Plenkovic Satisfied with Experience from His First Cabinet's Term
ZAGREB, July 21, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Tuesday the outgoing government dealt successfully with many crises and fulfilled its goals, and that the new government would reduce divisions in society and do more for poorer citizens.
"We have been faced with many crises. I think we have overcome and managed them well. And I'm pleased that we won the confidence of a huge majority of voters in the (parliamentary) election, that practically a couple of hours after the results we ensured a parliamentary majority with our former partners, ethnic minority representatives, the HNS and Reformists," he told the press after the last meeting of the outgoing cabinet.
He said they tried, as well as they could, to contribute to citizens' well-being and Croatia's development, to realise their platform and stick to four goals - political stability, legal certainty, economic growth and social solidarity.
Skeletons from transition closet
Asked about the biggest omission or failure over the past four years, Plenkovic said they had too little time to work on what they wanted in peace.
"Many skeletons from Croatia's transition closet, society and economy were coming to the table. We were at a speed called crisis management. It was practically non-stop. I don't know which other crisis could have happened that didn't happen in this term," he said.
"My ambition was to reduce tensions back in 2016. Then I said we were embarking on a transformation of the HDZ so that we could proceed with the transformation of relations in society."
He said they transformed the ruling HDZ party gradually and retained all the fundamental values, firmly setting the anchor on the center-right, and that both members and citizens supported that.
"The HDZ, when it ran in the election with its partners, was attractive to a large number of Croatian voters. That's my fundamental goal in politics. I think what people want most is security, serious and responsible people who will stick to to their values, while respecting others."
We will reduce divisions in society
The new government will reduce divisions in society and do more for the fellow citizens, notably those living on the brink of poverty, pensioners and those with the lowest wages, Plenkovic said.
"We will make an effort to gradually raise all that and for the situation to be better for them on the micro-level. If macro-successes with big numbers stay abstract too long and aren't visible on the micro-level, we won't be able to connect the really big steps forward and the everyday reality of our fellow citizens."
Plenkovic went on to say that he did not consider the ministers who had to step down a mistake of his because what was later on possibly problematic was not evident, nor could he have known about it, when they were forming the outgoing government.
Asked if he had asked the new ministers whether there was something he should know and if he feared that some scandals might surface, he said they were all serious and responsible as well as rational enough to talk transparently. "From what I heard talking with them, everything should be OK."
Speaking of structural reforms, he said they must use the enthusiasm from the success at the European Council and the drive of all the new government members to get to work in every sector - healthcare, justice, administration, the labour market, the economy, tax and administrative relief and reducing non-tax levies.
"We must constantly see to it that everything we do is seen, heard, explained, and understood, and that it gets certain support. That's the key."
As for a national development strategy, he said it was done, that they did not want to adopt it during the election, that it was adjusted due to the coronavirus and that it would take into account the new circumstances.
Niko Kovac Presented as New Coach of AS Monaco
July 21, 2020 - Former Croatia national team coach and ex Bayern Munich boss Niko Kovac has been appointed the coach of AS Monaco FC.
Index.hr reports that the press conference lasted more than an hour, at which Niko Kovac was presented as a new man on the bench of the Ligue 1 club.
In the beginning, Kovac greeted those present in French and said briefly that they would try to teach him the language as soon as possible. He then continued in English, and due to the continuous translation, the press conference dragged on for more than an hour.
"The call surprised me, everything went fast and that's why I am speaking English. The reason is simple - Monaco is a big club with a great tradition. The last few years have not been so successful and our goal is to bring the club back to the top of the league," he said and answered questions from the journalists.
How will you improve the team and what needs to be added to the team?
"Every coach has his own philosophy, and in the past, I've played and worked in clubs like Eintracht and Bayern that are very different in style. We have to adapt, see the players we have, and then decide on the right tactics that can help the team."
How well do you know the French league?
"French football is very successful, especially the national team. Some of the best players in the world play or have played in this league. I have to improve my knowledge of all the clubs, but above all, look at my team."
How did the first contact with the players go?
