May 14, 2022 - On Thursday afternoon, the last element of the Split Dalmatia Tower architectural design was installed. The Croatian flag was symbolically raised to celebrate the end of the works!

On Friday, the Dalmatia Tower officially became the tallest building in Croatia and thus reached a total height of 135 meters.

Goran Les

By installing the last architectural design element, the conditions were created to begin dismantling the largest construction crane in the region. It is a 150-meter high crane, and the dismantling will take seven days.

As previously announced, Dalmatia Tower will house the first Croatian AC Hotel Split by Marriott with 214 accommodation units, 210 rooms, and four suites. Thanks to the specific shape of the tower, all rooms will have a sea view. In addition to five modular conference halls with a total capacity of 300 people, guests will also have at their disposal a spa & wellness center with an indoor pool and gym, then an à la carte restaurant, bar, and lounge. The hotel is expected to open this summer.

Riva Production

In addition to the hotel part of the business center (HTC), there will also be regional offices of internationally recognized IT companies.

Dalmatia Tower is part of the Westgate Split project, which consists of two towers and has already become a recognizable element of the view of Split. Otto Barić designed the Westgate Split project, and the investor was awarded the International Property Award in 2018 - the award for the best high-rise business building in Europe.

Riva Production

Westgate Tower d.o.o. is part of the Westgate Group, a company that is an investor, developer, and investment manager in the Croatian real estate market and services. The company is focused on the best locations in major cities in the Croatian region. In collaboration with renowned offices for architecture and planning, they provide project development services, supervision, consulting services, and real estate management services. Their team consists of highly educated experts in construction, law, economics, and architecture. The Group is committed to providing high-quality standardized services and an extensive range of services specifically developed for individual clients.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, 13 May 2022- Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Davor Filipović said on Friday that the Adriatic Oil Pipeline can significantly increase its oil transport capacity toward Hungary even without additional investment and Croatia will work on becoming an important factor in Europe's energy sector.

Responding to questions from reporters at a press conference, where he presented a call for applications for co-financing from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NPOO), regarding the statement by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban that Hungary had the sea taken away from it, Filipović said that Orban's statement was absolutely inappropriate.

In the context of the entire situation, Filopvić said that Croatia is working on becoming an important factor with regard to Europe's energy sector.

"Janaf's current capacity can be increased, without any investment whatsoever, when it comes to oil transport to Hungary, while with certain investment it can be doubled," Filipović said. He added that that is the direction Croatia will go in and that it will take advantage of the present situation to position itself as best it can regarding energy in Europe.

He noted that according to the current capacity, Janaf can transport 11.4 million tonnes of oil to Hungary a year, and currently it is transporting just 2 million. Filipović said that this shows that without any further investment it can significantly increase oil transport toward Hungary.

"In this situation, Croatia is a solution both for Hungary, depending on the outcome of the sanctions, and for other EU countries as well," claimed Filipović.

According to Janaf's website, the pipeline designed capacity is 34 million tonnes of crude oil transported annually (MTA) and the installed capacity is 20 MTA. The system was built for the needs of refineries in Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina  (24 MTA), and for the users in Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia (10 MTA).

The prime minister's economic adviser, Zvonimir Savić, said that the prime minister has said several times that the recent circumstances have put Croatia in a position of additional energy strength. That means that its LNG terminal could become a "more serious factor."

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 13 May 2022 - The Croatian parliament on Friday passed a law on the adoption of the euro as legal tender, with 117 MPs voting in favour, 13 against and one abstaining.

MPs rejected amendments by Bridge and the Green-Left Bloc and a conclusion by Bridge that the government had not endorsed.

The euro is expected to be introduced on 1 January 2023.

As of the 5^th of September this year through 2023, prices would be displayed both in kuna and in euro.

Next year there will be no cost for exchanging kuna cash for euro, which will be done in banks, post offices and the Financial Agency. Citizens will be able to exchange kuna bills for euro in the central bank indefinitely.

Bridge and Sovereignists against euro

Before today's vote, some of the opposition again spoke against introducing the euro.

Miro Bulj of Bridge said an estimate of the effects of the introduction should have been made, calling on parliament to repeal the law and saying that experts should state their opinion and the people decide in a referendum.

Marijan Pavliček of the Sovereignists said the party was concerned about how citizens would survive the month upon entering the eurozone and how pensioners and workers would live.

He said it was insane to enter the eurozone during the EU's biggest energy crisis, biggest economic uncertainty, and the biggest inflation in 20 years.

