ZAGREB, 5 June 2021 - World Environment Day is observed on 5 June and this year it is dedicated to the restoration of ecosystems, whose resources are the foundation of the social and economic progress of humankind as well as people's health and wellbeing, Croatia's Economy and Sustainable Development Ministry has said.

Ecosystems play a significant role in the prevention of health crises such as COVID-19 because by destroying natural ecosystems, people have significantly increased the risk of illnesses passing from animals to people.

The ministry says the necessity to protect nature and the environment is also reflected in the fact that, according to the World Economic Forum, half the global GDP ($40 trillion), depends moderately or strongly on nature.

Given that many ecosystems have been irreversibly destroyed and others considerably degraded, our survival depends on the speed of action and clear international community coordination for their preservation and renewal, the ministry says.  

Therefore the United Nations Environment Programme, first with a resolution on 1 May and then with the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration movement, which symbolically kicks off with this year's World Environment Day, has called on all governments, the business sector, the expert and scientific community, and the wider public to prevent further degradation of ecosystems and to ensure a future for the generations to come, the ministry says.

That's why it's necessary to raise public awareness of the fact that humankind spends by the middle of the year the Earth's capacities that should suffice all year, it adds.

Ecosystem restoration, together with transition to a circular economy and a climate-neutral society, can simultaneously prevent poverty, hunger, loss of biodiversity, climate change, and uncertain access to drinking water, the ministry says.

The director of Greenpeace Croatia, Zoran Tomić, has told Hina that it's important to make cities greener and enable them to really recover.

City and local authorities now have the opportunity and duty to launch ecological transition to alleviate the effects of climate change and health crises, he says.

WWF Adria has called on citizens to demand of the authorities to implement concrete nature protection measures and support, through various campaigns, all those who contribute to nature preservation and protection.

Animal Friends Croatia has announced that on the occasion of World Environment Day, it will send all Croatian MPs a brochure on food and the ecology to explain the link between breeding animals for food and world hunger, global warming, water consumption and deforestation.

For more about ecology and environment in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

June the 5th, 2021 - Croatian bicycle exports have shot up as people choose a more active and outdoor-oriented lifestyle as a result of the ongoing public health crisis taking the world by storm.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Brnic writes, the bicycle business is becoming very profitable due to the consumption that exploded with the onset of the pandemic, even causing a shortage on the global market, but European manufacturers, especially Italian ones, are facing a dilemma as to whether to risk things and invest in new capacities, and they are cautious because they estimate that such interest could last two more years.

All bicycle manufacturers across the world are facing a big problem with the supply of the necessary key parts for bike production, such as gears and gearboxes, even for the well-known Japanese manufacturer Shimano, which meets as much as two thirds of the world's needs.

So far, manufacturers have been waiting for four months for the delivery of the ordered quantities from Shimano, and now that time has been increased to one year. A solution is sought in collaboration with other manufacturers to increase production.

Demand is growing

Statistics also show a massive increase in general demand for bicycles - from the United States, where demand jumped 120 percent, and the United Kingdom, having jumped to 45 percent, and according to Eurostat data, trade in bicycles is growing across EU member states, especially in trade for electric versions.

43 percent more bikes were exported than in 2019, almost 274 thousand of them with a total value of 427 million euros, while their imports were at the same time higher by 19 percent, and more than 839 thousand, worth 721 million euros in total, were imported.

Exports of "classic" bicycles produced in the EU also grew by as much as 35 percent, a total of 1.3 million worth 471 million euros were exported, while imports, unlike the overall global trend, were about 3 percent below the level of the previous year. This is a large amount - the import of almost 5 million bicycles worth 930 million euros.

The main market for European bicycles of all types, pedal and electric, was the United Kingdom, where more than a third were sold, and Switzerland, while almost a quarter of imported "classic" came from Cambodia, and more than half of electric bicycles are imported from Taiwan.

When it comes to Croatia, last year, according to Eurostat data, we imported 86 percent more bicycles, a total of 16.4 thousand worth 1.5 million euros, and Croatian bicycle exports increased by 122 percent - 1.7 thousand bikes worth half a million euros were exported.

