16 March 2022 - Last week, Chile swore in Gabriel Boric, a former student activist and member of the Croatian diaspora, into the nation’s presidency. At 36, Boric is the youngest Chilean to hold this office, taking on the role as Chile undergoes an essential social and political transition. This is most apparent given that the outgoing president is billionaire Sebastian Pinera.

Small Town Croatian-Chilean to the Presidency

Born in Punta Arenas, a city near the southern tip of the American continent, Boric was born to Luis Boric Scarpa, a second-generation Croatian-Chilean engineer with origins on the Adriatic Island of Ugljan. His mother was Marìa Soledad Font Aguilera, of Catalan descent. Even though his father’s ancestors left the then Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1897, Boric still has relatives on the island, demonstrating the strong ties Croatian maintain with the diaspora.

During his youth, Boric studied at The British School in his hometown. After completing high school, he moved to Santiago, where he enrolled in law school at the University of Chile (though he never graduated), where he was involved with student politics. During this time, he became president of the University of Chile Student Federation. While president of the student federation, he witnessed the second wave of protests for reform of the Chilean educational system, a movement that started in response to policies that were relics of the Pinochet dictatorship of the 20th century. Boric became one of the leading spokespersons from the Federation of Chilean Students, gaining him initial recognition within the political sphere.

Boric took the next step in his career in 2013 when he ran as an independent in his first parliamentary election, campaigning in his home region of Magallanes. Despite being outside of either of the Chilean traditional bi-nominal coalitions, he won, taking a seat on the Commissions for Human Rights and Indigenous Peoples. Since then, Boric has been a consistent voice for education reforms and youth issues.

Leading During a Time of Change

After winning reelection in 2017 by an increased margin, Boric became part of a new political group called the Social Convergence, which resulted from a merger of a previous social-liberal party he was previously associated with. In 2019, protests erupted in the capital, initiated by a proposed increase in public transit tariffs. This marked the beginning of a significant socio-political shift within Chile, a trend that would eventually lead to Boric’s election as president.

Boric’s road to the presidency was not immediately clear. Last year, election polls showed two of his opponents Sebastián Sichel and then José Antonio Kast, as front runners for the position. Boric came second to Kast in the first round, moving on to the second round. On 19 December 2021, Boric won the second round, and on 11 March 2022, he was sworn in as president of the Republic of Chile. “Before the people, I make my pledge,” he said.

Chile is a country in search of change. For many, Boric and his political allies represent a move away from deep-rooted social inequality, which affects income, healthcare, and education. His administration will conduct a referendum on a new national constitution, replacing the Magna Carta implemented by Augustino Pinochet’s dictatorship.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and military aggression in Eastern Europe, Boric is leading his country during a time of significant historical adjustment. With a cabinet mainly containing young people, the South American nation is set to begin a political cycle focused on the feminists, environmentalist, and social-democratic views that permeate amongst the youth of Chile and much of the world at large.

Boric will have to contend with the aftermath of a pandemic, high inflation, and political divisions that pose a tangible threat to the young leader’s visions of healthcare, pension, and environmental reforms. So, as inauguration festivities unfold and diplomates gather in Santiago to congratulate the second-youngest head of state, a nation waits in anticipation for the sweeping reforms they were promised during the election campaign.

For Croatia and the members of its far-flung diaspora, Gabriel Boric serves as an example of the achievements of the descendants of emigrants who left long ago. These people would likely never be able to imagine the success that their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren would ever achieve. Regardless of political affiliation, Croatia will take notice of Gabriel Boric because his story is a testament to the emigrant story that the southeastern European nation knows so well.

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

ZAGREB, 16 March 2022 - Međimurje County has been given the European Cities and Regions of the Future 2022/23 award by one of the most reputable world economic magazines the Financial Times, its fourth such award, among 160 larger or smaller regions and more than 350 cities in the European Union.

County Prefect Matija Posavec, who received the award in Cannes on Tuesday, told a press conference on Wednesday that the award was not a coincidence and that Međimurje has been recognised as one of the most favourable areas for successfully doing business in Europe thanks to a system that connects the economy and education, among other things.