2022 budget revision included in agenda, debate next week

Parliament today added 14 items to the agenda, including a draft revision of this year's budget.

"We'll debate it next Wednesday," Speaker Gordan Jandroković said.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 13 May 2022 - President Zoran Milanović, who is the Supreme Commander of the Croatian Armed Forces, said in Petrinja on Friday that during the 1991-1995 Homeland War Croatia had not been liberated by an international coalition but "was successfully defended by its own forces."

Addressing an oath-taking ceremony for members of the 2nd Mechanised Battalion, President  Milanović told them that their predecessors "first defended and then liberated the country with very limited quantities of weapons." 

Milanović added that "the Croatian Army did not have foreign help at the time and Croatia was defended by its own forces, their heroism, ingenuity, cunning and courage."

"Croatia was not liberated by an international coalition. Croatia was liberated exclusively by Croatian forces relying solely on their own abilities – by Croatian sons and daughters, who joined forces with our brothers from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"The siege of Sarajevo and Bosnia and Herzegovina was not lifted by American and British planes, but by the Croatian Army and Croatian brigades – not by allied bombs, but by the Croatian Army at the entrance to Banja Luka," he said referring to the developments as a result of the 1995 Operation Storm.

"Only then was the siege of Sarajevo lifted and negotiations on the Dayton Accords began. These are very important things. There are still many witnesses. This will not be easily forgotten," he said.

Noting that "small nations cannot fight big battles," Milanović said that "when the big ones fight, the little ones move away and look after their own interests."

"We don’t have thousands of tanks, we won’t have them and we don’t need them. We must manage smartly, responsibly and cunningly what we have."

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 13 May 2022 - President Zoran Milanović on Friday accused Finland of ignoring Croatian interests for years and reiterated that he would continue fighting for the rights of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina because he considers that an exceptionally good security reason for Croatia.

Milanović was responding to a question from a Nova TV reporter to comment on the statement by Finnish foreign minister Pekka Haavisto, who had allegedly said that Finland was shocked by the president's statements.

"Welcome to the club, mister foreign minister. We have been shocked for several years already by your ignorance and rudeness," said Milanović in response, noting: "If he really said that."

Milanović added that two days ago, the state secretary of the Finnish ministry of foreign affairs spoke with the associates in his office and that he "didn't say that" then.

In his yesterday's statement to Nova TV, Haavisto didn't mention being "shocked" but he said that he hoped for Croatian solidarity and assistance in their bid to join NATO.

We find it a bit strange that our NATO membership is being connected to something we cannot influence, he said.

Milanović's support for Finland and Sweden's aspirations is conditional on a reform of the election law in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"We are shocked that they haven't given a damn about us for years. We are shocked that they are treating us as if we were a member of the Arab League, with all due respect, and not a NATO and EU member. We are shocked that we are obstructed every time we put this topic on the agenda and try to turn our attention to it. I am shocked by the behaviour of the Croatian government and Plenković's part of the HDZ," the Croatian president said.

Milanović stressed that he wouldn't give up fighting for the rights of Croats in the neighbouring country. "I have no choice. I must fight for the basic rights of Croats in BiH peacefully. There is no other option," he said.

Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on Friday that it wouldn't be wise to block Finland and Sweden on their NATO path and that that would mean working to the benefit of Russia, and Milanović told him "it isn't a matter of wisdom but a matter of national interest."

Finland's state leadership said on Thursday that Finland had to submit a membership application to NATO "without delay," which is a big turnabout in its policy, prompted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"What joining NATO means to Finland at this moment, is what Bosnia and Herzegovina means to us. The difference is in the fact that we have been saying this for several years," said Milanović, dismissing claims that he was catering to Russia.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 13 May 2022 - In the last 24 hours 726 coronavirus cases, out of 3,772 tests, and eight related deaths have been registered in Croatia, the national COVID-19 crisis management team said on Friday.

There are 4,583 active cases, including 361 hospitalised patients, 17 of whom are on ventilators, while 2,448 persons are self-isolating.

To date, Croatia has registered 1,130,562 coronavirus cases and the death toll is 15,920. Also, 59.51% of the population or 70.78% of adults have been vaccinated, including 68.71% of adults fully.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated section and select your preferred language if it isn't English.

May 13, 2022 - Actress Frances McDormand and her husband, the director Joel Coen will lead the masterclass workshops of the second edition of the festival on the Croatian island. ''The successful first edition of the Ponta Lopud festival encouraged us to raise the bar even higher'', says one of the founders, Miro Purivatra.

