ZAGREB, 2 Feb 2022 - PM Andrej Plenković said on Wednesday upon the conclusion of a session of the parliament's National Security Committee, that discussions included creating an atmosphere in society that would reduce hate speech. 

Discussions were motivated by the 2020 attack on the government headquarters by Danijel Bezuk, which was condemed as a terrorist attack.

"We discussed the terrorist attack of October 2020. Everyone agreed that it was a terrorist attack and an unacceptable act, and we discussed ways to create an atmosphere in society that will reduce hate speech which, when it evolves, unfortunately can lead to cases like this one," Plenković told reporters, adding that there were not many dissonant voices during the debate.

Policy of tolerance has changed atmosphere on political scene

Speaking of ways to reduce hate speech, Plenković said political stakeholders should think about whether they contribute to polarisation and radicalisation, adding that "some debates in the parliament, too, contribute to that atmosphere that later spreads to some media and social networks."

Plenković said that he had been pursuing a policy of tolerance, inclusiveness, dialogue and respect for six years, pointing in that regard to his position that ethnic minorities should be part of the parliamentary majority, feel well, and for their rights to be respected.

He added that with such policy he had changed the atmosphere on the political scene, compared to the time before he became prime minister.

"Think back a little, also when the HDZ and its political philosophy, rhetoric and moves are concerned, I think the differences are visible and do not need much description," he said.

Asked who was intolerant, he said "There are many", but would not elaborate who he was referring to, telling reporters they knew that better than he did.

Plenković said today that he did not tell the State Attorney, or the national police director, that he was dissatisfied with their work regarding the attack on the government headquarters, which was mentioned in December.

"When I saw the reports, there were many questions that I thought remained unanswered and I said so last summer to the state attorney, the police director and the minister of the interior. They said today that they were still working on the case," Plenković said, noting that the case was still not closed.

"It was an unprecedented case, a terrorist act committed by a 22-year-old man, it was purposeful, it caused fear, violence was used and it was of a political nature. Those are elements of a terrorist act and that requires a thorough analysis of the phenomenon of hate speech and those who indoctrinate people as young as that man," he said.

Plenković did not specify who had indoctrinated Bezuk, noting that "there is a lot of very useful and telling information in the report."

The PM also would not say if some political camps were behind the incident, saying only that "things are quite recognisable."

He dismissed speculation that his special advisor on security Robert Kopal had done some analyses, saying that reports were made by the institutions working on the case - the Office of the State attorney, police and the Security-Intelligence Agency (SOA).

Reopening St. Mark's Square a matter of security assessment

Asked if there were plans to reopen to public St. Mark's Square, the seat of the parliament and government headquarters, Plenković said it was a matter of security assessment.

"I do not know of any other country where state institutions were as accessible as we were until that moment," he said.

Those who want to stage a peaceful protest in St. Mark's Square can do so today. "A protest is announced, the gate is opened and the protesters go inside, they protest, sing, play loud music and that's all right. Except for walking around, everything else is allowed," he said.

Today's session of the parliament's National Security Committee was attended, along with the prime minister, also by State Attorney Zlata Hrvoj Šipek, Police Director Nikola Milina and SOA head Danijel Markić.

For more, check out our politics section.

February 2, 2022 - By studying gravel beach erosion and recovery, the Beachex project aims to come up with effective methods of beach nourishment and ensure a sustainable increase in beach capacity in Croatia

We all love a relaxing long walk on the beach, perhaps even more so in winter when beaches grow quiet with the crowds gone. And it’s not a strange habit to pick up a few shells washed ashore, a lovely pebble or some sea glass. What to do if you happen to come across some rather strangely colored pebbles? Best leave them where you found them, as they might be part of a scientific study. 

Enter the Beachex project, a part of which is currently being conducted on Ploče beach in Rijeka. As reported by Novi list, a sign has been put up on the beach to warn passersby not to (re)move the smart pebbles, as researchers are tracking their movement in order to determine morphodynamics of artificial beaches. 

The project in question is run by the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the University of Zagreb in collaboration with the Lancaster Environment Centre at Lancaster University, and in short, it aims to study beach erosion. 

What inspired the project? As explained on the Beachex project website, the pressure on gravel beaches in Croatia is twofold. On one side, there’s the ever-expanding tourism industry, generating a need to increase beach capacity by beach nourishment to accommodate the growing number of beachgoers. At present, beach nourishment in Croatia isn't regulated by law, and is thus often conducted with artificial materials that are unsuitable for the purpose and harmful for the ecosystem. 

