Survey: Serb and Croat Children in Vukovar No Longer Need Each Other
ZAGREB, 8 October, 2021 - A panel discussion, held on Friday on the topic of challenges and education prospects in Vukovar, presented the findings of a survey conducted between 2015 and 2020 which indicate that contacts between Serb and Croatian children are fewer and fewer and that they no longer need each other.
Today's discussion in that eastern Croatian city was organised by the Vukovar European House and the German Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
Presenting the results of the research on integration processes in mixed ethnic communities, Dinka Čorkalo Biruški from the University of Zagreb Faculty of Philosophy said that the Integra Norm survey showed that inter-ethnic attitudes by children and parents in Vukovar are worse than in other ethnically mixed communities.
She called for talks on what can be done to integrate children more because the results of the survey in Vukovar show that Serb and Croatian children do not need each other.
"Two-thirds of friendships (71%) do not have even one friend from the other ethnic group, and this refers to three best friends," said the professor Čorkalo Biruški.
She also said that Vukovar residents mostly agree on the Model B - bilingual education for children.
Siniša Tatalović from the Faculty of Political Sciences said that the right to an education in the mother tongue and script for ethnic minorities is a right in contemporary and democratic countries which are exercised throughout Europe.
"The thing that needs to be said with regard to Croatia is that national minority rights are inbuilt in the foundations of our state," he said and recalled that Croatia has a constitutional law on the protection of human rights and of national minorities which regulates the right of ethnic minorities to an education.
Deputy Prime Minister Boris Milošević told the panel discussion that ethnic minorities in Croatia were integrative and inclusive which was an added value for Croatia's richness.
"I wouldn't observe or speak about Vukovar as a problem. If certain challenges exist, they need to be discussed and left to the experts and parents and if any changes need to be made they should be made in agreement with the minority community," he said.
According to Milošević, Croatia has a good legal framework with regard to minority rights to education.
Four-Day Working Week, What Do Employers and Unions Say About It?
October 9, 2021 - They would get the same salary and work the same number of hours, but in four longer working days, with one day a week more for themselves. Already being implemented in some European countries, what would a four-day working week look like in Croatia? Employers and workers' unions comment on this.
The sound news that Belgium, due to labor market reforms, could soon switch to a four-day working week is not as revolutionary as it seems at first glance, reports Jutarnji List. According to a proposal that leaked to the public, Belgians would still work the same number of hours a week, from 38 to 40, but would do so in a tight four-day period.
In other words, they would get the same salary and work the same number of hours, but in four longer working days, with one day a week more for themselves, something like a regular “extended weekend”. If the Belgian government does decide on such a bill, details of the implementation have yet to be worked out with representatives of employers and unions, which could take six months, Euronews reports. In any case, the Belgian government, as far as is known, did not envisage the transition to a four-day working week as an obligation. What do they say about all this in the Croatian Employers' Association? They are not reluctant.
The chief economist of HUP, Iva Tomić, answers that such a decision should be left to each individual employer to choose, but it is important that there is a choice, that there is flexibility in the law itself. "Namely, different industries and sectors can hardly be reduced to the same form of work'', says Tomić.
For some employers, especially in coronavirus crisis, the scope of work is greatly reduced, for some it is certainly increased, so it would be good to have an open opportunity for a four-day working week for those employers who opt for this option, and which is optimal for them in terms of productivity and worker satisfaction", says Iva Tomić. She adds that the salary policy depends on each company and for some "it may be possible to keep the same level of productivity, even the same salary, for a smaller fund of hours, but we leave that decision to employers ".
Krešimir Sever, leader of the Independent Croatian Trade Unions, says that the unions also support the possibility of a four-day working week, provided that it is voluntary, for example, if it is a consequence of an agreement between workers and employers and if there is a possibility of returning to a five-day working week, what it's like to work four days for ten hours".
He notes that this is easier to do for intellectual jobs, computer scientists, and the like, but much more difficult in production, because physical work is not so easy to do ten hours in a row. "Technological advances make it possible to shorten working hours, so a shortened working week should be introduced in that combination. In other words, either introduce a shorter working day five days a week or keep eight hours of working time, but four days a week", explains Sever.
In Iceland, they tested a model based on just fewer working hours per week, which eventually led to a change in the labor market. They first conducted tests in the public sector in 2015 and 2017, in which the number of working hours per week was mostly reduced from 40 to 35 or 36 hours, while the salary, of course, remained the same.
A study published this year by the Icelandic association Alda states that productivity has remained the same or increased, services provided have not been reduced, and workers who took part in the tests said it "had a strong impact on work-life balance". They had more time for children and hobbies, and men in relationships were more involved in household chores.
