Plenković: I Believe in Social Agreement Between State and Citizens on Vaccination
ZAGREB, 15 July 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Wednesday he believed a social deal would be reached between the state and citizens on vaccination against COVID-19, calling on everyone who can get vaccinated to do so for the benefit of all and stressing that the "tool" for that has been ensured - the vaccine.
In an interview with the HRT public broadcaster, Plenković stressed the goal of vaccination was to gain collective immunity against COVID-19, recalled the government had provided enough vaccines, and congratulated everyone who had been vaccinated, with the percentage of vaccinated people in the adult population now standing at 46.3%.
The prime minister believes the agreement reached with employers would be implemented and that up to 70% of those employed in companies that will apply for business support due to the consequences of the pandemic would get vaccinated.
Earlier on Wednesday, cabinet ministers and social partners held the second round of negotiations at which it was proposed that businesses, where over 70% of workers have been vaccinated against COVID, would get payments for all workers, while those with lower percentages would get payments proportionate to the number of workers with COVID certificates.
PM Plenković appealed for common sense to prevail and solidarity so that all get vaccinated except those who cannot for medical reasons.
Railways - the largest investment
Talking about Croatia's National Recovery and Resilience Plan, the prime minister said no one, including Europe, was imposing reforms on us, but we knew ourselves that we had to carry them out.
He recalled that in addition to COVID, which hit the entire world, Croatia had four times more costs due to the 2020 earthquakes. Plenković explained that was why the entire National Recovery and Resilience Plan was based on the government's program and the national strategy, the key components of which were the economy, investments in all sectors guided by the logic of green and digital transformation and transition.
As for the announcement about the creation of 100,000 new jobs, the prime minister stressed we would achieve that in the sectors where we wanted - in the ICT sector, which was achieving phenomenal results in Croatia, with or mostly without the state, but also in traditional, tertiary industries, such as hospitality and tourism, which were yet to experience real recovery and investments.
Plenković recalled a huge step forward had also been taken in the energy sector and transport infrastructure so now, he said, we only had to make investments in the railway.
On 1 July, the Plenković cabinet adopted a document on the modernization and restructuring of the railway sector, which contains the main reform elements and presents an action plan for the reform of the railway sector. Croatia plans to invest about HRK 33 billion in upgrading the rail sector until 2030.
Status of Bosnia and Herzegovina Croats
Commenting on recent statements by President Zoran Milanović on the status of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the prime minister said there was nothing new in them.
Because, he recalled, the position of the government and the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) has been for years that Croats, as one of the three constituent peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina, must be equal, and the Dayton-Paris peace agreement must be respected.
He recalled that issue had existed since 2006 when Bosniaks elected a member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina for Croats on the territory of the Federation entity, and that unfavorable "electoral engineering" had unfortunately been repeated several times since, the last time in 2018.
For more on Croatian politics, both local and national, make sure to bookmark our dedicated politics section and stay in the loop.
Croatia to Move to England's COVID Green List on July 19th
ZAGREB, 15 July 2021 - The British embassy stated on Wednesday that Croatia would be added from the amber list for entering England to the green list on Monday.
"Croatia is on the amber list for entering England. From 4 am on Monday 19 July Croatia will move to the green list for entering England. Check what you must do to enter England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland," reads the press release issued on the U.K. embassy on Wednesday afternoon.
Earlier in the day, British media outlets reported that Croatia would be promoted to the green list for entering England.
Travelers returning to England from Croatia, Hong Kong, or Taiwan will not have to quarantine as the countries are due to be moved into the so-called COVID green list for travel, media said on Wednesday, as carried by Reuters.
For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, including travel, border, and quarantine rules, as well as the locations of vaccination points and testing centers across the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.
After 13 Years, Croatia Bans Plastic Bags!
July 15, 2021 - The Croatian Parliament passed a new Law on Waste Management, in which Croatia bans plastic bags after a 13-year struggle!
Jutarnji List reports that at today's session, the Croatian Parliament passed a new Law on Waste Management, which, among other things, prohibits plastic bags for carrying. Animal Friends, which launched a campaign and petition to ban plastic bags in 2008, welcomes this specific legal provision:
“The ban on lightweight plastic bags is the result of many years of efforts by associations and environmental organizations that point to the catastrophic consequences of using plastic bags. We also advocated banning the thinnest disposable plastic bags, which was not accepted, although there is a supply of reusable practical nets in stores. These thin bags are used relentlessly and should be disposed of with a collection obligation and clear regulation, which can be prescribed by bylaws.”
The Association explains that at the moment it happens that customers use the free thin disposable plastic bags without thinking when, for example, they buy only one piece of fruit or vegetable, although they can stick the price in the store to an individual product or buy in larger quantities and in bulk, and by using nets to avoid any use of plastic bags. These bags end up in mixed waste and in nature, which is why they state that only legal prohibitions and restrictions can effectively stop further environmental pollution with plastic.