"The first contact was very, very good. The first training was very intense, and yesterday and today we did a great job. It will take time, we have five weeks to improve and I am sure we will find the right solutions to improve the team."
The club has changed four coaches in 18 months. Are you afraid of that?
"No."
Who will be in your professional staff?
"My brother Robert, a former world-class player, will be in the professional staff, because I need a close person I trust. Goran Lackovic is a Croat with whom I worked in the Croatian youth and senior national team, and Austrian Walter Greffer is responsible for strength and fitness. The staff is small but strong and well known, I believe it will be a significant tool for this team."
Have you heard from Danijel Subasic?
"I know Suba, he played here I think seven years and did a great job. I think he started in the second league and immediately in the first season, they secured promotion. We haven't heard from each other, I think he's in Croatia and he's preparing for a new job. I'll call him, but first Dado Prsa - I played with him, he is a great person and lives near Monaco."
What is the training center for you? Do you have any requirements?
"I'm very happy because this training center smells like hard work. That's how it is and I like it. We visited it right away on Sunday and I said I really like it because it's not glamorous, but small but great to work with. For me, it's the best atmosphere we can have."
To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
I. Malenica, Public Administration Minister Tests Positive for Coronavirus
July 21, 2020 - The first case of coronavirus infection has occurred in the Croatian Government: The Ministry of Public Administration issued a statement saying that their Minister, Ivan Malenica, tested positive for coronavirus yesterday.
The Minister got tested after he first experienced symptoms on Monday, and his test results came back positive. He is feeling OK and is experiencing only mild symptoms of the disease. He plans to continue working from home, while self-isolating, the statement said.
The Ministry also reported that Malenica last saw the other cabinet members last Thursday and the Croatian media reports that the Minister also spent the weekend with his family in Šibenik. It has not been reported how the Minister might've gotten infected. The self-isolation measure has been issued for the Minister's driver, and the officials were given the list of his close contacts for the last 48 hours, which don't include the Ministry staff.
Croatia Logs 49 New Coronavirus Cases, One Dead
ZAGREB, July 21, 2020 - The national COVID-19 response team on Tuesday reported 49 new coronavirus cases, 1,116 active cases, and one more dead.
Among the active cases are 138 hospitalised patients, including nine on ventilators, the team said in a press release, adding that the death toll was now 123.
Since February 25, when SARS-CoV-2 was first recorded in Croatia, there have been 4,422 cases of infection with the novel coronavirus.
At the moment 3,937 persons are self-isolating. To date, 105,526 persons have been tested, including 1,394 over the past 24 hours.
Exports Seen as Way Out of Crisis for Croatia - Conference
ZAGREB, July 21, 2020 - Croatia's economic recovery will depend on the moves by the new government, and the way out of the crisis should also be sought in increasing exports, participants in the Zagreb Invest&Export 2020 conference concluded on Tuesday.
"A country's success does not depend on someone else's assistance but on the efficiency of its government," economist Ljubo Jurcic said at the conference.
He said that boosting exports should be "a lodestar" for every small country, adding that the share of exports in Croatia's GDP is lower than in the case of its peers, and in this context, he called for raising the portion of exports in GDP from the current under-30% level to above 60%.
Jurcic said that in the current globalisation, the focus should be placed on exporting specific products that are part of more complex products such as cars, machinery, and airplanes.
"We have the infrastructure, the know-how and human resources necessary for that," he said.
A former Croatian member of the European Parliament, Marijana Petir, said that the Croatian agricultural sector had a lot of things to offer on the local and European markets, however, agricultural production was still not competitive.
Therefore, we need the funds from the EU to invest in innovations and technology which will enable us to make more products with added value and everything else that consumers demand, and those are organic, fresh and high-quality products, she added.
In this context, she said that some of the €22 billion that will be made available to Croatia from the post-pandemic recovery fund would be disbursed for rural development and aid to farmers.
Mirko Habijanec of the Croatian Employers' Association spoke about the importance of the construction sector for job creation and investment cycles.
Banozic: Further Modernisation of Croatian Military Is a Priority
ZAGREB, July 21, 2020 - The future Minister of Defence, Mario Banozic, said on Tuesday that the priorities in his department would be further modernisation of the armed forces, development of infrastructure, and personnel training.
