Old Maritime Material Being Collected for Lopar Multimedia Centre
February the 14th, 2021 - Shipbuilding, fishing and other such maritime materials are being collected for the new Lopar multimedia centre on the beautiful island of Rab, of which maritime culture and heritage has always played a vital part.
As Morski writes, the Tourist Board of Lopar is in the process of collecting old fishing, maritime, shipbuilding and other such materials which speak to its history from the people who may have such materials in the Municipality of Lopar and the town of Rab for listing and documentation for the up and coming Lopar multimedia centre called: "Man and the Sea - The Fishing and Maritime Heritage of Lopar/Covik i more – ribarska i pomorska bastina Lopara".
The main goal of the new Lopar multimedia centre, which will of course also serve as an interpretation centre for the area, is to contribute to the protection, preservation and evaluation of Lopar's cultural and natural heritage as a basis for the sustainable development of Lopar as an area which has always drawn its living from maritime culture, fishing and other similar sorts of aquaculture. The project aims to promote the tradition of the traditions of fishing, aquaculture and general maritime heritage of the wider Lopar area.
The opening of the new Lopar multimedia centre will work to properly preserve the fishing and maritime heritage of this picturesque little place on Rab, protect the exhibits, create a model of a traditional vessel, interpret ways of fishing and making tools, put together a dictionary consisting of old words, expressions and even swear words from the area of Lopar, put together a menu which will boast some traditional recipes consisting of fish dishes, the very preparation of which will be recorded and placed on multimedia totems in order to be available to visitors.
The project activities will unite and preserve the rich heritage for future generations in one place and showcase the very traditional way of life in the Lopar area in an accessible way and enrich this location's overall tourist offer.
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Bloomberg Index: Croatian Technological Innovation Has Died?
February the 14th, 2021 - Has Croatian technological innovation died? While there is a lot that can be said which would act as a solid argument against that, with the Croatian IT industry continuing to blossom despite the ongoing pandemic and the likes of homegrown masterminds like Mate Rimac, the Bloomberg Index thinks otherwise.
As Novac/Marko Biocina writes, almost no week manages to go by without the results of some sort of global index being presented to the Croatian public, and then based on these results people draw varying conclusions about the state of the Croatian economy and society in general. A recent example of such a practice was the publication of the annual report of the Corruption Perceptions Index of Transparency International, where Croatia recorded a modest rating of 47 points, placing it below countries such as Jordan and even Rwanda.
This fact, as expected, provoked a barrage of reactions and outrage at the fact that Croatia is more corrupt than the aforementioned sub-Saharan nation, which less than three decades ago was the scene of the worst form of genocide in recent global history. Of course, such interpretations were very much exaggerated, at least insofar as the aforementioned research didn't pretend to measure the level of corruption, but instead the level of perception of corruption.
However, on the other hand, the very comparison of the Croatian score with the measured perception of corruption in developed Western European countries is indeed an indicator that points to the fact that corruption is a much more serious problem here than it is in some other European nations. As such, composite indexes need to be able to read and there are countless similar examples. If we were unreservedly guided by the final ranking of the legendary (or perhaps notorious) Doing Business survey of the World Bank, we could come to the conclusion that it's easier for business owners and entrepreneurs to do business in Northern Macedonia than it is in Germany and Ireland, easier in Kazakhstan than Austria, and easier Azerbaijan than Switzerland, and in the aforementioned Rwanda than in let's say, the Netherlands.
It would, on that note, also claim that it is easier for Croatian entrepreneurs to do business than it is for their colleagues in Italy and Luxembourg. The cause of these strange discrepancies is often in the methodology of the index itself, the mathematical formula according to which the individual components are added together in the calculation of the final score. Precisely because of this, sometimes an exceptional result in one category measured by a country will allow it to soar in the overall standings in spite of mediocre ratings, and sometimes excellence in one field will remain methodologically “buried” in the final total.