Animal Friends considers this legal provision a victory and thanks everyone who has fought alongside them in these 13 years and joined the appeal to ban plastic bags.
In the beginning, when they decorated a large seedling with plastic bags on Ban Jelačić Square, which is now a larger tree on Bundek, or when they disguised the costumes of bags and indicated the necessity of a specific legal ban, they did not think that so many years would pass to the necessity of continuing a series of new and concrete positive changes.
"Each of us should be aware that by irresponsible behavior we endanger our own health and the world in which we live. Discarded plastic bags decompose, so microplastics end up in human and animal organisms. Countless times we have witnessed scenes of animals accidentally swallowing plastic bags or getting entangled in them and then dying slowly and in agony. If we want to preserve our sea, beaches, parks, and natural beauties and stop piling up garbage, we have canvas bags, baskets, and reusable mesh bags for fruits and vegetables at our disposal," explains Animal Friends.
They add that, in addition to plastic bags suffocating animals and damaging beaches and forests, their production consumes natural resources and energy, exposing production workers to toxic chemicals. Buying or taking a new plastic bag every time you go to the store directly affects the environment not only because it takes hundreds of years to decompose in a landfill but also because burning in an incinerator with other plastics increases the number of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
The new Law on Waste Management prohibits lightweight plastic carrying bags and disposable plastic products such as ear sticks, cutlery, plates, straws, beverage mixing sticks, and those intended for holding balloons, as well as containers for food and beverages made of expanded polystyrene including their stoppers and lids and products made of oxo-degradable plastic.
"Unfortunately, disposable plastic is banned only minimally in accordance with EU directives. In order to be effective as a state in stopping the use of disposable plastic, it is necessary to change consciousness and practice using reusable objects. We hope that this is just one in a series of provisions that will follow, which will stop plastic pollution and increase waste sorting because Croatia has big problems that need to be solved as soon as possible. Saving animals and the environment, preserving natural resources and ecosystems should be our long-term interest," conclude Animal Friends.
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Split Pride 2021 Parade held this Saturday, Covid Certificates Mandatory
July 15, 2021 - The Split Pride 2021 event will be held this Saturday with a procession and entertainment that lasts until the late evening hours.
The 10th Split Pride will take place on Saturday, July 17. The gathering begins at 5 pm at Bedem Cornaro behind the Gallery of Fine Arts, and the procession starts at 6 pm. The expected return to Bedem is at 7 pm, followed by an entertainment program until 11 pm.
"We tried to make the procession as beautiful and colorful as possible and we chose excellent performers. But we must not forget that Pride is not just colorful and fun, Pride is a protest. For the tenth time so far, the Split LGBTIQ + community and supporters are taking to the streets in an organized manner, protesting against the prejudices they are surrounded by, raising the awareness of their fellow citizens about their existence, and celebrating all their differences and identities. The big thing for Split Pride is the mayor's announcement that he will join us in the procession. We are happy to have a man at the head of the city who is trying to understand our problems," said Split Pride for Dalmatinski Portal.
This year, the Pride organization was a bit more demanding than before because they had to harmonize it with the currently valid measures of the Civil Protection Headquarters.
"We invite other fellow citizens to join us, but before that, we must mention a few important things. Unfortunately, we are still living in a pandemic. Due to the currently valid measures, we will only allow people with Covid certificates - people with confirmation that they have recovered from Covid, people with evidence of vaccination, and people with a negative Covid test. We don’t want to risk becoming the focus of a pandemic. We are aware that for this reason there will be fewer people gathered and we are sorry for that.
Those who wish can join the parade when it leaves. No one can forbid you to walk in public areas, but please adhere to the measures and keep your distance. Take care of your safety and the safety of your family members," sid the organizers of the pride parade.
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Matija Marinić Released from Self-Isolation in Tokyo, Back to Olympic Training
July 15, 2021 - The best Croatian wild water canoeist, Matija Marinić, returned to the track where he is preparing to compete at the Olympic Games in Tokyo after two days of self-isolation.
Due to possible contact with a coronavirus-infected passenger on the flight to Japan, Marinić and his coach Stjepan Perestegi were initially prescribed self-isolation for a week, however, after their appeals and with the support of the President of the Croatian Olympic Committee Zlatko Mateša and the Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to Japan Dražen Hrastić, the decision was changed, reports HRT.
Marinić was provided with training on the track at a special time in the middle of the day. Upon arrival in Tokyo, the term was used by the British, whose country is on the list of those epidemiologically high-risk due to the spread of the Delta variant.