An unsurprising lack of incentives in Croatia

When it comes to electric bikes, both Croatian bicycle exports and imports decreased when compared to pre-pandemic 2019, but their financial value is significantly higher. It is also interesting to note that in this case, the export realisation is higher than that of the imports - 354 electric bicycles worth 272 thousand euros were exported, and 286 worth 182 thousand euros were imported.

There are several producers who have entered this niche here in Croatia - Mate Rimac, and the young innovator Mate Ljubicic from Runovic. The demand for electric bicycles in this country would probably also grow quite significantly if people were granted incentives as part of encouraging e-mobility.

Last year, and this year as well, in the recently published public invitation of the Fund for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency, no non-refundable support is provided for the purchase of electric bicycles among electric vehicles.

However, regardless of the fact that the state decided to exclude bicycles in relation to other categories of vehicles, the example of the Italian city of Rome proves that there are other forms of incentives to be offered - such as up to 500 euros for the purchase of all types of bicycles.

For more, follow our dedicated business section.

June the 5th, 2021 - When it comes to what Croatia has to offer, most people will likely immediately think of the sun, the glorious Adriatic sea, the many islands and the wine. Croatin gastronomy is certainly up there on that same list, and Croatian cheeses are becoming more and more well known internationally. Two Croatian cheeses are doing so well, in fact, that they've been ranked among the planet's very best.

Pag cheese is probably the first of the Croatian cheeses to spring to the mind of the majotiy of people remotely familiar with the country's production of this much loved food item.

The bizarre moonlike northern Adriatic island of Pag, the northern part of which belongs to Lika-Senj County and the central and southern part to Zadar County, is home to some of the most mouthwatering Croatian cheese for those who aren't lactose intolerant, of course. This island produces cheese which is then exported and taken all over the world to be enjoyed by cheese lovers, and it has firmly placed the entire country on the cheese map of the globe.

The World Food Atlas from Taste Atlas has picked up on the treasure trove which is Croatian gastronomy, more precisely on Croatian cheeses, and has declared two domestic products to be among the best the world has to offer.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, The World Food Atlas is a well-known website which is a must-browse for all food lovers or ''foodies'', and now they have published a revised ranking with the world's best cheeses.

On the list of the top 100 best rated cheeses according to the votes of the audience, there are as many as two Croatian cheeses. Skripavac took a more than respectable 61st place, and the famous, aforementioned Pag cheese has taken an extremely impressive 14th place.

If you're a cheese lover, you can view the entire list by clicking here.

For more, make sure to follow Made in Croatia.

June the 5th, 2021 - Kvarner tourism is showing some encouraging results when compared to this time last year, as the eVisitor system's data shows a 30 percent increase in overnight stays in 2021's first five months.

As Barbara Ban/Novac writes, according to the Croatian eVisitor system, more than 600,000 thousand overnight stays were realised in Kvarner in the first five months of 2021, which is 30 percent more than were recorded back during the same period in 2020. It is also equal to 40 percent of the overnight stays recorded for Kvarner tourism compared to the record, pre-pandemic year of 2019.

The highest number of overnight stays were realised by Croatian guests (234,000, which is 75 percent of the realised overnight stays for Kvarner tourism when compared to 2019), followed by guests from Germany (more than 126,500 overnight stays) and guests from Slovenia (66,000 overnight stays).

The island of Krk, the Opatija Riviera and the Cres-Losinj islands were the most sought after destinations for Kvarner tourism, and if we're to talk about the type of accommodation facilities sought, from January to May, most overnight stays were realised in family/private accommodation (216,000 overnight stays), hotels (157,000 overnight stays) and camps (126,500 overnight stays).

