ZAGREB, June 30, 2020 - Entrepreneurs expect the next government to urgently adopt structural reforms and define a clear economic strategy, according to an online round table organised on Tuesday by the Croatian Employers Association (HUP) and Vecernji List daily.

HUP director-general Davor Majetic said that due to the coronacrisis, there was mainly talk about short term measures, but added that structural reforms must not be forgotten.

He said the next government should continue with the measures to help the economy and retain jobs as well as implement structural reforms from day one. "They have never been more important."

Finance Minister Zdravko Maric said the government must create conditions for the economy to function as well as possible by reducing taxes and non-tax as well as administrative levies and by improving the investment climate.

He said the coronacrisis had shown that the economy could not function without a stable and strong state. He said the state should not be too involved but that, in partnership with businesses, it should decide which industries were strategic and base growth rates on them.

Maric said the EU's Recovery Fund was a big opportunity for Croatia and that it was necessary to start preparing projects.

Josip Tica of the Restart Coalition said strategic sectors should be in the function of added value and that it was necessary to stimulate consumption and investment. He also underlined digital transformation.

ZAGREB, June 30, 2020 - The Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Tuesday unveiled its 'Lex cannabis' bill, which would ensure the full potential of cannabis use, saying that if the Restart coalition formed the next government it would pass the bill already in September.

The party's adviser on green development, Mirela Holy, said that retailers and large producers of cannabis already existed and produced cannabis with a low share of THC of up to 0.2% and that it was necessary to remove that limit.

Lex cannabis would exploit the full potential of cannabis, she added.

Currently, it is used for nutritional purposes for humans and animals. It can be produced with a 0.2% share of THC for medicinal purposes but only by legal entities that have approval from the HALMED medicines agency, she explained.

With such a low THC level, cannabis produced today cannot be used for the production of textiles, cosmetics, paints, cement, bio-compost used in automobiles, and space technology, she added.

To be able to exploit the full potential of cannabis it is necessary to remove that "senseless restriction," which would enable the Faculty of Agronomy and science institutes to launch research and create various types of cannabis for various purposes.

She added that cannabis is an energy plant that can be used to produce energy sources and it can also be used in tourism by branding destinations as cannabis destinations.

Cannabis is also essential in treating and relieving the negative consequences of a wide range of diseases like multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, AIDS, and various malignant diseases.

Party colleague Vesna Nadj said that SDP considers it to be key to regulate the production of cannabis that would allow legal entities, small businesses, and family-run farms to produce cannabis under conditions regulated by the ministries of agriculture and health.

The law should allow producing up to nine plants for personal use and for a maximum penalty for those breaching the law, Nadj said.

The Prague-Rijeka train line has been wildly popular with Czech tourists itching to get away and get a taste of the Croatian Adriatic, with an amazing 30,000 tickets sold in just the first two weeks of them being available for purchase.

As Marija Crnjak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 30th of June, 2020, the new line will operate on the route Prague-Brno-Bratislava-Ljubljana-Rijeka every day until the end of August.

The first train belonging to the private Czech company RegioJet which runs the new Prague-Rijeka line departs this afternoon from Prague and will arrive in the Croatian city of Rijeka tomorrow at around 08:45. The ceremonial celebration of the beginning of this new railway programme will take place in the almost completed new Hilton Costabella hotel in Rijeka, which was invested in by Czech investor JTH Holding.

As stated, the new Prague-Rijeka line will operate on the route Prague-Brno-Bratislava-Ljubljana-Rijeka every day until the end of August, and the fact that as many as 30,000 tickets were sold in the first two weeks speaks volumes about the interest in this offer, the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) has rightly pointed out.

RegioJet a.s. is a private Czech provider of rail and bus passenger transport and a leading long-distance railway company in Central Europe. They record 20 million passengers a year, 11 million on the railways and 9 million in bus transport. In intensive cooperation with the Croatian Embassy in the Czech Republic and the CNTB Office in Prague, the RegioJet Management recognised this opportunity and offered a new option to connect Central European countries with the Adriatic sea through a night service with modern and quality trains.