Then there is the question of evaluating how important each component is to the overall final score. For example, when an uninformed reader reads that Croatia ranks 20th among the 28 member states of the European Union in the Index of Economic and Social Digitisation (DESI), one might think that we still stand better than our general economic and development position in the same bloc. However, when this score is decomposed, it turns out that most slightly or significantly below-average results in a number of categories measuring the progress of digitisation in Croatia are significantly improved by the best score across the EU in regard to the percentage of Croatian residents consuming their media and news online.
It's worth really asking how true some of these reflections about Croatia actually are. There are many such examples, but - taking into account all the pitfalls of composite indices - it must be noted that such a depressing index as the new edition of the Bloomberg Innovation Index, an annual survey measuring the innovation of 60 most important countries, hasn't been seen for a long time.
In this year's edition of that research, South Korea returned to the throne after a one-year break, while from the Croatian perspective, the most important information is that of the ten most innovative countries in the world, seven are EU member states., and six more are among the best 25. Croatia, on the other hand, is ranked 45th (out of 60), two places lower than last year, although with a slightly higher overall score. The initial conclusion, which is often seen in various other comparative studies, is that Croatia is stalling because it is progressing too slowly compared to other countries.
However, a much worse conclusion can be read by a more detailed analysis of the components of the index itself. The Bloomberg index consists of these seven thematic areas: investment intensity in research and development, added value in production, productivity, the number of high-tech companies, the efficiency of higher education, the number of researchers and activity in patent applications.
Most European countries, and even those whose overall score isn't significantly higher than the Croatian one, record a result among the top 10 in one of these categories. The Czech Republic came fourth, and Slovenia is eighth in the world in terms of value added in production. Iceland is the best in the world in terms of productivity and fifth in terms of the number of researchers. Lithuania is second, Portugal third, and Estonia eighth in the efficiency of higher education. Romania is the 22nd country in the world in terms of the number of high-tech companies. And Croatia? The sad conclusion is that today Croatia is not among the top 30 in the world in any indicator of innovation. Has Croatian technological innovation really taken such a horrendous nosedive?
The country has the best relative rating in terms of higher education, where Croatia comes in 33rd place, but to understand the overall context, it should be emphasised that the Croatian higher education system is rated worse than those in Algeria and Saudi Arabia. According to the criteria of patent activity and the number of high-tech companies, as such Croatian technological innovation, we aren't even in the top 50. Croatian technological innovation is, at least if you were to take this index as gospel, died of death, and there of course, in this day and age, isn't a single segment of social activity that is exempt from it. The question of whether we really needed a complicated composite index to realise that sad truth is a burning one, and while technology companies continue to bloom in Croatia, despite the often embarrassing lack of digitalisation, we also have to look a little deeper than another rather damning index rating.
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Rijeka Masquerade Rally Goes Ahead for 30th Time Despite Coronavirus
February the 14th, 2021 - The traditional Rijeka Masquerade Rally has gone ahead for the the 30th time despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, poor weather conditions and economic woes caused by a horrific 2020.
As Morski writes, the traditional sports event organised by the Rijeka Auto Club marks its 30th anniversary this year. The Rijeka Masquerade Rally has as such continued its unbroken tradition that began back in 1990, this year passing through Rijeka, on the way to Kostrena and Bakar. The participants of the car rally were welcomed by Rijeka Mayor Vojko Obersnel and Deputy Mayor Marko Filipovic.
The rally is otherwise one of the oldest accompanying events of the Rijeka Carnival, starting at the foot of Trsat and ending up in Bakar.
Rijeka's Masquerade Rally is a unique event of its kind in the world, because the race is partaken in by people is masks, as are all of the present participants - the competitors, their entourage and the judges must be masked, and their appropriately decorated vehicles are also an important part of this unusual event.
It all started back in February the 25th, 1990 when the athletes of the Rijeka Auto Club, out of their genuine love for motorsport and masquerades, came up with the idea of connecting both segments. This is how the Rijeka Masquerade Rally was initially created, which then further developed over the years, was supplemented with new ideas and the number of participants only grew. The rally is partaken in according to the special regulations, relying on the sports rules of the Croatian Auto and Karting Association and respecting traffic safety.
It consists of driving on a given path, by driving among the cones on the training ground, where all participants and their vehicles, including judges, are masked.
