ZAGREB, 26 October, 2021 - MP Marijana Puljak of the Centre party said on Tuesday that the Split city administration had not signed a contract for a HRK 135 million loan with OTP Bank but had just agreed an overdraft, to be used if necessary.

Split city councillor Davor Matijević of the Social Democratic Party said last Friday that Mayor Ivica Puljak had signed a HRK 135 million loan agreement with OTP Bank in mid-July about which the public and the partners in the then ruling majority knew nothing.

"The SDP has evidently never had a bank account with an overdraft. The Split city administration agreed an overdraft with the bank in which it has an account. If you have an account in OTP Bank, you cannot ask for an overdraft at some other bank. These accusations are ridiculous," said MP Puljak, who is Split Mayor Ivica Puljak's wife.

She added that the overdraft had nothing to do with her because she left her job at OTP Bank in 2019, after working 25 years in its IT department.

"I am being accused of being a banker and I am an IT specialist. I made sure computers operated 24 hours a day. I left the bank to start working in an IT company and I have been a professional politician only for a year. When I withdraw from politics, I will have a vocation while those who owe everything they have to politics are making up problems and trying to topple us," she said, adding that the new city administration in Split was putting things in order and introducing a number of changes, which the City Council had been unwilling to follow.

"This is the first time in the history of parliamentarianism that the Opposition is refusing to go to elections... They had the opportunity to dissolve the City Council. If things are not working, let's ask citizens at the ballot box what they want," Puljak said.

ZAGREB, 26 October, 2021 - Bosnia and Herzegovina can function better only if all its constituent peoples are satisfied, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in Zagreb on Tuesday, stressing that it is necessary to ensure that the Croats choose their own representatives at all levels of government by themselves.

"Our position towards Bosnia and Herzegovina is clear and friendly," Plenković told reporters after a meeting of the ruling coalition.

Bosnia and Herzegovina can function better, it can be easier for it on its reform path and it can be faster on its EU journey only if all its constituent peoples are satisfied, the prime minister said.

Earlier today, Plenković met in Zagreb with the US State Department's special envoy for electoral reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Matthew Palmer.

"We presented our position and listened to his," Plenković said, adding that Croatia's position is that the constituent peoples should elect their own legitimate representatives to the highest representative bodies and the presidency.

"The legitimate representation of the Croats as a constituent people is of particular importance. There should be no anomalies such as that representatives of another people in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, namely the Bosniaks, choose a Croat member of the presidency for the Croats. This has been going on since 2006 and we are not pleased with this situation," the Croatian PM said.

The existing electoral law makes it possible for the more numerous Bosniaks to choose a Croat member of the tripartite state presidency and Croat delegates to the upper house of the parliament of the Bosniak-Croat Federation entity.

To prevent such practice, Bosnian Croat leaders demand that electoral legislation be changed in accordance with a Constitutional Court ruling, while Bosniak parties give priority to ensuring compliance with the European Court of Human Rights ruling, which says that Bosnia and Herzegovina discriminates against members of its non-constituent peoples because they cannot run for the state presidency.

Plenković said that the US and the EU should help the political parties and leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina to reach an agreement on amending the electoral law before the end of 2021.

"Our wish is for any such amendments to be agreed by consensus, if possible, of all stakeholders in Bosnia and Herzegovina," he said.

INA not the only issue important for relations with Hungary

Commenting on the final court ruling against former Prime Minister Ivo Sanader for taking a bribe from the CEO of the Hungarian energy group MOL, Zsolt Hernadi, Plenković said that the ruling would not undermine Hungarian-Croatian relations.

The issue of INA, the Croatian oil and gas company, "is not the only issue that is important for cooperation between the two countries," Plenković said.

The Croatian Supreme Court said in the rationale of its judgment that Sanader and Hernadi had agreed to ensure, for a bribe of €10 million, the conclusion of unfounded amendments to the agreement on INA, in which the Croatian government has a slightly lower stake than MOL. The amendments were meant to give MOL predominant control over INA.