The starting ticket price of 22 euros for the Prague-Rijeka line refers to securing a place in the train's compartment. Additionally, you can buy a ticket for a coupe with a bed at a price of just 30 euros. For tourists from the Czech Republic and Slovakia, transportation from Rijeka to their final destinations on the Croatian Adriatic will be organised following their arrival.

For more on Croatian tourism in the coronavirus era, follow our dedicated section.

The Croatian situation with the coronavirus pandemic has been smouldering yet again ever since the holding of a highly questionable tennis event in the Dalmatian city of Zadar. Adria Tour saw the re-emergence of the virus following two weeks or relative peace. Nightclubs in Zagreb have also been an issue, causing the Croatian capital to become a coronavirus hotspot once again.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 29th of June, 2020, Slovenian Government spokesman Jelko Kacin announced that Croatia could be removed from the list of Slovenia's list of safe countries because of the escalating situation.

This statement from the Slovenes comes despite the fact that the professionals here claim that it isn't something to be too concerned with at this moment in time and that the health care system is coping well.

''Slovenia expects Croatia to take appropriate measures and ban the gathering of large numbers of people at parties,'' Jelko Kacin said today, announcing that Slovenia could remove Croatia from the list of safe countries because it is likely to reach a cumulative value of 10 infected people per 100 thousand inhabitants in fourteen days.

''This doesn't mean that I will advise people not to travel there, everyone can decide for themselves, but the warning alone is strong enough,'' said Kacin. The number of coronavirus cases in the Republic of Croatia has unfortunately increased dramatically in recent days, and Slovenia is closely following developments. Four new cases of the infection have been reported in the country today.

''The focus is in the City of Zagreb. Surprisingly, Croatia decided to open its nightclubs, a move neighbouring Slovenia never did. However, there are also problems with data control. I think there are enough reasons for concern and action.

The prime ministers have been talking, and Slovenia expects Croatia to give up on these night clubs, which has proven to be a source of infection coming from everywhere, including from South Korea,'' he said, adding that "the younger generation is hiding symptoms."

For more on coronavirus in Croatia, follow our dedicated section.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 29th of June, 2020, due to the new circumstances and the mandatory wearing of protective masks in public institutions and transport, the City of Zagreb, Zaprešić and Velika Gorica are currently among the cities that have decided to distribute protective masks to pensioners free of charge amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The sharp rise in the number of those infected with the new coronavirus warns of the importance of responsibility towards others. The focus is on protective masks, which makes their demand grow day by day, according to a report from RTL.

We have to use them in public transport, and many continue to use them when out on the street, in cafes and in shops. Protective masks have become our first barrier against the coronavirus infection. Increasing demand has also caused prices to rise on the world market, including here at home on the Croatian market.

The retail price of masks doesn't depend on pharmacies at all. The price was once somewhere around 50 lipa. When the coronavirus epidemic started, masks suddenly became a very desirable commodity. The most expensive plain mask was then around 19 kuna.

According to a survey conducted among city and private pharmacies, the price of a disposable surgical mask ranges between 5 and 6 kuna per piece in city pharmacies, and in private pharmacies - from 3 kuna and 60 lipa to 7 kuna and 17 lipa. If we were to calculate the average price of a mask on a monthly basis for a family of four, with each member using one protective mask per day, the price would be 660 kuna per month. A price not many can necessarily afford.

Due to the new circumstances and the mandatory wearing of protective masks in public institutions and transport, the City of Zagreb, Zaprešić and Velika Gorica are currently among the cities that have decided to distribute two protective masks to pensioners free of charge.

For more on the coronavirus pandemic in relation to Croatia, follow our dedicated section.