As Tomislav Sepic said on behalf of the organisers of the Rijeka Auto Club, this year, no matter how much the current epidemiological measures hindered them, they found a way to gather, albeit in smaller numbers, and mark their 30th anniversary. Today, only members of the sports section of AK Rijeka participated in the rally, including Ivo Pogorilic and Josip Musanovic, who were some of the initiators of this rally, the first of its kind in the world, and who have both been participating in it for all 30 years.
This year there was no real sporting part of the rally, no competition, but there was good fun, joy and a desire to get everything back to normal as soon as possible.
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Not in a Coronavirus Risk Group? Here's How to Arrange Vaccination
February the 13th, 2021 - Want to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus but don't fall into a coronavirus risk group? Here's how you can manage to get your hands on one of the current vaccinations available in Croatia.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, those who don't yet fall into what are being classified as priority or coronavirus risk groups need to know the following:
1. For vaccination against COVID-19, you can state your wish to be vaccinated and apply to your GP to be seen, or if that isn't possible, you can do the same the competent county public health institute responsible for the area you live in.
2. If you aren't able to be vaccinated in your place of usual residence, or from your GP, you can contact the competent county public health institute in the place of your current residence for vaccination.
nge3. In Croatia, you can get vaccinated against COVID-19 free of charge, regardless of the type of health insurance you have, or even if you for whatever reason don't have it.
4. Due to the limited quantities of vaccines available, vaccination is currently being carried out according to each defined coronavirus risk group, which are often called priority groups, in accordance with the National Vaccination Plan against COVID-19. The start of vaccination of persons from certain coronavirus risk groups depends on the availability of vaccines at any given time, the response to vaccination, but also the number of persons belonging to these priority groups.
The plan has been and continues to be to first vaccinate employees and users of homes for the elderly (and other institutions for the provision of accommodation within the social welfare system) and healthcare workers, then (conditionally speaking, in the second phase of vaccination) all persons over 65 and all persons with chronic diseases, independent of their age, and finally (conditionally speaking, the third phase) the entire population.
5. Before receiving your coronavirus vaccination, your doctor will ask you for the necessary information - it is necessary to make it clear if you have ever had any severe allergic reactions or severe acute infection with an accompanying high body temperature. According to the information provided, the doctor will then decide whether you can be vaccinated with the currently available vaccine or whether the vaccination should be postponed until a more suitable one is made available.
6. People are advised to stick to the appointments they succeed in making with their doctors when it comes to vaccination.
The Croatian Institute of Public Health confirmed for Dnevnik.hr that it currently isn't known when the vaccination of citizens who don't belong to either priority groups or a coronavirus risk group will begin at all.
"Unfortunately, we can't say when the vaccine will start arriving in large enough quantities to start vaccinating that part of the population,'' they stated, also confirming that the vaccination of the majority of the population is expected by the end of autumn this year.
“A digital vaccination ordering platform is being prepared, which should be operational by the end of the week. The launch of the platform will be made public, and it is expected to be linked to county platforms. Through it, people will be informed about the date and place of vaccination,'' they stated from the Croatian Institute of Public Health.
The platform should be available at this web address, but it is not operational today.
In the meantime, Medjimurje County was the first to present its platform for applying for vaccination. What other counties will do and how is not yet known.
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Brač Airport Director Tonči Peović: Air Traffic Recovery will Depend on Dynamics of Vaccination
February 14, 2021 - Brač Airport Director Tonči Peović comments on what Croatian airports can expect this year.
HRTurizam reports that airlines from all over the world are announcing the return of seasonal flights to Croatian airports. Thankfully, as well, after Croatia experienced a devastating loss last year. In 2020, slightly more than 2 million passengers passed through Croatia's seven airports, while a year before, there were almost 11 and a half million.
"At the global level, there has been a decline in passenger traffic of 64%, in Europe, this percentage is 70%, and in Croatia, it rises to 78%. Large countries such as Russia or China, which due to their size have stronger domestic traffic, have not had such a decline, mostly because they recorded an increase in the segment of domestic passengers," explains Tonči Peović, President of the Air Transport Association at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce and the director of Brač Airport. He adds that one of the reasons for such results is the lack of harmonization and agreement at the international level.