Sanader and Hernadi also arranged the conclusion of an agreement on divesting INA's unprofitable gas business, which was to be entirely taken over by Croatia.

ZAGREB, 26 October, 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said after a meeting of the ruling coalition on Tuesday that on Thursday and Friday next week, November 4 and 5, all schools and classes in the country would go online.

Monday, November 1, is All Saints' Day, a public holiday. According to the school calendar, there are no classes on that day and on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 2 and 3.   

"Science and Education Minister Radovan Fuchs has agreed this with all county COVID-19 response teams," Plenković told reporters, denying that there had been glitches in communication regarding this issue.

He again pointed to the need for compliance with epidemiological measures and called on everyone to get vaccinated.

In the past 24 hours another 18 people have ended up on ventilators, and of them 13 are not vaccinated. Of the 159 hospitalised COVID-19 patients, 116 did not get vaccinated, and of the latest 30 fatalities, 23 did not get vaccinated, Plenković said, underlining the importance of vaccination.

The ruling coalition discussed a budget revision for this year and a budget for next year, welcoming the two documents.

Both documents will be adopted by the government on Thursday, after which the budget revision will be discussed by the parliament next week, and the budget for 2022 in early December, the PM said.

I never interfered in promotions, dismissals or retirements

Asked to comment on the ongoing conflict between President Zoran Milanović and Defence Minister Mario Banožić regarding the early retirement of the commander of the Honorary and Protection Battalion, Colonel Elvis Burčul, Plenković said that he did not want to get involved in the matter and that he had never interfered in the promotion, dismissal or retirement of any officer.

"Under the law, such matters are dealt with by the president, the defence minister and the army chief-of-staff," he said.

As for a meeting of the Council for Defence and the National Security Council, he said that he had proposed to the president three time slots in November and expected the meeting to be held in about two weeks.

Health reform: Text made public was never discussed by gov't 

Speaking of the reform of the healthcare sector, whose outlines have been published by media outlets recently, Plenković said that he would comment on it once the final text was submitted to the government.

"A working document has been published that was never discussed by the government and it has caused many comments. Those are working documents, those are not final decisions or final reforms but rather ideas that exist in the ministry," he said, calming citizens.

As for the statement by Reconstruction Fund director Damir Vanđelić that around 2,000 families in the earthquake-struck Banovina region still did not have adequate accommodation, which was denied by the task force dealing with the aftermath of the 29 December 2020 earthquake in Sisak-Moslavina County, Plenković said that he did not know what good such statements did to Vanđelić.

HDZ has paid HRK 14.3 million into state budget

Plenković also confirmed that his HDZ party had paid HRK 14.3 million into the state budgetunder the Supreme Court ruling in the Fimi Media corruption case, stressing that the party's financial operations would continue normally after the payment.

Asked about the latest popularity ratings, Plenković expressed satisfaction that the HDZ enjoyed the support of 31% of the electorate while its rivals enjoyed the support of 12% of the electorate or less.

October 26, 2021 - Do you know which animal is a natural barometer or how many fingers an otter has? These are just some of the questions of the famous quiz master Morana Zibar, who will intrigue you and present the Drava Story, a project from Noskovac in Virovitica-Podravina County, in an interesting and interactive way.

Do you know which animal is a natural barometer, how many fingers an otter has, where it springs, and in which river the Drava flows? These are just some of the questions of the famous quiz master Morana Zibar, who will intrigue you and present the Drava Story, a project from Noskovac in Virovitica-Podravina County, in an interesting and interactive way.

If you answer all ten questions correctly, you will win a free welcome drink at the Visitor Center on the banks of the Drava, which was the summer residence of Count Drašković in the 19th century, reports Turističke Priče.

Today, the Drava Story is an unavoidable destination on the attractive Noble Route of Slavonia and Podravina. Educational trails, fragrant garden, owl-shaped labyrinth, stork recovery center, insect hotel, bio-research station, bird choir, hostel with 34 beds, themed spaces, multimedia facilities, cycling, canoeing, walking along the Drava … - a great choice for lovers of nature, healthy living, adventure, and recreation.