"In mid-May, with the gradual calming down of the epidemiological situation, many European countries began to ease their anti-epidemic measures. In Kvarner, we began to record a stable and significant growth of overnight stays during the month of May - for example, in the first week of May we realised about 36,000 overnight stays, while that number rose to almost 120,000 overnight stays in the last week of May. Over recent days, about 20,000 guests have been staying in Kvarner every day, and we're very happy that loyal guests from Germany have returned in large numbers and in May they hold the first place in terms of the number of overnight stays (104,000 overnight stays, a 36 percent share in total overnight stays),'' stated Kvarner Tourist Board director Irena Persic Zivadinov.

Numerous studies tell us how guests want and now even need to travel following such a long time of being restricted, and this is especially the case during the hot summer months. For example, the European Travel Commission (ETC) says as many as 56 percent of Europeans plan to travel within the rest of Europe by the end of August. TUI analyses also confirm that guests will choose destinations that are easily and quickly accessible by car, while "last-minute" bookings and the ability to change the date of stay at any time without additional costs will be almost crucial in the decisions of guests.

Analyses from the Booking.com platform also show that 79 percent of respondents are looking forward to being able to travel elsewhere again after a period of isolation and numerous restrictions placed on movement, while 64 percent of respondents say that travel is now even more important to them than it ever was before the pandemic.

“Since the beginning of 2021, we've done a series of virtual presentations. The participants of these presentations, whether they're representatives of tour operators, agents or media representatives, confirmed to us that guests want and need to travel. That's why the Kvarner Tourist Board continues to present the region throughout the month of June through presentations and advertising campaigns. Thanks to the EU digital COVID certificates and the growing vaccination of the EU's population, we believe that movement between countries, especially at the EU level, will be greatly facilitated and encourage guests to travel again. In cooperation with the County Teaching Institute for Public Health and the Health Centre, we'll continue to organise locations for conducting COVID-19 testing.

Additional tourist clinics will soon be open, where guests will also be able to take tests, and many accommodation facilities - hotels and camps - will conduct tests on COVID-19 only for their guests, right there on the spot. In this way, we'll try to ensure a carefree and safe stay for guests in Kvarner. Guests are always looking for quality, which also gives them a sense of security and protection in their destination, at all levels. In addition to all that, the proximity and accessibility of Kvarner will certainly remain our important imperative in 2021 as well,'' pointsed out the director of the Kvarner Tourist Board.

For more, follow our travel section.

June the 5th, 2021 - Croatian labour force issues weren't ''born'' with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and all of the economic woes it has caused, but the ongoing public health crisis certainly hasn't helped with this burning issue. Along with the epidemiological situation, this is another huge threat to the tourism industry in this country.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Suzana Varosanec writes, with the lack of foreign workers currently available, the mother of all problems for chefs has opened up, and in anticipation of a good summer season for this profession, wage offers are ranging from 10,000 kuna to top chefs who could earn about 3,000 to 5,000 euros.

Every place along the Adriatic coast lacks about 50 chefs, claims Pero Savanovic, a well-known and award-winning chef with 30 years of experience and a frequent member of the jury at international gastronomic competitions.

He has now taken over the position of head chef at Matrioska, ​​a restaurant in the Baska Voda Hotel group, but as he has run top restaurants all along the coast, and is active in Chefs Club Croatia and Chef kuha doma, he estimates that almost every hotel is experiencing a staff shortage of around 20 to 30 people, part of whom are on the chef’s team.

This, he says, can be confirmed by employment agencies: They offer staff from the region, and the least of all from Croatia, so that according to Savanovic, only auxiliary chefs are being hired from the Croatian market in a share of only 2 or 3 percent. The situation is similar with other occupations related to tourism - waiters, beach workers, gardeners….

Numerous catering and hospitality facilities are failing to find professional and quality workers amid this Croatian labour force issue, and for those who get their hands on staff through agencies, such as young chefs, they mention the problem of a low level of knowledge and will.

"The Croatian labour force issue and the shortage of staff is a serious threat to tourism. The problem that has been going on for several years because has erupted and become worse since the pandemic began as the industry had to change. When they saw that they would be out of work for a while, they turned to less risky jobs,'' explains Savanovic.

