?In Depth It's not uncommon for the second-in-command to struggle to prove themselves in a role largely defined by behind-the-scenes work
-
Today's political cartoons - September 16, 2024Monday's cartoons - a second assassination attempt, eating pets, and more
-
'If this is a race, China has a commanding lead'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