"We are grateful to everyone who had the heart to change the decision that jeopardized my performance at the Olympics. The decision was also changed for athletes from Ukraine and Canada who were quarantined at the same time as us. We are now training at a special time, but we are still banned from going down to the restaurant where other athletes go. That's what we were looking for. We will respect everything so that I can train, and give my maximum on the track on July 25th. I believe none of us have contracted the coronavirus. We have been vaccinated and behind us are ten negative tests since arriving in Japan," said Marinić after the first training on the track after a two-day break.
Perestegi is also satisfied with the change in the decision.
"This is the best example that the fight for medals starts off the track - in our heads. When he felt that the entire Croatian public was with him after leaving the track, Marinić received an additional urge to win a place in the finals of the Olympic Games, and to do his best in the fight for the medal," Perestegi pointed out.
Marinić and Perestegi are staying in the hotel near the track where they train for a few more days. After that, they move to the Olympic Village. The Olympic Games open on July 23, 2021.
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Luka Modrić EURO 2020 Goal Named 3rd Best of Tournament!
July 15, 2021 - The outside-of-the-boot Luka Modrić EURO 2020 goal against Scotland has been named the 3rd best goal of the tournament!
Czech striker Patrik Schick's goal from the midfield line in the match against Scotland was declared the most beautiful goal of the 2020 European Championship, the European Football Federation (UEFA) announced, while Luka Modrić's goal took third place.
After the Czech Republic won the ball in the 52nd minute and went on to counter, Schick shot from the middle of the field, and the ball soared over goalkeeper David Marshall's head.
The Bayer Leverkusen striker shot from 45.4 meters, which is officially the farthest distance from which a goal was scored at the Euros.
The winner was decided by the fans who voted on the official UEFA website between 10 goals selected by the UEFA technical commission. Schick's goal received almost 800,000 votes.
In second place was the goal by French midfielder Paul Pogba against Switzerland, while Luka Modrić came in third with his outside-of-the-boot goal scored against Scotland. Modrić scored for 2:1 in the 62nd minute of Croatia's final group stage match. It was a masterpiece by the captain, and a signature Luka strike.
With this goal, Modrić entered Croatian football history as the oldest Croatia scorer at the European Championships. He scored at the age of 35 years and 286 days. Modrić is also the youngest scorer for Croatia at the European Championships. At EURO 2008 against Austria, he scored a goal at the age of 22 years and 273 days.
In fourth place is the goal of the Italian striker Lorenzo Insigne against Belgium in the quarterfinals, and in the top 5 is Cristiano Ronaldo's goal for Portugal against Hungary.
Candidates
LUKA MODRIĆ (CROATIA - Czech Republic 3-1, group)
Andriy Jarmolenko (Ukraine - Netherlands 2-3, group)
Patrik Schick (Czech Republic - Scotland 2-0, group)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal - Hungary 3-0, group)
Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium - Denmark 2-1, group)
Paul Pogba (France - Switzerland 3-3, 4-5 11m, the round of 16)
Lorenzo Insigne (Italy - Belgium 2-1, quarterfinals)
Federico Chiesa (Italy - Spain 1-1, 4-2 11m, semifinals)
Alvaro Morata (Spain - Italy 1-1, 2-4 11m, semifinals)
Mikkel Damsgaard (Denmark - England 1-2, semifinals)
Source: Gol.hr
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New Sinj Tourist Board Website Launched with Entire Tourist Offer!
July 15, 2021 - The Sinj Tourist Board has received a new website - www.visitsinj.hr!
The site includes the entire tourist offer of the city of Sinj, numerous attractions, brochures, maps, video links, new virtual tours, interactive city maps, documents, and acts.
It also contains all the information needed by tourists to make it as easy as possible to enter the Republic of Croatia, as well as information for renters, for example, to obtain a Safe Stay in Croatia certificate (an additional indicator of facility safety during the COVID-19 pandemic).
The site is available in Croatian, English, German, Italian, and French.
Zeljko Zrncic
The Sinj Tourist Board will regularly update the new website with new information related to the tourist offer of the city of Sinj and its surroundings.
The new website of the Sinj Tourist Board of Sinj can be found at www.visitsinj.hr
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Tomo Horvatincic Finally in Zagreb's Remetinec Jail
July the 15th, 2021 - Remember all of those stories about the very wild Zagreb entrepreneur Tomo Horvatincic and his continued successful attempts at escaping jail? They've finally come to an end.
The Croatian entrepreneur who is responsible for the deaths of an Italian couple due to the reckless driving of a boat in Croatian waters has managed to avoid jail so far, he even attempted to due the children of the couple he killed for damage done to his boat. This alone is disgusting enough, but the fact that people are going to jail in Croatia for the tiniest of offences while someone like this walks free is the real problem for the vast majority of angry citizens.