"Yes, we have a problem, even after a large number of people have retrained," confirms another well-known local chef, a member of the jury of the reality TV show Three, Two, One - Cook. Ivan Pazanin adds that Croatia experienced a huge issue in this regard ever since the pandemic struck the country.

"We need to hold tight for the next few months and after the summer we need to make an analysis and come up with an action programme. We had a gastronomic boom and now the market is experiencing that with all the good and bad consequences that come with it,'' says Pazanin, who opened a Dalmatian street food bar in the very heart of Split, inside Diocletian's Palace.

"I'm very satisfied: I came up with the concept in accordance with my preferences and now it turns out that the market has accepted it very well," says Pazanin.

The problem with chefs is also more pronounced in Zagreb's restaurants than it ever was before the pandemic. According to the head of the operations office at the RougeMarin Restaurant, Matej Kobad, the restrictive anti-epidemic measures have taken their toll, and a lot of damage has been caused by the lockdowns and closure of those facilities.

“Not only did earnings drop, people lost their jobs, but a lot of chefs and waiters switched to other industries,” he says, confirming that there are great difficulties in finding chefs, with an emphasis on auxiliary ones. Despite that, says Kobas, in anticipation of a very good summer season, they prepared a new investment and through a lease they expanded RougeMarin Park to an additional 2000 m2, where, in cooperation with the fashion.hr agency, they're developing the concept of festival events. Outdoor events are the future, as the pandemic has changed consumer habits.

This situation with Croatian labour force market has led to more and more employers in this industry importing Filipino, Indian and Nepalese workers.

For example, in Camp Bunja on the island of Brac, they had offers from four agencies for such workers. Finally, people from India were employed, with an apostille of impunity certified by an Indian and Croatian notary. It took about a week and a half, because India was in lockdown. As is well known to anyone who has attempted to engage in anything remotely administrative in Croatia, the issuing of work permits for third country nationals can take up to two months.

They now have a chef in the camp, but what if someone cancels, director Lana Ivicek wonders, revealing that they have had two such cases in the last month. First, they hired a Montenegrin chef, but while he was waiting for his papers, he found another job instead.

Then a young man from Argentina applied, and in the end a chef from Bosnia and Herzegovina was hired, for whom they are still completing the legal procedure. Ivicek says that the camp has 50 accommodation units with a bistro capacity of 60 guests. Occupancy is now at the level of 30%, but they expect 100% in the height of the season, so Ivicek believes that the procedure for hiring foreigners should be facilitated and accelerated so as to try to patch up the continued issues with the Croatian labour force.

Gordan Skoric from Danas radim believes that the reform of the Permanent Seasonal Institute is necessary, which supports the initiative to shorten the concept from six months to at least five, so that those interested in seasonal jobs can meet the criteria.

"If you're a permanent seasonal worker and have a full year of income, it's considered that you're a permanently employed person, but the season has been significantly shortened. If the conditions are set at five months, companies could hire permanent seasonal workers, and wouldn't then have to lay them off. In previous years, they'd have hired them at the end of April, counting on the season to start, which worked to some extent, but last year the season was reduced to three months,'' he explains. On the other hand, the profession is concerned about the future of the Croatian gastronomic scene.

Savanovic believes that Croatia will become focused on the import of cheap labour, and therefore poor quality will be the end result.

For more, follow our business section.

 June 6, 2021 - TCN's highlights of the week. A look at the events in Croatia from May 31 through the selection of TCN's reporter Ivor Kruljac. 

From significant political changes after the local elections to the losses and preparations in sport, the week was hyped by a strive for hope in Croatia. But, the tragic murder of Nino Čengić in Varaždin was a painful kick to the stomach. Here is another weekly selection of the news depicting the bittersweet life in Croatia. 

© Patrik Macek / PIXSELL

Highlights of the week: Tomislav Tomašević officially. becomes the new mayor of Zagreb

Zagreb local elections winner Tomislav Tomašević met with Jelena Pavičić Vukičević for an official ceremony of transferring power on Friday, which makes Tomašević officially the new mayor of Zagreb.

