ZAGREB, 26 Aug 2021 - Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović, who heads the national COVID-19 response team, said on Thursday that the team was not planning to change or tighten current epidemiological restrictions just as it had not done so far.

"After we have been communicating on a daily basis for the past 18 months about the pandemic, I think there is no one who lacks basic facts about protection against the infection," he said, expressing hope that Croatia would stay orange on the epidemiological map of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

Speaking of a decrease in interest in vaccination, Božinović said that the vaccination roll-out and the related activities were within the remit of the Croatian Public Health Institute and not the national COVID-19 response team.

"Naturally we want as many people as possible to get vaccinated because at this moment that is the only sustainable way out of the epidemic and stronger efforts will definitely be made in that regard. We expect the number of people interested in getting vaccinated to increase in the autumn but we should all be making the public aware that vaccination protects to a large extent against the more severe forms of the disease," he said.

Asked if the team was considering the introduction of tighter epidemiological restrictions, he said that each restriction had to be designed in line with people's willingness to accept scientific achievements but that there was no measure that was more efficient than vaccination.

"On the other hand, larger gatherings pose a risk... the autumn is close, and staying indoors facilitates the spreading of the infection so we have to warn people of risky behavior and gatherings that can lead to an increase in the number of infections. So far we have not been inclined to introduce very strict restrictions and we will continue to behave that way," Božinović said.

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

ZAGREB, 26 August 2021 - Health Minister Vili Beroš informed the government on Thursday that the lion's share of COVID patients admitted to hospitals were not vaccinated, and called on the Croatians to get vaccinated.

"From 16 to 22 August, of the total number of those hospitalized patients, 78.7% were not vaccinated (against coronavirus), and records of hospitals show that from 16 to 24 August, of 3,216 people who tested positive to coronavirus, 86.41% had not been vaccinated," Beroš said.

He underscored that the numbers prove the victory of common sense, and also, on the other hand, a blow to efforts of health care workers to encourage vaccine-hesitant people to get a jab.

"We can see an accelerated rise in new case numbers, in hospitalizations, and in the number of people placed on ventilators. In a week, the number of hospitalizations has increased by 46.7%, and the number of patients on ventilators by 72%," the minister said, adding that this could pave the way for a new wave of the epidemic.

He urged the Croatians to get vaccinated and thus contribute to efforts to make sure that the autumn would be calm.

The minister said that the delta variant of coronavirus was fully dominant in the country.

Decisions on new epidemiological rules in coming weeks

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković also called on vaccine-hesitant people to be inoculated and appealed for the elderly to get vaccinated.

Concerning anti-epidemic rules, Plenković said that decisions on new measures could be expected in the coming weeks.

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.

ZAGREB, 26 Aug 2021 - President Zoran Milanović said at a ceremony commemorating civilian victims of the war who died 30 years ago in Kijevo, outside Knin, that reconciliation and forgiveness required reciprocity and not arrogance and haughtiness.

Speaking of Karst areas where residents of Kijevo live and where the early medieval Croatian state hails from, Milanović said "our first churches were built here, our identity is here, our roots are here, this is stone."

"Hardly anything grows in stone, and those who survive, who are strong, who resist, those have a worth and those cannot be rooted out. Those are the people of the Dalmatian hinterland, the people of Herzegovina. They suffered during the war but I don't see them as victims or those who need charity, I see them as winners. Winners who are dignified and at the same time those who forgive and have mercy," Milanović said.

The European Union is founded on the culture of forgiveness, self-reflection, faith into a better future and the right to a new beginning, the president said adding that reconciliation and forgiveness require reciprocity and not arrogance and haughtiness. He recalled that brave soldiers had died in Kijevo, but that defenceless civilians had also been killed there.

"When I visit Grubori, the place where atrocities were committed, I come as president, as a Croat, as a citizen of this country and as a common human being. I have no ultimate expectations, but as a human being it would make me happy if the other side, and I say 'the other side' with caution because I am not a fan of such divisions, would be reciprocal. This is the only way the European civilization, good neighborly relations, and unity survive," the president said.

Milanović took part in ceremonies, marking the suffering of civilian victims from Kijevo during the Homeland War.

At the beginning of the Homeland War, the Croat-populated village of Kijevo was besieged by the local Serb rebels supported by the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) units under the command of Ratko Mladić.

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

ZAGREB, 26 Aug 2021 - The Croatian Ambassador to Turkey, Hrvoje Cvitanović, who also covers Afghanistan, said in Zagreb on Thursday, that the situation in Afghanistan was getting more dangerous by the day, and believes that there is a threat of terrorist attacks.

Cvitanović, who was attending a conference of Croatian diplomats in Zagreb, said that earlier in the day, there was an attack outside Kabul Airport and three people had died.

We still do not know who is behind the incident, he added,

The situation is more than complicated, and it is changing not by the hour but by the minute, the ambassador explained.

An estimated 30,000 people are around and within Kabul Airport, and he believes that there is a threat of terrorist attacks.

The governments of the USA, Australia, and the U.K. warn their citizens to avoid traveling to the airport in the Afghan capital as they fear that imminent, lethal attacks could be about to take place at Kabul airport.