Namely, after the attack on New York in 2001, the International Civil Aviation Organization and the United Nations agreed in the shortest possible time on counter-terrorism, which airlines and world governments began to implement soon after. Such cooperation was lacking during the coronavirus pandemic. The difference in applying epidemiological measures from country to country has negatively affected and still affects air transport.
"When the epidemiological measures subside, and when air traffic is re-established to a greater extent, I expect that the biggest downtime will occur in intercontinental flights and in business class. In intercontinental flights, the delay could be due to passengers' fear of coronavirus outbreaks, which makes it difficult to get back to your destination, and in business class, because companies around the world have started using all the benefits of online remote meeting tools while there are travel restrictions, so I believe that business people will not fly like they used to," emphasizes Peović.
Croatian airports are hoping for some traffic recovery in 2021. Optimism is mostly based on the announcements of airlines, which will operate seasonal flights to and from Croatia. Namely, in 2019, a significant increase in passenger traffic at airports was achieved in April, and similar results were recorded in previous years.
"The first lockdown in Croatia, in April last year, reduced air traffic in Croatia to almost zero. This year, we can hardly expect an "awakening" in early April, at Easter time. In the current situation, we may be able to expect a slight recovery in early May, but this will depend on the dynamics of the split. The lack of vaccines is already playing a big role, so everything will probably continue. Recovery also depends on the situation in the countries from which most of our tourists come, and in most of them, there is a lockdown. All previous optimistic announcements are based on good wishes, but we have to talk about the facts," said Peović.
Airlines worldwide are eagerly awaiting the recovery of air traffic and have been actively involved in solving the problem. The introduction of so-called "Covid passports," i.e., passports for safe travel, would greatly facilitate business. However, such passports also open up a handful of new questions. One of the largest is the type of vaccine. Namely, the vaccine given in some countries is not accepted in others. Therefore, people who have received a vaccine will not be able to travel to destinations where the same vaccine is not accepted.
Therefore, the International Air Transport Association has recently launched a travel pass initiative, which allows the integration of multiple passports or applications and determines which tests for COVID-19 and vaccines are allowed.
"The desire is to introduce standard software, for example for smartphones, with which it will be immediately visible whether passengers have the necessary documents and permits for the destination they are traveling to. Airlines worldwide can’t wait to start flying because even though their current costs are minimal, they want to make a profit, even a minimal one. But the question is how many airlines will survive after the measures are relaxed because, with the start of flights, the costs become much higher. If there is no interest of people in travel and the planes are not filled, I believe that the companies will make big losses, some of which will not recover," says Peović.
And what are the predictions for Brač Airport, which last year achieved only 17% of the traffic from 2019? Well, according to the airline’s announcements, the year could be quite successful. Namely, Brač Airport expects to maintain two Croatia Airlines' flights between Zagreb and Brač this year, which operates twice a week during the summer flight schedule, on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
On its long-term charter line Graz - Brač, Croatia Airlines plans to resume traffic from mid-May to early October. German Sundair plans charter flights from Dusseldorf on Saturdays and from Berlin on Sundays from the beginning of May to the end of October, and ticket sales have already started. Charter flights from Bern and Graz will be operated by Great Dane Airlines in the off-season, from September to October.
"Negotiations are currently underway with Luxair, which connected Brač with Luxembourg two years ago, so I hope that Luxair will decide on reintroducing the line this summer. There is also LOT, the largest Polish airline with which we are in negotiations. We have sent them all the requested documents, and we are waiting for a response."
While the recovery of air traffic is expected, Brač Airport is not sitting idly by but is working to improve conditions. Namely, the airport upgrade project is in progress, where they are extending and widening the runway and reconstructing the passenger terminal. A construction permit for the passenger terminal and a location permit for the runway is pending. After that, the passenger terminal reconstruction project will apply for the EU energy efficiency project, as part of the initiative that arose in response to the impact of COVID-19.