The second edition of the Ponta Lopud Festival in June will turn the island of Lopud for the second time into a creative cultural center for film industry professionals, a place to meet, exchange ideas, and enjoy art. A group of talented regional filmmakers of the new generation will have the opportunity to learn about the professional and personal experiences of artists who are among the top world cinematographers, multiple Oscar winners, actress, and producer Frances McDormand and director, producer, and screenwriter Joel Coen, reports Jutarnji List.

During the festival, McDormand and Coen will hold joint and individual workshops where they will talk about their careers, the experience of working together, and working with many film professionals in the process of making a film.

Frances McDormand has long been considered one of the most significant living actresses. With his character roles and numerous outstanding acting achievements for more than three decades, he has delighted both critics and audiences. Roles in films such as "Fargo", "Three Posters Out of Town", "Land of the Nomads", "Burn After Reading" and many others constantly raise the standards of what we consider acting skills.

This actress and producer of an impressive career have won four Oscars, awarded by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Last year, McDormand became the first actress to win both acting and production awards in the same year for "Nomadland," and is a member of the prestigious Triple Crown of Acting Club, an Oscar, Emmy, and Academy Award-winning artist Tony in the acting categories.

American director, screenwriter, and producer Joel Coen has won four prestigious American Academy Awards, as well as the Palme d'Or at Cannes. Together with his brother Ethan, he has been creating unforgettable authorial achievements for four decades, standing behind films such as "No Country for Old Men", "Fargo", "Barton Fink", "The Great Lebowski", the inevitable titles of film anthologies.

''Frances McDormand and Joel Coen have permanently marked and enriched film art with their work and achievements. He will share his invaluable experiences of creative processes and film as art with young talents in the inspiring atmosphere of the island of Lopud. The successful first edition of the Ponta Lopud Festival encouraged us to raise the bar even higher in all segments of programming and organization of this event, which includes a program for masters and young talents and a specially selected selection of films for fans of the seventh art'', said Miro Purivatra , one of the founders Ponta Lopud Festival.

This year, the Ponta Lopuda program has been expanded: in addition to a series of meetings and talks with masters in acting and directing, professional programs for female cameramen are also planned. About twenty participants of the masterclasses will enjoy the rare privilege of learning from top professionals who fully enjoy their work and are always looking for new inspiration.

During the six days of the festival, participants and the audience will be able to enjoy evening film screenings in unique locations under the stars, the exceptional ambiance of the fortress of the Franciscan monastery Lopud 1483, and the beach of RMH Lafodia Sea Resort.

The second Ponta Lopud festival will be held from June 22 to 27, 2022.

Ponta Lopud Festival is a creative hub, a meeting place for film talents from the region, significant authors from the world of film, and lovers of film art. Developing talents and already established professionals of the seventh art in the inspiring environment of the island of Lopud have the opportunity to gain new experiences and create long-term professional and friendly relationships. At the same time, the Ponta Lopud Festival, which focuses on creative processes and film as art, provides insight into recent trends in regional cinema by bringing together new generations of filmmakers on Elaphite Island. The Ponta Lopud Festival was founded by Tilda Grossel Bogdanović and Mirsad Purivatra in 2021, with a mission to promote and professionally develop a new generation of film talent.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, 13 May 2022 - The HUBOL association of hospital doctors on Friday requested the adoption of a new abortion and pregnancy termination law, saying that half-truths on the case of Mirela Čavajda are creating an unacceptable campaign against doctors and misinterpreting the role of conscientious objection.

In a statement, HUBOL expressed genuine regret for Čavajda, whose unborn child has a brain tumour.

HUBOL said conscientious objection was founded in international legal documents, Croatian law, and the Code of Medical Ethics, and legally, everything about it was clear.

Čavajda's case is not about conscientious objection, HUBOL said, adding that a woman's legal right to abortion and pregnancy termination and a doctor's right to conscientious objection must not be mutually exclusive.

"The Ministry of Health has the duty to ensure conditions for the exercise of both rights," the statement said.

Pregnancy termination in case of a seriously malformed fetus after the 22nd week is feticide, which is not regulated by Croatian law, HUBOL said, adding that a doctor who performs it could be criminally charged.

If such a pregnancy is terminated in a way that results in a live birth, the neonatologist is legally obliged to provide for the baby in the best way possible, or risk being sued for negligence, HUBOL added.

It called for adopting a new law that would clearly regulate the rights and obligations of doctors regarding pregnancy termination as well as protecting children, pregnant women, mothers and doctors from misinterpretations.

For more, check out our politics section.