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Zagreb Mayor: Let Them Take Action If We Have Done Anything Illegal
ZAGREB, 9 October, 2021 - Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević on Friday refuted allegations of wrongdoings and conflict of interest in the Zagreb Holding multi-utility company, saying that the dismissed management board members should file a lawsuit if they know there had been illegal actions, because his conscience was clear.
"There have been various allegations or accusations that we want to use Zagreb Holding for our own financial benefit. I completely dismiss such accusations and tell everyone to file a lawsuit if we have done anything illegal. We are ready to deal with that," Tomašević told reporters in front of the City Administration.
Samodol's blog posts are defamation
His words were intended for former Zagreb Holding board members Ante Samodol and Nikola Vukolić, and he called Samodol's blog posts "defamation".
"There are many things there that aren't true, many misinterpretations of facts, but if I were to explain those things in great detail now, that would only prolong this," he said, noting that he was aware there were many political actors in whose interest it was to prolong this situation.
"I don't have the time for that," he said, adding that he was looking to the future of Holding, so he expected the three remaining board members to present a business plan for next year in a few weeks. The plan, he announced, will be presented to the public and the City Assembly.
Tomašević also called for making specific accusations, if there were any, that a member of Holding's Supervisory Board, Ratko Bajakić, had abused his position for business gain.
Deputy Mayor Danijela Dolenec also said that the accusations about the connection between her husband and Bajakić were "absurd".
"My husband and Bajakić don't know each other and have never cooperated. Ten years ago my husband worked at a company Bajakić bought a decade later. See for yourselves how absurd the accusations are," Dolenec said.
Jutarnji List daily reported in today's print edition that Ratko Bajakić, Tomašević's economy expert and the man appointed to the Supervisory Board of Zagreb Holding, could be in a conflict of interest situation because he has bonds of a company to which Holding pays money. That is the company Lanište, to which Holding pays HRK 65 million for the lease of Arena hall.
Jutarnji also wrote that Bajakić, as well as the husband of Tomašević's deputy Danijela Dolenec, was an investor in the startup Top Digital Agency. She claims they don't know each other.
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Jandroković: In Past 30 Years Sabor Has Fulfilled All Key Tasks
ZAGREB, 8 Oct 2021 - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on Friday, Parliament Day and the 30th anniversary of the decision on independence, that the Sabor had fulfilled all its key tasks.
Regardless of all the criticism, I believe that in these 30 years the Sabor has fulfilled all its key tasks and that it has adopted all important and big decisions, Jandroković said at a ceremonial session of the parliament in memory of 8 October 1991, when the Sabor adopted the decision to sever all state-legal ties with the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), which meant that Croatia had declared its independence.
He underscored that throughout history the Sabor symbolised Croatian statehood and that until the modern state, with "more or less success," it always defended the interests of the Croatian people. "It is the central place of political life and since 1990 also the keeper of the fundamental values of constitutional order."
With wise decisions and togetherness we achieved all objectives
He greeted those present, including former parliament speakers and heads of state and government, congratulating them on Croatian Sabor Day and the 30th anniversary of the decision on independence.
We were faced with crisis situations, under great pressure and sometimes even blackmail by the international community, however, with wise decisions and the vision of those who led the country, we achieved all our objectives, said Jandroković.
We are all Croatia
He called on colleagues to jointly seek solutions that will make Croatia a better country, telling them, "We are all Croatia."
Even today the future is uncertain and sometimes it appears that it will be more difficult than the present. Let's work together in matters that seek a compromise and show respect towards one another. We need to seek solutions that will make our homeland a better country, because "we are all Croatia," he underscored.
He told fellow parliamentarians that they need to take account so that their actions strengthen state institutions, develop a culture of cooperation and compromise when necessary. We cannot resolve problems with exclusion and radicalism, he said.
He recalled that over the past two years the Sabor has been faced with the challenges of the pandemic and earthquakes and said that he is confident that it reacted solidly.
He underscored that the times ahead bring other challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, and a changing geopolitical situation. We need to follow what is happening, particularly in our neighbourhood which is turbulent, he said.
As for short-term objectives, Jandroković noted reconstruction in the wake of the 2020 earthquakes, laws related to joining the Schengen Area and introducing the euro currency, and said that particular attention needs to be dedicated to Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina. "We need to preserve their constitutionality and equality. There are also issues related to the status of Croats in Serbia," he added.
Tuđman, Domljan, Gregurić
Jandroković recalled all those who participated in making the decision of 8 October 1991, all those how participated in democratic processes, in preparing and adopting key decisions, the heroes of the Homeland War and all those who participated in any way in building the Croatian state and institutions, Croatian defenders, particularly the families of those who lost their lives.