As Jozo Vrdoljak/Novac writes on the 29th of June, 2020, after the Bluesun hotels in Bol, Brela and Tučepi, Elaphus, Berulia and Alga were opened on June the 10th, as were the Amor hotel in Supetar and the camp in Starigrad Paklenica, the largest Dalmatian hotel group Bluesun Hotels & Resorts opened the Holiday Village Sagitt on the 27th of the month.

At the beginning of July, the Bluesun Hotel Neptun in Tucepi and the Bluesun Hotel Soline in Brela will also open. After that, as Leo Urlic, the director of sales and marketing revealed, the company intends to open the Bluesun Hotel Alan in Starigrad Paklenica.

Date adjustments and discounts

"The adjustment of the date and a discount of 20 percent attracted Croatian guests who used the extended weekend to spend their holiday on the Adriatic. The second extended weekend in June gave more concrete results. Considering the fact that the number of guests in hotels is increasing and the demand is growing, we've come to the situation that we're starting to open other hotels in our destinations,'' revealed Urlic.

He explained that in this situation, there is a trend of a large increase in individual guests and online reservations, while, on the other hand, tour operators are activating somewhat more slowly because they are mainly related to the situation in air traffic.

"The agencies announced the beginning of their air programme for mid-July, the largest tour operators from the Scandinavian market. That's certainly good news. The encouraging news is that the number of German guests is also growing. One of the largest German tour operators commented that they're catching up fast, and that their bookings are getting better. They calculate that Croatia will realise 50 to 60 percent of last year's turnover. All these trends, as well as the activation of air traffic, give us some optimism that we'll open our other hotels in our destinations by the end of July,'' assured Urlic.

Trends and reservations for Bluesun hotels

Leo Urlic emphasised that the strong trend of last minute reservations is still very much present, and the real momentum of the season is expected when the school year ends. So, they expect an increased inflow of reservations for families with children soon.

"Our reservation centre has been achieving great growth for the third year in a row now, and that is one of the biggest investments and strides we've had in business. A lot has been invested in people, in state-of-the-art tools, in the system and of course in marketing. Last year, we had an enviable increase and as such we increased the share of individual provisions. We realised that trends are changing. The new client is dynamic, flexible, they've often booked from a mobile phone and we've adapted to that. This situation with the pandemic only further accelerated the continuation of that trend that we started. We've changed the communication towards our clients through activities on websites and advertising. We notice that the number of visits to our website has tripled compared to the same period last year,'' added Urlic.

At the same time, bookings through online travel agencies continue to grow...

"It's an interesting fact that fourteen days ago, the data on reservations showed that we were two months behind where we were last year. In just two weeks, the backlog has narrowed to a month and ten days, so hopefully by mid-July we will reach the figures from that period last year, because for now, everything is going in that direction. Air traffic is slowly returning to its regular frames, so the market is much more dependent on domestic guests and those who traditionally come to Croatia by car,'' he said.

According to Stjepko Sosic, the director of revenue management at Bluesun Hotels & Resorts, after a complete standstill since mid-March, bookings for this particular popular hotel group have been slowly growing since the end of April.

"June showed a concrete recovery in booking. Last week’s inflow of bookings was identical to that in the same week last year. However, of course, the base is smaller because the reservations that should have been booked in the period from March to May were lost,'' said Stjepko Sosic.

Holiday Village Sagitta near Omis, managed by Salva Regina, opened on June the 27th

"The isolation that is possible at this location and accommodation in apartments and bungalows, in this year's new circumstances, has made Holiday Village Sagitta even more desirable for guests to whom such accommodation instills additional security and trust," says Martina Kovacic, director of Salva Regina.

The Bluesun camp Paklenica, which opened on May the 27th, is already well filled

"The beaches are full, we're opening additional outdoor facilities with food and drinks, the a la carte restaurant in the camp is full, and guests from private accommodation are coming to us. The influx of Slovenian guests is noticeable. The type of accommodation also has a significant impact on occupancy, mobile homes and camping give guests a sense of security,'' said Goran Babin, the director of the Starigrad Paklenica destination owned by Bluesun Hotels & Resorts.