Media attention was also caught for the fact that Tomašević was four minutes late to the ceremony because he was waiting for the ambulance on Cibona because a woman fell ill in the middle of the street. But, for the bigger public interest, it's important to note today was the first time for Tomašević to have a detailed view on the financial situation of the City of Zagreb, giving him a clear picture of the debt problem Zagreb has. 

As TCN reported earlier, Tomašević told the press after the ceremony that the situation is not good, but there are solutions. Still, so far, no more details were given on the two-thousand-odd-page reports on the 2020 budget execution and preliminary figures. Additionally, the new city assembly would hold the founding meeting on 17 June.  

© Slavko Midzor / PIXSELL

Highlights of the week: Zlatko Dalić on Croatian National Football Team

The Croatian National Football Team is preparing for the friendly clash with Belgium. As reported by TCN, Zlatko Dalić faced the press on Friday ahead of the match. 

„I am satisfied with everything except the result. We had minor injury problems. We did the rest as expected, but the draw with Armenia left a bitter taste. In that game, we had to win 4-0 or 5-0, not draw 1-1. I am dissatisfied with this result. Plus, we created 5-6 percent chances, and we didn't do that in three games in a row at the beginning of the World Cup qualifiers against Slovenia, Cyprus, and Malta. We were nonchalant and irresponsible and did not realize them. We were not specific, and that is a minus“, said Dalić to the press. 

Dalić also pointed out that the national team is aware of its obligation to the Croatian people. He spoke about the problems in the national team, the pros and cons of the draw against Armenia, and the expectations from players who are dissatisfied with their status. One of them is Andrej Kramarić, who, after 20 goals scored in the Bundesliga this season, is not safe among Dalić's starters. A few days ago, he advised the media to ask Davor Šuker what he would say after such a season. 

Expectionsare big ahead of the EURO championship, and no doubt fans will pay attention with close interest. 

© Vjeran Zganec Rogulja / PIXSELL

Highlights of the week: Anđelko Stričak, new prefect

The power transfer ceremony on Friday also took place in Varaždin where Anđelko Stričak defeated current Varaždin prefect Radimir Čačić. 

„The victory is well deserved. In the past nine years as the president of Varaždin county organization of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), and in six years as a member of the parliament, I've been to every corner of Varaždin county and talked to everybody. I heard the needs of our citizens, and I tried to solve them by cooperating with coalition partners on every level. Of course, I'm not the best, most capable or most perfect, but I will try with my team to give my best that everybody in the county feel changes for the better“, said the new Varaždin County prefect Stričak, as reported by Varaždin county's official website. 

© Sanjin Strukic / PIXSELL

Highlights of the week: Croatia Loses to Spain in the Under-21 European Championship

Spain was better than Croatia after extra time in the Under-21 European Championship quarter-final in Maribor on Monday. The match ended 2:1. As reported by TCN, Croatia was solid in the first half and threatened the Spain goal on a few occasions. Despite Spain's high pressure, Ivanušec had a chance from 20 meters in the 7th minute, and in the 23rd, Bradarić's shot was blocked by the Spain defense. Spain retaliated with a Diaz shot from 20 meters, but Croatia's defense made it difficult for them to do much more. 

The young Croatia national team fought against Spain for a spot in the semifinals. 

Igor Bišćan's side met Spain at Ljudski Vrt stadium in Maribor. 

"The guys are aware that we have a great chance, they are motivated to do something, and we are all around them to give them that chance and be supportive. They have quality," Bišćan announced before the match.  

© Vjeran Zganec Rogulja/ PIXSELL

Highlights of the week: Nino Čengić funeral in Varaždin

The Funeral of the English professor Nino Čengić who passed away last Sunday, was held on Wednesday. Nino Gengić, a substitute English professor in one Varaždin school, was brutally beaten with bats and chains in front of the local club in Varaždin called Kulturana. He was 35 years old.