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Albina Grčić to Represent Croatia at Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam
February 14, 2021 - Albina Grčić is the winner of this year's Dora, the Croatian selection for Eurovision, and will represent Croatia in the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest!
Jutarnji List reports that with the song "Tick-Tock" written by Branimir Mihaljević, Albina Grčić will represent Croatia in May at the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam. The 22-year-old Split native and student of English language, literature, and history at the Faculty of Philosophy was both the jury and audience favorite in Opatija on Saturday night.
"I am not yet aware that I have won the Dora. All of this seems like a dream, and it is a beautiful dream in which I have invested a lot of effort and love. Thank you to my entire team, who have been a great support to me over the past months, from rehearsing to performing at Dora. I am happy that people recognized us. The competition was great, and if we had sent anyone else to Rotterdam, we would not have failed," she said after the victory.
Grčić was also remembered by the public as a finalist of last year's HRT show "The Voice." But unlike the heavy retro ballads that Albina sang during the popular TV spectacle, she presented herself in Opatija on Saturday in an entirely new, danceable, and much more modern light.
"My song ‘Tick-Tock’ is vastly different from what I’ve presented so far; I would say the genre has stayed the same, but the rhythm has changed a lot. This song is also my challenge and something I haven't had a chance to try before. One of my favorite verses is ‘You think you’re fancy but play the game my way...’. ‘Tick-Tock’ is a powerful song that represents my identity in my future career. In my opinion, she is exactly what I can imagine on the 2021 Eurovision stage. I think we have everything, and it is up to me to use it and present it to the Eurovision audience," added Albina, who celebrated the victory with a glass of champagne and showed that bookmakers should never be blindly trusted.
Namely, in recent weeks, they have ruthlessly favored second-placed Nina Kraljić, who performed in Opatija with the song "Rijeka" and the Alconost of the Balkans project.
The Croatian jury was led by Daniela Trbović, Barbara Kolar, Jelena Lešić, and Doris Pinčić, and the evening in Opatija was enhanced by Vesna Pisarović, a musician who performed twice at the Eurovision Song Contest - in 2002 in Tallinn with the song "Absolutely Safe" and won 11th place, and two years later as the author of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian song "In the disco", which placed ninth.
The winner of Dora was decided by the sum of the votes of the audience and the jury.
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Flights to Croatia: WizzAir Announces Wroclaw-Split, Croatia Airlines to Launch Ancona Charter
February 14, 2021 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as WizzAir announces yet another new line to Croatia, this time from Wroclaw-Split Airport, while Croatia Airlines will launch charters between Ancona and Split in the summer flight schedule this year.
Croatian Aviation reports that the WizzAir expansion in Split continues! For the third week in a row, this well-known Hungarian low-cost airline has announced the introduction of another new route to Split Airport.
From June 20, the Wroclaw - Split - Wroclaw line will be introduced, which will be in traffic once a week, every Sunday, until September 12, 2021. A320 aircraft with a capacity of 180 passengers has been announced on this route. On the 13 announced rotations, the Hungarian carrier will offer 4,680 new seats.
This is the third new line to Split in just three weeks. With three new lines from Oslo, Gdansk, and Wroclaw, WizzAir will increase its market share at Split Airport with almost 30,000 additional seats!
Wroclaw is WizzAir’s new, fourth destination from Poland to Split (along with Gdansk, Warsaw, and Katowice). Given the continuous expansion of this low-cost carrier at Split Airport, it would not be surprising if they announced even more new routes to Croatia in the next month.
Ex Yu Aviation announces even more news for Split Airport. Namely, Croatia Airlines will launch charter flights between Split and Ancona in Italy this summer, organized by Italian tour operator Goro Tours.
Namely, flights will operate three times per week, on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, from July 31 until August 28, 2021, driven by the Dash 8 Q400 turboprop.
This is excellent news for Split Airport, which is continuing to see an increase in flight connections this year.
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Croatian Graduate Perspective: The View from Karla in Split
February 13, 2021 - With many young people emigrating from Croatia, what keeps those who decided to stay (at least for now)? In the new TCN series called Croatian Graduate Perspective, we investigate recent graduates' attitudes about job and life opportunities in Croatia. Karla from Split is our first interviewee. This is her story.