It is an award to a proud Međimurje that combines all those values of our people, who are productive and diligent, Posavec said, underscoring that over the past two years of the coronavirus pandemic, Međimurje's economy continued to grow as it has been over the past 15 years.

Posavec highlighted several examples of a good entrepreneurial environment such as the Technological-Innovation Centre, the Međiurje Energy Agency and the Čakovec Metal Hub as well as the first scientific-research centre that is owned by a county government. He announced the opening of a regional competence centre in the next month.

"Results do not come overnight, but we are always thinking two steps ahead, and today we are thinking about what will happen tomorrow, which is our wish to become a pilot project in our health system and to apply artificial intelligence here too," said Posavec.

The director of the REDEA Public Institute for the Development of Međimurje County, Sandra Polanec Marinović, said that due to COVID-19 it was necessary to adapt to new criteria.

"We also presented those sectors that have the greatest potential for post-pandemic recovery, concentrating on new rapidly-growing sectors such as eMobility, as well as presenting the IT sector and creative industries," she said, recalling the huge municipal investments in business zones.

Business: For more, check out our business section.

ZAGREB, 16 March 2022 - A temporary injunction prohibiting the use and departure of three yachts from Croatian ports has been issued on suspicion that they are connected with persons on the sanctions list released after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Croatia's Sea Transport and Infrastructure Ministry stated on Wednesday.

The yachts are moored in the marina of Betina, the ACI marina in Skradin, and the port of Rijeka.

The injunction is in compliance with the restrictions adopted by the European Union in response to the Russian military aggression against Ukraine and extended to include certain individuals.

Politics: For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 16 March 2022 - A total of 13.5 million passengers were transported by rail in Croatia in 2021, which is 400,000 more than in 2020, as well as 15.3 million tonnes of goods, which is an increase of 200,000 tonnes, according to the Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries (HAKOM).

The data indicates that railway passenger transport is slowly recovering from the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, HAKOM said.

In the last quarter of 2021, slightly more than 4 million people used this mode of transport, up by 500,000 from the same period of 2020.

However, the number of railway passengers has still not reached the 2019 level when nearly 20 million people travelled by rail, of whom nearly 5.5 million did so in the last quarter of that year, which is nearly 1.5 million more than at the same time last year.

The Q4 2021 increase was partly due to the government decision on free rail transport for children and students, HAKOM noted.

In Q4 2021, 4.2 million tonnes of goods was transported by rail, which is about 100,000 tonnes more than in the same period of 2020 and about 310,000 tonnes more than in the last quarter of 2019.

Business: For more, check out our business section.

March 16, 2022 - The Kolođvar fortress, a favorite excursion destination for the inhabitants of the Čepin Municipality and surrounding area, is getting a new look.

Zidine, that is, the Kolođvar fortress was built of hard construction material on the northeastern part of the Korođvar marsh - a famous depression located between Čepin, Vuka, Dopsin, Hrastin, and Ernestinovo, reports Lokalni.hr.

The restoration of the Kolođvar fortress aims to activate the historical identity in the present, enrich the local tourist offer, and transfer cultural values to the future.

"With this project, the Municipality of Čepin wants to create preconditions for the restoration of cultural heritage and the development of additional educational and tourist facilities in the existing protected cultural property "Medieval Town Kolođvar" to create a new tourist offer and develop tourism in Osijek-Baranja County," said Dražen Tonkovac, mayor of Čepin.

"An integrated development program for the reconstruction of Kolođvar fortress and construction of additional content includes several components, including restoring and revitalizing individual immovable cultural property in the Medieval city of Kolođvar, then arranging educational and tourist content for visitors related to the historical context of cultural heritage and natural forests (info-educative boards), as well as arranging picnic areas with gazebos and barbecues," he states.

Of particular interest will be constructing a themed knight amusement park and camp. The project also includes a mobile stage for concerts and various events. Furthermore, sales and presentation spaces will be arranged from natural materials for exhibiting souvenirs and traditional and local products.

It will enrich the local tourist offer and ensure the transfer of cultural values in the future, all to protect and revitalize the cultural property of the Kolođvar fortress," continues Tonkovac.