As Jutarnji List reports, four suspects aged 24-29 are currently in custody while the investigation is ongoing as to what lead to this attack. Suspect's apartments were searched, and one suspect illegally possessed a considerable amount of ammo and fire weapons to match. All suspects were previously known to the police for troubling behavior, and the most tragic was the fact that 15 people witnessed the beating, but nobody stopped it.

To learn more about Croatia, have a look at our TC website.

For more about news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

June 4, 2021 - Zlatko Dalic faced the press on Friday ahead of the Croatia and Belgium friendly this weekend, sending a message that the team understands their obligation to fans in Croatia. 

The day before the flight to Brussels, where Croatia will play their last pre-Euro friendly against Belgium, coach Zlatko Dalic sent a message to Croatia fans. He pointed out that the national team is aware of its obligation to the Croatian people. He spoke about the problems in the national team, the pros and cons of the draw against Armenia, and the expectations from players who are dissatisfied with their status. One of them is Andrej Kramarić, who, after 20 goals scored in the Bundesliga this season, is not safe among Dalić's starters. A few days ago, he advised the media to ask Davor Šuker what he would say after such a season.

Are there any things you are happy with from the Armenia match (1-1)?

I am satisfied with everything except the result. We had minor injury problems. We did the rest as expected, but the draw with Armenia left a bitter taste. In that game, we had to win 4-0 or 5-0, not draw 1-1. I am dissatisfied with this result. Plus, we created 5-6 percent chances, and we didn't do that in three games in a row at the beginning of the World Cup qualifiers against Slovenia, Cyprus, and Malta. We were nonchalant and irresponsible and did not realize them. We were not specific, and that is a minus. It was easier to score than to miss those chances, and if we had done that, the result would have been expected for me. I'm not happy with a draw like this. The atmosphere would be nicer because the result always brings positivity. But when I saw that we ran 118 kilometers and had a lot of high sprints, I am still satisfied.

What is the situation with injured players - Lovren, Brekalo, and Gvardiol?

Lovren works according to a custom program; he is getting better. Gvardiol and Brekalo are injured, and we will take care of them to the maximum. If they are not one hundred percent ready for training today, they will not be ready for the game. There is no point in forcing them now and forcing them to work one hundred percent; if they don’t feel the best, that’s not right. They are not ready, and we are waiting for them. According to the latest findings, everything will be ok.

What will be the focus during the training at the end of the preparations?

Belgium will be a great test to work on tactics for England and a defensive break. We will see what is not good in that game on Sunday, and we will correct it in the next 5-6 days. We will refresh the team and make the lineup.

What do you expect from the match against Belgium?

It is a big challenge for us, we are playing against the first national team in the world in the FIFA rankings, and it is great preparation for England. In that match, Croatia must show its quality, strength, especially in the defense, and resist such an opponent, who has great individuals. Next, we need to learn lessons from that game and correct the shortcomings that need to be corrected by England. Belgium will show us whether we are on the right track or not.

Does the result matter? Would winning mean a lot for confidence?

The result is always important. I told the players that after Armenia. A positive result brings a positive atmosphere, self-confidence, and, in addition to the fact that we have to look for our game, we also have to look for the result. The result raises and motivates you even more, especially against the best team in the world.

Scotland has corona; as many as seven players are unavailable to the coach.

They have seven players with corona, but they still played 2:2 with the Netherlands and led until the last minute. It is a problem that accompanies us all; tests are every day, and players are constantly under psychological pressure. It’s a burden, we constantly think about it and be careful, but little can be done there. We have to learn to live with it.

Do you know the starting lineup for England?

We know roughly the starting lineup, but we’ll leave that to ourselves. We will try everything in today’s training, and over the course of tomorrow, we still have to do some things. It is important that we standardize, determine the starting lineup, and give tasks to our players to be ready for what awaits them.

What do you think Kramarić looked like against Armenia, and is there any doubt between him and Vlašić when it comes to the starting lineup?

We have three safe matches at the Euros, and the line-up against England will certainly be different compared to Scotland and the Czech Republic. Kramarić, Vlašić, and even Pašalić are very close to the team, but it depends on the opponent. There is no place for dissatisfaction here, no place for disagreement. I’m in charge of the team I put together and put the guys inside.