The emigration of young people from Croatia in search of better business opportunities and living standards, unfortunately, is a well-known story. Each of us young people in Croatia knows at least a few people from their environment who, at one point, said that enough was enough and decided to seek happiness somewhere abroad.
According to official Eurostat data, from 2015 to 2019, Croatia's population decreased by 4.26 inhabitants per 1,000 citizens only thanks to emigration. Therefore, the Croatian emigration rate is the second-worst in the European Union (after Lithuania).
These data indicate that economic prosperity influences population decisions to emigrate. Besides, due to the exodus of the young and working population, there is an additional reduction in GDP per capita that closes the cycle of poverty and decline in Croatia.
However, there are many who are aware of the poor position of young people in Croatia, but still do not want to give up and decide to stay in Croatia. We're wondering what do those young people, recent graduates, think about this whole situation and what are their reasons for staying in Croatia.
We begin our series on the Adriatic coast, with Karla in Split.
First of all, please introduce yourself. What are you studying/what did you study? Do you have a job currently?
I'm Karla, and I have a Masters degree in journalism. I live in Split, where I'm originally from. Last year I came back from Zagreb where I had been studying for five years. I'm currently unemployed.
What is it like being a student/recent graduate in Croatia during this coronavirus time?
I honestly don't know which is worse – being a student or completing one's studies during the coronavirus time. In any case, a lot of pressure is in the air, in terms of our own existence, but also the desired career.
What are your experiences searching for a job in your profession in Croatia?
I honestly think that the ones who want to work can, but the question is what kind of work? If you want to do anything, for a low salary, all Croatian companies' doors are open to you. But if you want to do what you specialize in or something you love, you will have to wait. At least until this coronavirus crisis is over.
What do you think of the Croatian Government's efforts to provide opportunities for graduates?
I think that every ambitious citizen has opportunities. But those who have just graduated have to deal with a lack of experience that will certainly not help them under government grants. And the number one experience you must have in Croatia is printing paper or bureaucratic expertise. The Croatian Government has offered support for self-employment and support for employers in the form of youth employment. It would be nice if young people were educated about their own rights and employment opportunities during their college/high school days.
Many young people your age decide to emigrate from Croatia to find a better job opportunity and/or life standard. What do you think about it?
I support such young people. However, I consider leaving Croatia solely for business a defeat. I do not rush exclusively for money, and the standard of living in Croatia, at least in Dalmatia, where in addition to work and college, we still sit for a few hours having coffee, I consider a comfortable life and luxury. We are in a global world, where, if you are capable and creative, you can profit from anywhere. So why replace the sun and the sea with some continental concrete?
In your opinion, what would encourage young people to stay in Croatia?
Stronger support for purchasing real estate by young people, not only for those who have cash or a secure job for years.
Have you ever considered the option to move out from Croatia?
No, I haven't.
As a recent graduate, what is your impression of the education system in Croatia? What do you think is good about it and what could be better?
We have competent young people who learn a lot during college. But it all stops at the theory stage. Our education would be better if practical experience were always necessary.
Based on your own experience, would you say that everything is possible in Croatia if you work hard, work on yourself, are educated and ambitious?
Hmm, I don't think the state's and individual's characteristics should be so intertwined in one sentence. Yes, I believe it is possible to succeed, but solely because of the characteristics that individual creative minds possess. Ambition and effort alone do not mean much. That is, it means enough that you have a job and how many times you progress in your life. I am ambitious. Almost all my friends are ambitious, but someone just needs to know how to take advantage of the situation, adapt, be different, more unique, and more innovative.
If you could change only one thing in Croatia, what would it be, and why do you think it's important?
I wouldn't change anything! I stick to that you can't change the world – you can only change yourself and your world outlook. I look at Croatia as a combination of sea, mountains, the most delicious food, and tired, complaining, but cheerful and good people.
As a young Croatian, what are you most proud of in Croatia?