He then individually thanked former heads of state and government as well as former and current parliamentarians for their contribution to the homeland.
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Croatia Sets Aside €2.7 bn to Combat Poverty
ZAGREB, 8 Oct 2021 - The Labour, Family and Social Policy Ministry's state secretary, Marija Pletikosa, on Friday told a conference on homelessness in Split that Croatia had allocated almost HRK 20 billion in the period from 2021 to 2027 to combat poverty and social exclusion.
"The National Plan to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion in Croatia for the period from 2021 to 2027 foresees and allocation of almost HRK 20 billion," Pletikosa said at the 15th national conference on homelessness.
According to Pletikosa, that money will be disbursed to implement several measures and services that will be provided for the purpose of combatting poverty in Croatia. She added that the measures also include providing assistance to the homeless.
"Given that homelessness has been recognised on the global level as a growing problem, in the coming period the Ministry will continue to work in synergy in cooperation with other key stakeholders to improve policies directed towards protecting the homeless," she said.
She added that in the coming period homeless people will be accommodated during "extreme winter conditions" in premises that will be ensured by large cities and county centre cities.
Drago Lelas from the Split-based MoST NGO said that there were currently 45 homeless people in Split and 35 were accommodated in homeless shelter centres, however, ten addicts or those suffering from grave mental issues refused help.
"There are about 2,000 people in Croatia who are considered to be homeless as defined by the law and of that number 400 are accommodated in shelters, which is the capacity of the 14 shelters that exist in Croatia. The rest are out in the street," said Lelas.
He added that Croatia has still not taken over a typology relating to the homeless, which describes living in inappropriate housing conditions without electricity and water, in sheds, caravans and the like. Based on that typology, Lelas underscored, Croatia would have about ten thousand homeless people.
He also underscored that since the outbreak of the pandemic, all 14 homeless shelters in Croatia had registered only one case of being positive with coronavirus, and that being in Zagreb.
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IKEA Planning Studio at City Center One Split First in IKEA Southeast Europe Region
October 8, 2021 - The IKEA Planning Studio has started operating in Split. IKEA Croatia wants to make its solutions and services even more accessible to as many customers in Croatia as possible.
IKEA Planning Studio is located in City Center One and is the first such studio in the IKEA Southeast Europe region (Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Ukraine). On an area of more than 730 m2, IKEA Planning Studio offers customers IKEA experts in planning and organizing space to help them respond as simply, quickly, and easily to the biggest challenges in decorating any home - a practical kitchen, bathroom, and storage, reports Dalmatinski Portal.
"IKEA Planning Studio is a place where customers will be able to be inspired in a comfortable and quiet space, close to their home or the place where they work. IKEA Planning Studio is also a place where we will offer them the professional help of IKEA experts to ensure an even better life in their homes," said Ekaterina Egorova, CEO of IKEA Southeast Europe, at the opening.
IKEA Planning Studio will also be an exhibition space where customers will be inspired by the presented IKEA solutions and order the entire IKEA range that is sold in the IKEA Croatia market.
"IKEA Planning Studio will provide support for planning customized IKEA solutions for all key areas of the home. At the same time, it is an exhibition space with a selected IKEA range, so that people can touch and try our products. Moreover, the offer is fully adapted to local needs and housing conditions," added Nikolaos Migkianis, Market Director of IKEA Croatia.
In addition to the expert advice of IKEA employees, users of the IKEA Planning Studio will see the most suitable solutions for the essential rooms in their home, get inspired in beautifully decorated showrooms, and then select and order the desired products with the support of employees.
The working hours of the IKEA Planning Studio will be like other stores in CC1 Split - 9 am to 9 pm every day. Still, for the planning itself, which can take up to 3 hours to carefully consider all factors, it is necessary to schedule an appointment in advance.
Zrinka Crnjak from Split was the first to use the new IKEA Planning Studio.
"I recently moved into a new apartment with my future husband, and we must model the kitchen - where we spend a lot of time because we both like to cook - as beautiful and functional as possible. That’s why the new IKEA Planning Studio came to me at the best time. The professional approach, care for details, and time that IKEA employees dedicated only to me and finally the proposed solution, but also a beautifully decorated space with many examples that you can see and touch, ensure a top service," said Zrinka Crnjak enthusiastically.
IKEA Planning Studio is located on the ground floor of City Center One. Customers also have at their disposal the IKEA delivery center Split, which has been operating at the same address for a long time, in CC1 at level -1. In the IKEA delivery center, customers will still pick up products previously ordered through the IKEA online store or ordered after planning in the new IKEA Planning Studio.