Who do you think are the Euro favorites?

Nine teams are rightly shooting for the European title at the moment. The world champions France, then England, who have a great young team and play at home, and Portugal as the current European champions. These are the teams that are in the narrowest circle. There are also Spain, Germany, Italy, Belgium. Everyone has a chance, and this will be a challenging and uncertain European Championship.

Do you have a message for the fans after Croatia's poor results lately?

I also said this to the boys during the meeting: the Croatian people are waiting for us and expect good results. The people want to rejoice again, and we must accept that responsibility. This team did many good things, but during the three years behind us, it got a little lost, and the results were not great. However, we left behind our goals, all of which we had set. We really miss the fans; we know what synergy we have with them when the stands are full. I hope that we will be good again and we have a great obligation to the Croatian people.

Source: Index.hr

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ZAGREB, 4 June 2021 - Following Croatia's local election runoffs on 30 May, several long-standing county prefects and mayors were unseated while some decided not to rerun, and on Friday transfers of powers were held in those units of local government and some other cities and county seats.

Apart from the focus on the change of power in Zagreb, where the new mayor Tomislav Tomašević of the Green-Left bloc took over office from the acting mayor Jelena Pavičić Vukičević, who temporarily stepped into office after the death of Mayor Milan Bandić on 28 February, the transfer of powers in Pula, Osijek, Sibenik-Knin and Varaždin counties also grabbed media attention.

Pula

In the biggest Istrian city of Pula, the Istrian Democratic Party (IDS) lost the mayoral elections for the first time. The former mayor, IDS leader Boris Miletić, decided not to rerun for this position after his 15-year-long mayorship. However, he vied in the race for County Prefect which he won by a slim margin.

The IDS mayoral candidate was defeated by Filip Zoričić, an independent candidate, who took over the post on Friday morning. Concerning the city council, the IDS was a relative winner, with 32% of the vote, and Zoričić's slate won 16.87%, and was followed by the We Can slate (16.84%) and the Social Democratic Party (15%). Currently Zoričić and the two latter groups are conducting negotiations on the future majority in the city's legislature. The deadline for the founding session of the Pula city council is 19 June.

Čakovec

The new mayor of Čakovec, Ljerka Cividini, took over the powers from the SDP mayor Stjepan Kovač, who was at the helm of the city since 2013. Cividini said today that concrete projects would be on the agenda after the new authorities got full insight into the finances of this biggest city in Međimurje County, which re-elected Matija Posavec as its county prefect.

Cividini, supported by Posavec's slate, as well as by several parties including the HNS, Democrats, HSLS and HDSS, said today that as far as the future majority in the 19-seat city council was concerned, the topic was being negotiated by her slate, that won 8 seats, with the Fokus party, that had three seats.

Varaždin County

The change of powers in the office of the Varaždin Prefect was highlighted by media as a development that could impact the relations in the ruling majority in the national parliament. Former county prefect Radimir Čačić of the Reformists party, a junior partner in the ruling coalition, was unseated by Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) official Anđelko Stričak.

Upon the transfer of powers, Stričak today announced negotiations on forming the majority in the county assembly in which the HDZ will have the largest number of seats, and is followed by the Reformists.

Šibenik-Knin County

The new prefect in Šibenik-Knin County, Marko Jelić, who was the mayor of Knin in the previous term, stepped into office at today's formal ceremony. Jelić, who ran as an independent candidate, unseated the former county prefect, Goran Pauk of the HDZ, who had run the county for 15 years.

However, the county assembly will have the largest number of HDZ councillors, as this party won 35% of the vote, the independent list of Stipe Petrina followed with 16.6% of the vote, and Jelić's slate was third with 15.6%.

Lika-Senj County

The transfer of powers was also held in Gospić, with Ernest Petry of the HDZ party succeeding Darko Milinović, who founded a new regional party after his conflict with the HDZ leadership a few years ago.

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