I am more than proud of people full of empathy, which is confirmed by numerous humanitarian actions. Just look at the number of donations of each humanitarian action and look at the reactions to crises in Croatia.
Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future of Croatia, and will it be a better or worse place for your children?
I am generally pessimistic about the future in which new generations are growing up, the online future. I wish I could say that my kids will know all the games I loved as a child. I know that Croatia still offers villages, various green spaces where children can have a childhood, so I am in some way satisfied. If I had children, I would be happy if they live a little with nature and socialize in a playful, childish way.
Are you a student or recent graduate who would like to contribute your voice and experiences to this series? If yes, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the subject "Graduate."
To read more from series Croatian Graduate Perspective, follow TCN's dedicated page.
New Student Intern Positions at Total Croatia News: Apply Now
February 13, 2021 - Looking for some practical experience at the beginning of your journalism career? Two student intern positions are available at TCN.
About 18 months ago, I was invited to address journalist students at the Faculty of Political Science at Zagreb University on the realities of running a news portal in the modern day.
It was something that had never done before, and I didn't really know what to say, but I thought it could be an experience and perhaps an opportunity to develop closer ties with the university in some way. The idea of TCN student intern positions came up, and the more I thought about the idea, the more I liked it. We had something to offer in terms of real experience on the ground, and the youthful enthusiasm of students with actual journalistic training (unlike this self-starting blogger) was also appealing. Being able to reach a young audience also had its appeal. I wasn't quite sure what the internship would entail in practical terms, but I was open to the idea.
The first rule of addressing students at a seminar is never do it in the morning. I was curious to see how many would attend the 09:00 seminar as I drove into Zagreb from Varazdin for the session.
The answer. Just nine. Not a huge crowd, but perhaps there would be a gem in there somewhere, and maybe we could inspire some of the nine. Maybe one might even want to become an intern with TCN. You can see the whole presentation in the videos above and below.
The students' professor, Gaj Tomas, who invited me in the first place, gave the students an assignment to write about their impressions of the seminar. And then my inbox started to fill with first one, then two, and finally three applications to join the intern programme. Three from the nine was a good result.
And so off we started, on a journey which was as much an adventure into the dark as it was for me. They were taught to take over certain social media responsibilities for TCN, which they did much better than I ever did. Paula was into politics, and political guru, Kresimir Macan kindly met her for a coffee to give her some guidance and contacts. Within two months, Paula was published in the UK, earning her first journalist funds, co-authoring a feature on the upcoming Croatian presidential elections.
Ana was more into film, and who better to meet and interview than legendica Spomenka Saraga, award-winning film producer and the driving force behind Zagreb Tourfilm Festival.
While Janja got to hang out and jam with guitar legend Yogi Lonich.
Paula and Janja went on to cover Dora 2020 for TCN, with Macan helping to arrange some backstage access for them to interview the winner. They were certainly having more fun than I was, stuck in the office all day.
Janja joined us full time on a student contract over the summer, before returning to university to resume her studies. She was joined by recent graduate Donatella, who started with a 3-month internship with TCN, and is now employed as a full-time member of the team.
Donatella accompanied me to her first ever protest recently, the UGP Voice of Entrepreneurs gathering on the main square (and yes, she is a much tidier dresser than me). Here are her impressions in My First Protest: What I Learned at UGP Entrepreneur Protest in Zagreb.
Now that she has graduated, I am looking forward to helping her develop new ideas from the younger generation, and I am really excited to follow her new series starting this weekend - Croatian Graduate Perspective, interviews with recent graduates about the challenges of starting out in the big bad world in Croatia during a pandemic. You can read her first interview with Karla in Split, which has just been published.
TCN currently has two student intern positions available for anyone interested. We are happy to look at candidates from all over the country, as we are keen to represent as many parts of Croatia as we can. So if you are a student in Split, Osijek, Pula, Dubrovnik, Rijeka, Varazdin or elsewhere and would like to come and get some hands on work experience to contrast with the theory of the lecture hall, get in touch.