But before coming to the Dravska priča Visitor Center, don't forget to solve the quiz on the website, but also on the Visitor Center's social networks. Then confirm your knowledge live: experience a garden of fragrant experiences, walk through an owl-shaped maze, visit a bio-research station, explore the area by bike and canoe. The Drava Story hides a whole range of diverse experiences and programs.

This corner of paradise of exceptional biodiversity and preserved natural heritage is in the area of ​​the recently declared pentalateral Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve, under the protection of UNESCO, which covers almost a million hectares and has more than 700 kilometers of rivers.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

October 26, 2021 - As it joins the promotional campaign of Croatian Tourism Month, Krka National Park offers a special ticket price for all its attractions, which will be valid from October 25th to 31st.

With a special ticket price for all land sites in the Park of 65 kn for adults and 52 kn for children aged seven to eighteen, which will be valid from 25 to 31 October, Krka National Park offers an interesting discount and thus joins the promotional campaign Croatian Tourism Month, which is carried out by Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Croatian National Tourist Board, reports Turističke Priče. For children up to the age of seven, entry to the Krka National Park has always been free.

The aim of the action is to encourage the citizens of the Republic of Croatia to get to know and visit different parts of our country at better prices for many tourist services and products, from the accommodation, transport, and sightseeing to catering services and various experiences, with the aim of encouraging domestic tourism and increasing tourist traffic. in the off-season.

Every season on the Krka is special for some reason. Painted with autumn colors, Krka provides a real experience: pleasant temperatures, the liveliness of flora and fauna, plenty of water, pronounced geomorphological forms of rocks, and travertine. In addition, the enjoyment of mastering the educational hiking trails and cycling routes will make the visit unforgettable. Krka National Park includes the largest and most beautiful part of the Krka River and the lower course of the Čikola River. The basic phenomenon of the Krka National Park is tufa, which, along the entire course of the river, has formed seven enchanting travertine waterfalls. The most famous and most visited waterfall, Skradinski buk, is the longest travertine barrier in Europe.

The Skradinski buk and Roški slap sites are open for visitors from 9 am to 5 pm in October, and the upstream sites from 10 am to 5 pm, the Krka National Park reported.

Krka National Park is an absolute gem, with a range of fantastic things to see and do for all the family. In partnership with Krka National Park, we are delighted to present the first TC video guide below. 

Check our full guide on all Croatian National and Nature Parks HERE.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

October 26, 2021 - The 2021 Croatia Airlines winter schedule has been announced, while Ryanair has begun announcing even more spring flights from its Zagreb base next year. 

Croatia Airlines has announced its winter flight schedule, which will take effect on the last day of October and run until the end of March next year, reports Croatian Aviation.

Croatia Airlines has thus announced 13 international routes from Zagreb, 3 from Split, and one from Osijek, a total of 17 international routes to and from Croatia.

Lines from Zagreb

Croatia Airlines will have the largest number of flights and weekly flights from Zagreb Airport, its main base. Flights to the following European destinations have been announced:

Amsterdam, 7 times a week, daily,

Vienna, 3 times a week, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays,

Brussels, 6 times a week, every day except Saturday,

Dublin, 2 times a week, Thursdays and Sundays,

Frankfurt, 3 to 4 daily flights

Copenhagen, 5 times a week, every day except Tuesdays and Saturdays,

London, 4 times a week, Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays,

Munich, 5 times a week, every day except Wednesday and Saturday,

Paris, 7 times a week, daily,

Rome (via Split), 7 times a week, daily,

Sarajevo, 6 times a week, every day except Saturday,

Skopje, 4 times a week, Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays,

Zurich, 11 times a week, daily, two daily flights on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.

Lines from Split

Croatia Airlines will operate on three routes from Split Airport to two destinations in Germany and one in Italy; scheduled flights to Munich, Frankfurt, and Rome have been announced:

Frankfurt, 7 times a week, daily,

Munich, 7 times a week, daily,

Rome, 7 times a week, daily.