On the other end, there’s also the increased storm activity caused by climate change, also leaving its mark on beaches. 

Ploce beach in Rijeka / Image source: grad.hr/beachex

‘The Beachex project aims to explore the mechanisms of gravel beach erosion and recovery to provide technical support for long-term beach nourishment in order to achieve a sustainable increase in beach capacity while reducing the influence of climate change’, states the project website.

Apart from the smart pebbles, measurements are collected on Ploče beach using video monitoring and an oceanographic buoy combined with geodesy measurement. 

Tracking beach morphodynamics, however, is just one of the project’s goals. Researchers are also building a database of nourished beaches in Croatia and aim to educate the public about beach erosion through workshops in Rijeka and Split. The impact of beach nourishment on marine life is being studied through dive surveys on beaches in several coastal towns.

All the data collected as part of the project will also help scientists predict the impact of climate change in regards to beach sustainability, so that preventative action can be taken to reduce the influence of extreme natural events on beaches, as well as tourism at large. 

All in all, if you see a pebble coloured bright red, yellow, or any other colour that kind of looks out of place on a gravel beach, just leave it - best not to intervene in those morphodynamics. 

Find out more about the Beachex project here. 

ZAGREB, 2 Feb 2022 - In the past 24 hours, there have been 15,287 new cases of coronavirus infections in Croatia, the national COVID-19 crisis management team reported on Wednesday.

The COVID-related death toll has risen by 54, to a total of 13,947.

Currently, there are 60,264 active cases of those infected with SARS-CoV-2. 2,067 COVID patients are receiving hospital treatment, of which 190 are placed on ventilators.

As many as 64.89% of adults have fully been vaccinated.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated section and select your preferred language if it isn't English.

February 2, 2022 - The Croatia national team will participate in a Doha friendly tournament next month as preparation for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar this December. 

The Croatian Football Federation management has agreed that the Croatia national team will play a friendly tournament in Qatar in March. Croatia will play two matches in Doha, reports HNS.

Croatia will face Slovenia on March 26 and will play Bulgaria three days later. The national team of Qatar will also play in the tournament, against Bulgaria (March 26) and Slovenia (March 29). The matches will be played at the stadiums in Doha where the FIFA World Cup matches will be played. The exact timetables and stadiums will be defined later, and HNS will inform fans in a timely manner about the possibilities of buying tickets.

"We wanted to play in Doha in March, so I thank the leadership of the Federation for agreeing to participate in this tournament - it will be a great opportunity to get to know Qatar and feel the conditions that await us - climate, infrastructure, culture.

I think the opponents are tailor-made, two quality teams that will be a good test for what awaits us next. First of all, we are looking forward to the gathering, to continue to build a community that will be key to success in the competitions that await us later in the year," said the Croatia national team coach, Zlatko Dalić.

"We are glad that we have reached an agreement on participating in this tournament in Doha, given the desire of the coach Dalić and the national team to play in Qatar, so that we can acclimatize to everything that awaits us at the end of the year. The most important thing is that our direct placement in Qatar has enabled us a peaceful year in which we can prepare well for the World Cup, and participating in this tournament will be an important step in that direction," said HNS President Marijan Kustić.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

February 2, 2022 - If you own a dog or plan to bring one on your next adventure in the Pearl of the Adriatic, you will need to take into account the dog-walking rules in Dubrovnik, which from now on will be subject to greater supervision and enforcement by the City's Municipal Police.

As reported today by Slobodna Dalmacija, the Municipal Police has published a notice for all pet owners, with a particular emphasis on dog-walking rules in Dubrovnik.

In the coming period, the employees of the Department of Municipal Police of the City of Dubrovnik will intensify their supervision over the Decision on the conditions and manner of keeping pets and the manner of dealing with abandoned and lost animals and wild animals.

Namely, the said decision stipulates, among other things, that dogs can be taken to public areas if they are marked with a microchip, on a leash, and under the supervision of the owner, and the owner is obliged to carry cleaning supplies.

It is prescribed that pets are forbidden to move on children's playgrounds, flower beds, unfenced sports fields, landscaped city beaches, unfenced yards of schools and kindergartens, markets, cemeteries, and in all places where there is a risk of endangering health and hygiene.