The Kolođvar fortress will be included in the tourist cycling route, and the reconstruction will give cyclists a picnic area. Furthermore, arranging picnic areas and facilities for children, i.e., a knight's entertainment camp will be a new oasis for an escape to nature that will attract fans. The project's value is 1,248,750 kuna.

The new tourist offer includes a range of activities and facilities attractive to both locals and various target groups such as families with children, cyclists, individual visitors, generation Y and Z, tourists from river cruisers, organized school groups, and other organized tourist groups with an emphasis on tourists who come for a short vacation," says the mayor.

He adds that the Kolođvar fortress has always been a symbol of this area, specifically for its form, age, and secrecy. Therefore, the goal is to make it not only a tourist attraction but also an outdoor classroom and a pleasant place to spend free time.

Until the coronavirus pandemic, the 'Return of the Knights' event at Korlođvar fortress was held on the walls, organized by the Agency for Sustainable Development of the Municipality of Antunovac - RODA d.o.o., with the support of the Municipality of Antunovac and Čepin.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, 16 March 2022 - Caritas Croatia has raised HRK 2.5 million for the Ukraine war victims and is currently collecting material relief, the charity said on Wednesday.

There have been about 44,000 calls to a donation line and Caritas will forward all the money raised to Ukraine.

People may bring their material relief donations to Caritas warehouses or parishes.

All the necessary information is available on the charity's website.

Caritas also said that it was participating in providing for and ensuring psychosocial assistance to Ukraine refugees in cooperation with local Croatian Red Cross and Civil Protection branches.

Politics: For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 16 March 2022- Agriculture Minister Marija Vučković on Wednesday presented a new land consolidation bill aimed at facilitating the integration of small and irregular parcels into bigger and more regular ones as prerequisites for increasing production, cultivating land, and upgrading local infrastructure.

The money set aside to apply the law will help to consolidate 18,000 hectares, but there is interest in consolidating more, the minister said in parliament.

Twenty-three local units interested in the consolidation of 46,600 hectares replied to the ministry's call for applications last October, she told independent MP Marijana Petir, who asked if consolidation funds could be increased given the interest.

HRK 313 million has been set aside for farmland consolidation until 2026, of which HRK 263 million from the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility and HRK 50 million in national funds.

Under the bill, consolidated land cannot be divided for 99 years, the minister told Luka Brčić of the ruling HDZ, who asked if Croatia was considering preventing further division of inherited land.

Land consolidation is of strategic interest to Croatia, the minister said, dismissing claims from Bridge MPs that the new law would be unfeasible and that everything was being shifted onto local government units.

Vučković dismissed as incorrect Bridge MP Miro Bulj's claims that 700,000 hectares of land was uncultivated.

Defending the minister, Stipan Šašlin of the HDZ asked Bulj why he did not do in Sinjsko Polje what Draž Municipality in Baranja did by consolidating over 800 hectares of land and building a HRK 25 million irrigation system.

Selling land to foreigners will mean "game over", says Beljak

Krešo Beljak of the opposition Croatian Peasant Party said that allowing foreigners to buy land would mean "game over" for Croatian farmers and agriculture.

The law will be unfeasible due to many obstacles, from unsolved property rights relations to the cadastre, the opposition said.

Processes should be made simpler and faster, said Ružica Vukovac of For a Just Croatia, adding that land has not been consolidated for 30 years.

Anja Šimpraga of the ruling coalition's SDSS said the bill provided a new approach and represented a huge step forward.

Ljubomir Kolarek (HDZ) said the new law would put to use farmland which was used little or not at all because it was not consolidated.

Politics: For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 16 March 2022 - HRT director-general Robert Šveb on Wednesday decided to appoint Rahela Štefanović the editor-in-chief of the national broadcaster's television channels HTV1, HTV2, HTV3, HTV4 and its international channel.

Štefanović's appointment followed after 79.78% of the editors, journalists and photo-journalists of the HRT who participated in a non-binding advisory vote supported her nomination.

There are 1,356 journalists and staffers eligible to take part in this kind of vote, and 178 or 13.13% participated in it.

Štefanović will succeed Bruno Kovačević on 21 March.

Business: For more, check out our business section.