Flights from Osijek

Croatia Airlines will introduce a regular flight between Munich and Osijek on November 15 this year. Aircraft will operate on this route twice a week, every Monday and Friday. Thus, passengers will be able to continue their journey to 6 European destinations via Munich.

On most routes, the Croatian national airline will use DashQ400 aircraft with a capacity of 76 seats, but in a much smaller proportion than last winter. Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft have been announced from Zagreb to Amsterdam, Dublin, London, Frankfurt, Paris, and Copenhagen and from Split to Frankfurt. 

There will be no regular international flights to Rijeka and Dubrovnik this winter, as before the pandemic. Still, Croatia Airlines continues to operate on domestic routes to Pula, Zadar, and Dubrovnik and PSO routes from Zagreb Airport in the upcoming winter flight schedule.

Furthermore, Ryanair has launched additional departures on several international routes from Zagreb Airport next spring, adds Croatian Aviation.

Namely, the Irish low-cost carrier released tickets for next year's summer flight schedule, including flights from Zagreb Airport, with additional departures on 9 international lines from the new Zagreb base, allowing flexibility for travelers to and from Zagreb.

The following lines have increased from 2 to 3 flights per week: 

Zagreb - Memmingen - Zagreb (March 2022),

Zagreb - Malta - Zagreb (March 2022),

Zagreb - Paphos - Zagreb (March 2022),

Zagreb - Weeze - Zagreb (March 2022),

Zagreb - Basel - Zagreb (March 2022).

The following lines will operate four times a week instead of three times a week:

Zagreb - Frankfurt Hahn - Zagreb (March 2022),

Zagreb - Gothenburg - Zagreb (May 2022).

Lines to Bergamo and Brussels are in the highest demand, so Ryanair is introducing additional flights on these routes:

Zagreb - Milan Bergamo - Zagreb, from 4 to 5 weekly flights (April 2022),

Zagreb - Brussels Charleroi - Zagreb, from 4 to 5 weekly flights (April 2022).

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

October 26, 2021 - The 10th Hideout festival will return to Zrće beach next July, 12 years after the electronic music festival was first held on the island of Pag. 

After two years away due to the pandemic, July 3rd to 7th, 2022 will see Hideout Festival pull out all the stops to serve up a long-awaited 10th edition of the festival like no other. 12 years after kick-starting the clubbing revolution that has since unfolded on the gorgeous beaches of Croatia, Hideout continues to lead from the front with five fantastic stages of diverse music from first wave headliners Camelphat, Sonny Fodera, Andy C, Jamie Jones, Jayda G, Eats Everything, Skream, Sam Divine, HAAi, Horse Meat Disco, Sherelle, Shy FX, TSHA, Bad Boy Chiller Crew and loads more. Ticket Prices start at £ 149 + BF and can be booked from October 28th for a £ 50 deposit at https://hideoutfestival.com. There are also several flight, coach, and accommodation packages making the festival extremely accessible.

Over the last 12 years, Hideout has grown from reasonably humble roots into one of the flagship summer festivals in Europe. It's a place where young, playful, and style-conscious music lovers gather to cut loose, look good and have plenty of fun at high-energy parties. But it’s also serious about music and tastefully brings together a wealth of beach vibes, boat parties, day parties, and exclusive headline shows across five stunning open-air venues. They are the world-renowned Papaya, Aquarius, Noa, Kalypso, and the intimate Euphoria stages, and between them, they boast sun-soaked wooden terraces, plenty of thematic production, mesmeric lights, world-class sound systems, and uninterrupted views of the glistening Adriatic.