Also, when taking a dog to public areas, they must wear a muzzle if they fall under the category of 'dangerous dog', which category is defined by the Ordinance on Dangerous Dogs. For a safer and more beautiful Dubrovnik, they concluded in the announcement.

For everything you need to know if you have a pet in Croatia or bring them on your next adventure, such as the current laws, the rules when traveling by ferry with pets, the best places to take them for a walk, etc; be sure to check out Total Croatia's page HERE. Now available in your language!

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

February 2, 2022 - With film crews in Dubrovnik arriving for the Amazon series Jack Ryan this month, is the Adriatic Pearl ready?

At last week's City Council session, Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Franković reminded that filming of foreign productions would soon begin and that film crews have nowhere to go for food & drink because almost all restaurants are closed in winter, reports Dubrovacki Vjesnik.

Recall, the new season of the Jack Ryan series will film in Dubrovnik this month, with about 300 people participating in this project. The Amazon Prime series is based on Tom Clancy novels and features John Krasinski as Jack Ryan. 

The mayor told the councilors:

"If we observe the winter period, the city is empty when guests come. And that isn't good. Restaurants don't work for us. We have a big film production coming up in early February, and they have nowhere to eat. The first cruiser is coming to us on February 2, and almost everything in the historic core is closed. We must set clear rules that a certain number of tenants in urban areas cannot be closed; that is, not all can be closed simultaneously. Let them agree together. Or we will arrange an even-odd system," Franković threatened.

"I think that some people confused the situation a bit because with the end of socialism and communism and social ownership, the time of planned economy ended in the 1990s and we entered the period of free trade and free business, i.e., the market," said the president of the Dubrovnik Caterers Association Ante Vlašić commenting on Franković's statement during the recent session. 

In a further review of Franković's statements, the president of the Dubrovnik Caterers Association added:

"I am sorry that some people still do not understand that if they dictate business conditions, they must take full responsibility for the conditions and manner of business and the overall consequences, or all profits and losses resulting from these decisions. If the City needed something like that, it should not have rented the premises it owned, but set up a company and work 24 hours a day and be open 365 days a year. By the way, he bought UTD Ragusa anyway to continue with catering. But it is not possible to take a huge rent for the premises owned by the city company UTD Ragusa and run the business yourself! The city has enough of its own space in which it can open as many restaurants and cafes as it wants if it considers its role in society. But, then the question arises whether the City is the infrastructure and service of citizens or the City is the owner of all events and activities and everything that happens in this area? Do you think that none of the fellow caterers would work if they had financial justifications and opportunities to work?" Vlašić asked:

"Many times so far, when those who worked in the winter were not paid the rent for public areas, people worked. But that was at a time when we could work in the summer and “set aside” some of the money so we could take the risk during the winter. But now, after two years of restructuring, with huge debts from HBOR and HAMAG, we are not able to gamble with our own lives and businesses. If this great film crew needs a restaurant, believe me, they have already contacted some of the restaurants that will be 100 percent adapted to them, and therefore it is completely unnecessary to involve the city, especially those who do not understand how the market and business work," added Vlašić.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, 2 Feb 2022 - The agriculture ministry has prepared two programmes to alleviate the impact of growing costs on farms and fisheries.

The aid scheme for mitigating costs during the spring sowing season is worth HRK 80 million, while the aid scheme for fishermen and livestock farmers is worth HRK 50 million.

The draft aid schemes will be forwarded in the coming days to the European Commission to give its consent and comments, the ministry reported on Wednesday.

Apart from these two packages, the ministry is also seeking a way to help cattle breeders who have not been entitled to the support under the previous HRK 170 million scheme aid.

The livestock breeders who met the conditions under this programme have received aid in December and January, the ministry said.

(€1 = HRK 7.524059)

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 2 Feb 2022 - Croatia's construction and zoning ministry has developed a new e-service, a construction site diary application within its zoning information system, the ministry stated on Wednesday.

The development of the whole module was financed by the European structural and investment funds. The total project cost amounted to HRK 4.85 million (647,000 euros), with 85% of these costs having been covered by the European Regional Development D+Fund.

The application enables authorized persons such as those in charge of construction sites as well as investors, to gain insight on all construction projects and worksite processes, including all events and activities that may impact progress.

The ministry says the new e-service will facilitate the implementation of investment projects.

For more, check out our business section.