"It will definitely be the continuation of modernisation of the Croatian army, training, development of infrastructure, including accommodation and other capacities necessary for the Croatian army to be the pride of Croatia," Banozic told reporters ahead of the last meeting of the outgoing government.
He said that despite defence budget cuts, salaries for military personnel would not be reduced and should be increased.
Banozic has served as the Minister of State Assets in the outgoing government.
Špancirfest and Porcijunkolovo - Cancelled!
June 21, 2020 - What are without a doubt the most famous Varaždin and Čakovec festivals have been cancelled, officials have now confirmed.
Špancirfest usually takes place over the last days of August, but that won't be the case this year. It was supposed to be the 22nd year of the festival, but due to bad epidemiological situation, it is better for everyone to avoid encouraging large gatherings of people.
"Since it is impossible to implement the measures prescribed by the Croatian Institute of Public Health at Špancirfest, due to the specifics of the festival and its content, the only possible decision, no matter how difficult it was, was to cancel this year's edition of the festival," said the main organisers.
There is nothing that could replace the feeling of Dubioza Kolektiv's music beat or the smell of fresh languši. Still, the organisers said they would post various videos of last year's Špancirfest which took place without issue this time last year, long before the coronavirus pandemic struck. Besides, there will be many prize games to comfort many disappointed people, and those disappointed people are both Croats and foreign visitors.
This year was reserved for Gibonni, Parni Valjak, Psihomodo Pop, Vatra, Urban, as tourist board director, Jelena Toth, confirmed for Varaždinski.hr. All of those concerts were supposed to be held at Kapucinski trg, and completely free. As Mayor Čehok said, Croatian musicians should have an advantage. So as to avoid sticking only with win, there were plans in place to open a Rakijarnica - a place where every person could try the most delicious and unique alcoholic drinks.
Špancifest | Website
The same decision for Porcijunkolovo made by the Mayor of the City of Čakovec, Stjepan Kovač, and the assistant director of the same city's tourist board, Boška Ban Vlahek.
Porcijunkulovo is a combination of tradition and modernity, a fair of traditional crafts, a cultural and tourist event that is impressive in terms of its size for this part of the region, and an event that turned central Čakovec into a lively modern gathering place full of various content. Since 1964, when the first festival was held, until today, the feast of Our Lady of the Angels in Čakovec is followed by more than 300,000 visitors, who can enjoy the displays and products of traditional craftsmen, various exhibitors, and local family farms.
One of the most recognisable signs of Porcijunkulovo are the umbrellas dangling over the city. This year, regardless of the cancellation of the festival, people will still have the chance to walk under those same colourful umbrellas and revive the feeling of past festivals.
Porcijunkulovo | Facebook Page
Plenkovic: Croatia Now Has Excellent Lever for Development and Economic Recovery
ZAGREB, July 21, 2020 - The agreement reached by EU leaders on the pandemic recovery plan and seven-year budget is a good compromise and Croatia can be very pleased because with over €22 billion it will have an excellent lever for the implementation of reforms and economic recovery, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said in Brussels on Tuesday.
"I think that we all, as heads of state or government, can be satisfied that a compromise has been reached. It is a good compromise because everyone benefited and the process of economic recovery in the member states will benefit the most," Plenkovic said after a marathon summit that lasted five days.
Croatia will have access to slightly over €12.6 billion in the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and €9.4 billion in the new instrument, Next Generation EU (NGEU). Of the €9.4 billion, 5.9 billion will be made available in grants and 2.35 billion in loans.
"This is an unprecedented achievement. We have received twice as much as in the first seven years of membership," Plenkovic said. The national envelope for Croatia in the 2014-2020 MFF is €10.7 billion.
"I think that in this way we will have an excellent and firm lever for the implementation of reforms and projects, for investment, and most importantly for a speedy economic recovery," the Croatian PM said.
An additional €400m for Croatia
Plenkovic said that through successful lobbying he had managed to obtain an additional €400 million arguing that Croatia was the only member state that had used only one MFF plus €100 million for rural development.