The line-up this year is supersized even by Hideout’s high standards. It is another celebration of all genres from disco to techno, drum & bass to garage and house music with legendary pioneers next to red hot breakout acts. For those who like their cutting-edge underground sounds, there is plenty to look forward to from scene leaders such as Ninja Tune's Jayda G, rising superstar TSHA, and recent Fabric mix entrant and techno innovators Overmono. For house heads, there are the likes of GRAMMY winners Camelphat, Aussie house maestro Sonny Fodera, bass lover Eats Everything, and Hideout favs like Solardo, Jamie Jones, Hot Since 82, Sam Divine, Richy Ahmed, Krystal Klear, and many more. 

For party-starting beats and breaks look no further than the thrilling breakout star Sherelle, plus returning legend Skream and the social media sensations that are Northern rap kings Bad Boy Chiller Crew. DnB, garage and all things bass are covered by titans including Andy C, Dimension, Shy FX, Holy Goof, Jaguar, My Nu Leng, and Flava D. There are plenty more shades and sounds covered from every corner of the spectrum with more to come, so whatever you are into, Hideout has you covered in 2022. 

As well as the wealth of musical offerings and carefully curated line-ups, the whole of Zrce Beach becomes a hotbed of entertainment where you can plan your own adventure. For adrenaline junkies, there are plenty of options to keep your pulse racing for the full five days including water sports, banana boats, jet skis, pedalos, the famous Bungee Jump, massages on the beach, and plenty of rental options including quads, boats, and pedalos in Novalja.

Hideout Festival 2022 promises to raise the bar once more. It will be a much-needed return to open-air dancing in the natural beauty of Zcre Beach with a world-class soundtrack. There is a reason it is one of Europe's most loved festivals, now it's your turn to find out why. 

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

October 26, 2021 - Traditional Potravlje pottery was again in the spotlight in Sinj thanks to an educational workshop led by Ivan Knezović.

On Friday, October 21, 2021, the Sinj Tourist Board, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, the Museum of Cetina Krajina - Sinj, and the City of Sinj, organized two educational workshops for children and adults about traditional hand wheel pottery from Potravlje.

Željko Zrnčić

After last year's break, and due to increased interest, for the sixth time, several workshops were organized. As in previous years, the workshop for children was held in cooperation with the kindergarten "Bili Cvitak" and Mrs. Ana Glavinović, who assisted Ivan Knezović in making objects from clay. At the end of the workshop, the proud little participants took their handicrafts with them to decorate the premises of the kindergarten. This year, the students of the 4th grade of the Technical and Industrial School of Ruđer Bošković, who participated in the school project Research of Cultural Heritage under the mentorship of Professor Branimir Romac, also joined the workshops.

Željko Zrnčić

Ivan Knezović, who regularly leads these educational workshops, is also among the last to engage in this traditional craft. Traditional hand pottery from Potravlje has had the status of an intangible cultural property since 2013. Accordingly, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia nominated it for the protection of UNESCO.

Željko Zrnčić

It is imperative to preserve this segment of traditional culture and continue living by passing it on to younger generations. With this goal in mind, the Sinj Tourist Board, with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia, holds workshops on Traditional hand pottery from Potravlje. Due to the large number of participants who wanted to try to make valuable objects and successfully implement all epidemiological measures, the workshops were held from 16:00 to 20:30.

Željko Zrnčić

In the introductory part, Danijela Petričević Banović, curator of the Museum of the Cetina Region in Sinj, gave an interesting and instructive lecture on traditional pottery. This was followed by a presentation and guidance of Ivan Knezović through the stages of preparation and processing of clay to the final pottery. Anyone who expressed a desire and interest could participate in making pottery under his expert guidance. Workshop participants received unique souvenirs personally made by the leader, Ivan Knezović, and the youngest participants received small gifts and gingerbread as souvenirs.

In addition to these workshops, in the musical part of the evening, members of the Association for the Preservation of Heritage of the Cetina Region and KUD Dicmo performed traditional melodies of ojkavica: male and female rera, which is also on the list of intangible heritage of the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia.

Željko Zrnčić

You can see the production process and scenes from the workshop below:

This workshop is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia. The Sinj Tourist Board genuinely thanked everyone who helped them in the realization of this project.