For more, follow our travel page.

June 30, 2020 - Croatia will remain on Slovenia's 'green list' of safe countries to visit this year without needing to quarantine for 14 days upon return. 

24 Sata24 Sata reports that Jelko Kacin, the Slovenian government's spokesman for COVID-19, wrote on Twitter that the Croatian government has decided to take over their patterns of behavior and will close nightclubs, discos and cancel major events

He added that they, therefore, accepted the decision not to remove Croatia from the list of safe countries.

"We are giving Croatia the opportunity to slow down the growth of the infection with consistent measures," Kacin added.

Croatia was the focus of today's conference of the Slovenian government, where the National Institute of Public Health said that the number of cases in Croatia is declining and that with the measures we are preparing, we will be able to maintain this trend.

Recall, due to the increase in the number of cases in Croatia, Slovenia has considered removing Croatia from the list of 'green' countries. It is not a matter of the government intimidating Slovenian tourists or advising them not to go to those countries, but they must behave responsibly and very carefully and not risk getting infected, Kacin explained yesterday.

In addition, a binding 14-day quarantine is not required when returning from these countries, but those who go to such destinations must be responsible and act very carefully, he explained. So you should contact doctors as soon as you notice symptoms upon return or pay special attention to distancing if they are in Croatia.

In the last 24 hours, 15 new cases of coronavirus infection have been confirmed in Slovenia, the Slovenian government announced on Tuesday.

Thus, the number of total confirmed infections has increased to 1,600 since the beginning of the epidemic, and it is estimated that another 101 are active cases of infection. So far, there have been 111 deaths among those infected, and there are currently eight patients in the hospital being treated for COVID-19, the health ministry said.

The decision, which is in line with what Kacin states, is also that of the Civil Protection Headquarters of the City of Novalja, which decided last night that there will be no festivals on Zrce this year.

"In the area of ​​Zrce beach, in agreement with the owners of clubs and festivals, no electronic music festival has been organized so far, nor does the City of Novalja want to issue any consent for holding music events on Zrce beach. Given the recent events in the Republic of Croatia, and related to the appearance of coronavirus in some nightclubs, today the Headquarters decided that this summer tourist season will not issue approvals to clubs and concessionaires on Zrce beach for festivals, after parties and similar parties. The same applies to party boats," they said in a statement.

They add that after reaching the conclusion in contact with the mayor of Kolan, Marin Pernjak, an identical conclusion was agreed that will be reached during the day at the session of the Civil Protection Headquarters of Kolan, which applies to the club Noa and other smaller clubs.

To read more breaking news in Croatia, follow. TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, June 30, 2020 - The GONG election monitoring NGO on Tuesday warned that people infected with the coronavirus will not have the right to vote because the State Electoral Commission has not allowed them to vote from home while at the same time it has allowed this for people in self-isolation even though they too pose a risk.

GONG underscored that this is a denial of a fundamental political and constitutional right.

"This inconsistency leads to the question of the necessity and the ability of the measure to achieve its primary goal of protecting lives and health. The infection could in theory be spread also by people in self-isolation, hence the question is, has the right for those infected been unreasonably restricted," GONG said in a press release.

GONG added that the public had to know on the basis of which law have those infected with coronavirus been stripped of their right to vote given that Croatian law does not recognise the category of stripping someone of their right to vote, hence the procedure to do so is not prescribed.

"Seeing that the law does not foresee voting in hospitals, all citizens being treated in hospitals, not just those suffering from coronavirus, will be stripped of their constitutional right to vote," GONG underlined.

GONG advocates establishing polling stations at all hospitals and care facilities as well as introducing postal votes so as to avoid any discrimination.