We are looking for enthusiastic students with excellent English, plenty of initiative, with good social media and video skills. The internship will be a mixture of some of the more mundane aspects of running a portal, such as admin and social media, as well as plenty of work in the field, as well as time with TCN staff. If interested, please contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Subject Internship. Please include a CV, 400-word article on a topic about Croatia you feel passionate about, one fun fact about Croatia that most people don't know, and the name of the person you would most like to interview in Croatia (and we will try and make it happen). Deadline for applications - February 25.
I asked Janja and Donatella to write a little about their experiences at TCN, to give you an idea of students who tried the internship and lived to tell the tale:
Janja - When I first applied for TCN, I wasn't aware where exactly this journey will lead me. I'm not sure even now, but I am enjoying the path. I love the opportunities which TCN is continuously giving to us. I like the freedom of choosing my own articles and also seeing that Paul is encouraging us to do so. One of the brilliant things is how easy you can reach the person you want to talk to or go to an event you want to cover. Also, a relaxed atmosphere, quality humor, and understanding people are wonderful things to have around. It is a pretty rare thing to find, especially in a working environment. We are just a few months into this internship and have already had so many positive experiences, so I am very happy.
Donatella - A year ago, I returned from my five-month student exchange in Italy, where I studied at the University of Bologna. Delighted by this international experience, as a final-year journalism student at the Faculty of Political Science in Zagreb, I had another desire – to participate in a student internship abroad. However, the coronavirus pandemic ensued, so some of my priorities changed. When I had almost come to terms with the fact that I would not experience a student internship during my college education, I saw one post on Facebook that piqued my curiosity.
Total Croatia News, a news portal dedicated to Croatia, was looking for a student intern. As I wanted to continue improving my English language skills, as well as to start my career in journalism, an internship for Total Croatia News seemed like an excellent opportunity to start. I applied, passed the interview, and soon became a TCN intern. Although the internship was in Croatia, considering the circumstances with the coronavirus pandemic, I was happy and grateful even to be able to do an internship.
As the nerd that I am, I enjoyed learning to write news articles in English from my English-speaking colleagues. From week to week, I was getting new assignments, and the one I found most exciting was managing TCN's social media accounts. Social networks are one of the main tools in business today. Although I've been learning about it during my studies, I gained the biggest knowledge through concrete, practical experience on TCN.
After two and a half months of learning and working, driven by great dedication, I was given the opportunity to become a permanent part of the TCN team, which I by no means wanted to miss. When I look back, I realize that I stepped out of my comfort zone by applying for an internship and pushed my boundaries to where I didn't even know I could go. And so much is still ahead of me.
If you would like to discuss the internship before formally applying and would like to know more about it from Janja or Donatella, please contact me and I will put you in touch.
Grbin: Government Showing Lack of Ideas, Blundering, Ignorance
ZAGREB, 13 February, 2021 - Social Democratic Party president Peđa Grbin said on Saturday the government's latest relaxation of COVID restrictions showed its "total lack of ideas, blundering and ignorance."
Speaking to the press in the Istrian resort of Poreč, Grbin said the restrictions were again being relaxed "without any criteria."
"Since October, not just we from the opposition but scientists too have been warning the government that there must be certain criteria, because we all have to know on what a decision on the relaxation is being made. There have to be certain numbers or indicators."
Grbin called on the government to make the criteria known and asked why casinos were allowed to reopen while restaurants were not.
He said the owners of establishments which were temporarily closed or whose turnover had drastically dropped due to the COVID crisis should be compensated "from the state budget."
"And all citizens will bear the brunt also through their tax revenues so that this compensation can be paid, only so that what little of the economy has survived in the past 30 years in Croatia can function. If we destroy everything now because we can't set aside money to compensate entrepreneurs, there will be no economy in Croatia and poverty will rule."
Grbin reiterated that it was "totally unacceptable" that some people were using their position so that they or their loved ones were vaccinated against COVID, saying this "shows that this government is below any expectations."
He also said that the SDP would nominate its candidate for Zagreb mayor in several days and that Joško Klisović was shortlisted because he "reflects what I want the new SDP to be, which is expertise, honesty, knowledge and experience. He's the man Zagreb needs and the profile Croatia needs."