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Export in Jan-Aug Up by 25.5%, Import by 19.8%
ZAGREB, 8 Oct 2021 - Croatia's commodity exports in the first eight months of 2021 was HRK 87.7 billion, up 25.5% on the year, while import increased 19.8% to HRK 134.6 billion, the national statistical office said on Friday.
The foreign trade deficit increased by HRK 4.45 billion to 46.9 billion.
Coverage of imports by export was 65.9%.
The export of goods to EU countries was HRK 59.7 billion (+25.2%), while import was HRK 103.4 billion (+16.3%).
Export to non-EU countries went up by 26.1% to HRK 28 billion, while import went up by 33.3% to HRK 31.1 billion.
Expressed in euros, Croatia's export of goods in the first eight months of 2021 was €11.6 billion, up 25.1% on the year, while import increased by 19.4% to €17.9 billion.
The foreign trade deficit was €6.2 billion.
Commodity exports to EU countries was €7.9 billion (+24.8%), while import was €13.7 billion (+15.9%).
Export to non-EU countries went up by 25.6% to €3.7 billion, while import went up by 32.8% to €4.1 billion.
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Johansson Satisfied with Croatia's Reaction to Reports of Violence Against Migrants
ZAGREB, 8 Oct 2021 - European Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson on Friday expressed satisfaction with her talks with Croatian Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović and his announcement of an investigation into reports of illegal expulsion of migrants as well as her dissatisfaction with Greece's reaction.
The Croatian government has taken the reports very seriously and an investigation will be launched promptly, Johansson said, noting that Božinović was shocked and that she believed Croatia was acting as it should, with the clear position that border protection should always be in line with the rule of law and fundamental rights.
The European commissioner held meetings on Thursday evening with Božinović and Greek Migration and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarachi.
A number of European media outlets on Wednesday evening broadcast disturbing videos of forcible expulsion of migrants in Croatia's territory and Greece. The videos, made with the help of drones, show men wearing balaclavas and uniforms resembling those worn by Croatian police as they drive migrants out towards Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Johansson said that Croatia would carry out an investigation, using the independent mechanism of supervision established together with the European Commission.
That is the right response, she noted.
On the other hand, she expressed dissatisfaction with the Greek minister's reaction to the media reports, noting that the EC would not tolerate the Greek government's failure to investigate the allegations.
Johansson said that the EU's external borders had to be protected but that the rule of law and fundamental rights had to be preserved in the process.
Asked by reporters what would be done if it proved true that Croatia used the money it obtained from EU funds to control the border for the accommodation of personnel taking part in forcible expulsions of migrants, EC spokesman Adalbert Jahnz said on Thursday that an investigation would be launched.
Jahnz noted that the EC was closely following how European money is spent and if it turns out that it has been used for illegal activities, payments may be suspended, penalties imposed or a refund of the money demanded.
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Božinović Says Police Officers Were Involved in Violence Against Migrants
ZAGREB, 8 Oct 2021 - Interior Minister Davor Božinović said on Friday that police officers were involved in violence against migrants on the Bosnian border, which was reported by Croatian and European media earlier this week.
"The police director, as soon as he saw the footage, sent an expert team which worked very intensively and as far as I know at the moment, they established that those were police officers," he told Croatian reporters in Luxembourg, where he is attending a meeting of EU interior ministers.
Božinović said he assumed it was "some individual offence by several police officers," adding that the police director was expected to provide more details today.
On Wednesday evening, a number of European media outlets showed disturbing footage of a migrant pushback on Croatian territory. The footage shows men, wearing balaclavas and clothes similar to those of Croatian police, pushing migrants across a backwater of the Korana river towards Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In doing so, the men were hitting the migrants with batons such as those used by Croatian riot police and some wore vests like those worn by that unit.
According to the media, the footage was taken in June as part of an investigation by a number of European media outlets.
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Croatia Logs 1,691 Coronavirus Cases, 22 Deaths
ZAGREB, 8 Oct 2021 - In the past 24 hours 1,691 coronavirus cases and 22 deaths have been registered in Croatia, the national COVID-19 crisis management team said on Friday.
There are 9,515 active cases and 805 hospitalised COVID patients, including 121 on ventilators, while 17,452 persons are self-isolating.
In the past 24 hours 9,816 persons have been tested for the virus.
To date Croatia has registered 415,356 coronavirus cases, 8,752 COVID deaths and 397,089 recoveries, including 1,453 in the past 24 hours.
Also, 45.51% of the population has been vaccinated, including 54.58% of adults, of whom 51.19% fully.
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