The earlier proposal had provided for €300 million and the amount has now been increased to 400 million.
"This 400 million in additional cohesion funds will be used for our regions that need an additional investment cycle, and another 100 million for rural development. I can say that we have done a pretty good job here," the prime minister said.
Plenkovic said that he backed up his argument by saying that Croatia was the only member state that had so far used only one seven-year budget, unlike other central and eastern European countries that joined the EU much earlier. This comparison shows that these countries attracted huge investments thanks to the redistribution power of the EU budget that stimulated their economic development.
"With these arguments, we won over our colleagues to get these funds. I am glad that we received support from European Council President Charles Michel, who became popular in our election campaign, and now it has turned out that it is not bad to be on good terms with him. We also had the support of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who has been sympathetic to Croatia for years. As a German defence minister, she had very good relations with our minister Krsticevic, and Croatia is one of the countries that helped her become Commission President," Plenkovic said.
EU leaders reached the agreement at 5.30 am on Tuesday after four days of exhausting negotiations on the new Multiannual Financial Framework and the new instrument, Next Generation EU, as a response to the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.
The package agreed is worth a total of €1.824 trillion, including the €1.074tn 2021-2017 MFF and the €750bn NGEU plan. Of the €750 billion, 390 billion will be allocated in grants and 360 billion in loans.
Croatia and the other member states now have until mid-October to prepare their national recovery plans on the basis of which they will be able to use money from the NGEU.
"Our recovery plan will rely on the government program, which I will present in the Croatian parliament on Thursday, on the national reform programme, the convergence programme and our activities in the process of accession to the euro zone. We will prepare numerous projects and reform activities," Plenkovic said.
In conclusion, Plenkovic said that this showed how important EU membership was for Croatia and that the full effect of membership would be seen only after two MFFs had been used.
EU Leaders Agree on Pandemic Recovery Plan and Seven-Year Budget
ZAGREB, July 21, 2020 - EU leaders have agreed on the pandemic recovery plan and seven-year budget after marathon talks, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic announced on Twitter early on Tuesday morning.
"The meeting has ended #EUCO. We have adopted #NextGenerationEU and #EUBudget for the next seven years. We are bringing Croatia 22 billion euro as a guarantee of a quick economic recovery and further balanced development of the country," Plenkovic tweeted.
The EU summit lasted nearly five days. It resumed at 9.30 pm on Monday and lasted through the night.
On the table was a €1.074tn Multiannual Financial Framework and a €750bn recovery plan consisting of €390 billion in grants and €360 billion in loans.
Alkar Rehearsals Begin in Sinj!
July 21, 2020 - This year, in a different atmosphere than usual, respecting the recommendations of the National Civil Protection Headquarters and the CNIPH, we can expect a spectacular 305th Sinjska Alka!
The famous knightly competition is preceded by long and thorough preparations. After extensive training at the Sinj Hippodrome and the endless plains of Sinjsko polje, the Alkars have been preparing at the Alkar racetrack since mid-July.
Every day, Monday to Friday, from 6 pm to 8 pm, you have the opportunity to be part of a unique preparation. See the Alkars sharpen their skills and the Alkar stable horses adapt to the lively surroundings and sand of the Alka track.
Despite the summer heat, the rehearsals are always welcoming, and both old and young can sit in the shade of mature chestnut trees to follow the events on and around the racetrack.
As August and the Alka festivities approach, the whole of Sinj is beating to the rhythm of the horses, and. the streets of the city that lives for Alka, under the flag of UNESCO and Croatian and world intangible heritage, are pulsating. It all starts on Friday, August 7, at 5:30 pm with a competition for the 305th Bara. Saturday, August 8, follows with the 305th Čoja, also at 5:30 pm, and on Sunday, August 9, at 4:30 pm, the Alkars fight for the triumphant pennant and their place in theSinjska Alka’s long and rich history.
Entrance to the rehearsals, as well as to Bara and Čoja, is free, with the recommendation to maintain a physical distance of 1.5 meters (audience, performers and staff). Don't miss the opportunity to be a part of these unique events in the world and participate live in the Alka trailer!