With all of that being said, and with the fact that Tomo Horvatincic managed to walk out of court with his driving license still in his hand despite his actions, Remetinec jail is his current home. Finally.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Zagreb businessman Tomo Horvatincic said goodbye to his friends on Tuesday and told them that his new home would be in Remetinec prison from Wednesday, where he would wait for the solution of his sixth appeal in which he is asking for his sentence to be postponed. In the past, he has been preparing to go to prison, to serve a sentence of four years and ten months, due to the aforementioned maritime accident in which he caused the death of two Italian citizens on a speedboat a decade ago.
Despite the lawyers' appeals against the court decision refusing another postponement, the entrepreneur appeared to know his fate had arrived and made sure to take all of the appropriate measures so that his business could function without him.
He appointed his son Kresimir Horvatincic as the director of his companies HOTO ZRINJEVAC, HOTO CVJETNI and HOTO ISTRA, while remaining in the position of director himself too, as he is still at the head of the umbrella HOTO GROUP as the President of the Management Board, but his son has been a member of the Management Board since 2018, so the job can function without additional personnel changes, writes Lider.
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Croatian Green Energy Cooperative (ZEZ) to be Financed by Google
July the 15th, 2021 - The Croatian Green Energy Cooperative (Zelena energetska zadruga/ZEZ) is the first and only organisation in all of the Republic of Croatia to be financed by no less than Google itself.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Lucija Spiljak writes, the Croatian Green Energy Cooperative is the only organisation from Croatia that has been provided funding under Google's Google.org Impact Challenge to promote inclusive economic growth and create an equal chance for success in the digital world. A total fund of two million euros will be distributed to selected organisations for their respective projects from Google.
Google launched the aforementioned competition back in January for Central and Eastern European countries - to help organisations, thirteen of them, work to reduce the digital divide and promote inclusive economic growth. Each organisation was provided funding of between 50,000 and 250,000 euros, with the support and mentorship of Google.
The Croatian Green Energy Cooperative was provided funding with the SOL4ALL - Community-Led Solarisation project, which puts people at the centre of the energy transition to clean energy. As explained by the cooperative, this empowers people to invest and produce solar energy in their own homes.
The vision of the Croatian Green Energy Cooperative is to encourage the installation of 10 MW in solar capacity in the countries of the Western Balkans and thus strengthen the resilience of cities, encourage a fair economic recovery and influence the development of doing "green" businesses.
“We believe that people can make a significant contribution to tackling climate challenges and be the main drivers of the transition to clean energy. Strengthening their knowledge and understanding of renewable energy sources should play a major role, and we see digital education tools as a means to achieve that vision. We're thrilled that Google.org is supporting us in developing the project that unites us. This is a great opportunity for us and for people to contribute to carbon neutrality,'' said Erica Svetec, Project Manager at the Croatian Grene Energy Cooperative.
The funding of these various projects was dealt with by members of the International Committee of Experts, Google and the INCO Group. Among the members of the board was Hrvoje Josip Balen, co-founder and member of the Management Board of Algebra, who pointed out that he was pleased that there are initiatives from here in Croatia that effectively connect the digital path forward, going green and people.
“Actively encouraging and instructing individuals on how to generate electricity with optimal investment will certainly help accelerate and understand the necessary energy transformation,” Balen said.
For more, follow Made in Croatia.
Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomasevic: We've Returned Expensive Cars
July the 15th, 2021 - The recently elected Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomasevic has stated that all of the expensive cars, including Audis, Mecerdes-Benz and BMWs have all been returned, and switched for Meganes, Octavias and Corsas.
Milan Bandic's premature death a few months ago left a window of opportunity for change open in the Croatian capital, and it seems that change truly is finally happening.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomasevic recently held a press conference in the lobby of the Zagreb City Administration, where he spoke about the first month of his term, the financial picture of a post-Bandic Zagreb and more of his plans for the capital.
''This is the fifteenth press conference we've had in the last 37 days,'' said Tomadevic at the beginning, announcing a weekly press conference in the future, which will be held every Tuesday, reports N1.
Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomasevic also spoke about the city's official vehicle fleet, saying that they decided on cheaper vehicle variants and have returned the fancy cars previously being driven despite the city's dire financial status.
"We cancelled the tender for official vehicles, the presidents of the city councils used these cars 24 hours a day, I don't know on what basis. We returned all the expensive cars, the BMWs, Mercedes, Audis… We've now got Meganes, Octavias and Corsas,'' said Tomasevic, adding that the three arrested city employees, Barun, Krajina and Sulentic, have also now been officially suspended.
The mayor also noted that the financial picture of the City of Zagreb and of Zagreb Holding is far from good.
"This indebtedness was for liquidity, in the autumn we'll look with the banks for refinancing, which will be a long-term solution with the restructuring of the City and of Holding,'' stated Tomasevic.
For more on Croatian politics, both local and national, make sure to bookmark our dedicated politics section and stay in the loop.