There are no more Croatian nationals in Afghanistan and the embassy in Ankara is in contact with Croatians in neighboring countries.

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

ZAGREB, 26 Aug 2021 - The Croatian government on Thursday approved the launch of the proceedings for concluding a double taxation avoidance treaty with Egypt.

The agreement is expected to bring about income tax facilities and encourage investments.

The treaty will pave the way for boosting the trade between the two countries and help them to fight tax evasion, Finance Minister Zdravo Marić told the Plenković cabinet in Zagreb.

For more about business in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

August 26, 2021 - Dutch entrepreneur Jan de Jong, who lives and works in Croatia, has announced a four-day workweek for Webpower Adria employees from September, without reducing their salaries.

Jan de Jong announced the news on his LinkedIn profile yesterday. 

"Webpower Adria just gave all of its employees a raise of 20%. No, not in money, but in free time. We are introducing a 4 day work week - for the same salary! ??

In addition to that - whether my colleagues will be working from home or from the office will be entirely their own decision. ??

We are all individuals, with different preferences. If we can do our work from anywhere, then who are we to say it needs to be done from the office. ?

I strongly believe in the powerful words of sir Richard Branson: "If you look after your staff, they will look after your customers."

Our team was super thrilled to hear we are starting our 4 day work week as of September.

Their next task is to agree among each other who is taking off on which day - because the show must go on. We will, of course, remain available to our dear clients 5 days a week.?

Introducing a 4 day work week aims to reduce stress and increase productivity - as many researches have shown would be the result.

Personally, I don't know any Croatian company that offers this - so we at Webpower Adria are proud to be among the first companies in #Croatia ?? to introduce the 4 day work week.

Wouldn't you like to work 4 days a week for the same salary?"

The Webpower CEO told Index.hr that his company has 9 employees, who mostly work from home. One employee works from Osijek, and another is in Rijeka.

"I specifically work from Split, while the rest of my team works from Zagreb. The average employee is 28 years old," he said.

When asked how he came up with the idea, he said that he was encouraged to do so by other countries.

"In countries like Iceland, they have conducted several experiments in recent years testing a four-day workweek, and according to these results, working 4 days a week would reduce stress and increase productivity. Also, it is widespread in the Netherlands to work less than 5 days. They love it," De Jong told Index, adding that he expects greater satisfaction from his employees, which should result in satisfied customers.

Index asked how his employees reacted when he told them the news.

"Oh, well, they were very excited when we told them that. They smiled with so much with happiness, and some even cried from happiness," he said.

As the owner, would Jan also work 4 days a week?

"For me as an entrepreneur, it works a little differently. Webpower Adria is not the only company I work for. Last year, I became a co-founder of CROP to build high-tech greenhouses for growing tomatoes in Croatia. I am also a co-founder of Digital Nomads Croatia, where our mission is to unite and support digital nomads coming to Croatia. None of these businesses or activities require my involvement 40 hours a week, but when it all adds up, I end up working five days a week,” De Jong told Index.

When asked what he expects from a four-day workweek, he said this is a novelty, just as work from home was last year with the pandemic.

“I believe that once we show that working 4 days a week makes employees happy, that they are under less stress, that they are also more productive, I believe that then more and more companies will follow suit,” he added.

He added that he started thinking about making this decision before the summer.

"Before making a decision, we researched how busy our employees are at the moment, to see if a four-day workweek would have a negative impact on how we work. We concluded that we could really introduce a four-day workweek, and we are very excited about this new chapter for our company," De Jong said.

Would the working hours be extended due to the four-day workweek?

“We stay to work 8 hours a day, but if it takes a few more hours, I believe it will be better for employees than working five days a week,” De Jong pointed out.

He also said that he expanded his team with two more colleagues last year.

"We did a great job with the #BuyCroatia campaign. For every 25 companies that would switch from services like MailChimp, or other foreign service providers, Webpower Adria would hire 1 full-time employee in Croatia. This campaign resulted in 50 new clients, which allowed us to hire two more employees," he said.

He believes that in the future, many companies could opt for a four-day workweek.

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

August 26, 2021 - The Croatian Broadcast Exhibition hosted by Zagreb's Nikola Tesla Technical Museum (TMNT) offers visitors a chance to learn more about the rich history of radio and television in Croatia which led to the diverse multimedia world of today.

Named after the famous scientist Nikola Tesla, the Nikola Tesla Technical Museum (TMNT) continues to showcase the history of invention and technology. Since June, all the way  up to October 12, the Museum has been and will continue to host an exhibition called ''Transmitter and connections – 95 years of broadcast in Croatia'', authored by TMNT's curator Goran Rajič. Marking 95 years of radio and 65 years of television in the country, the display is supported by Transmitters and Connections d.o.o.

''There is no doubt that broadcast, embodied in two iconic phenomena – radio and television, marked the 20th century and made way for today's dominance of multimedia, evident in the overall networking and convergion of communication technologies,'' reads the TMNT website.

They added that radio and television made significant contributions to society, from building democracy and pluralism to being symbols of mass consumer and pop culture.

''With a selection of representative objects from the Nikola Tesla Technical Museum and objects used in Transmitters and Connections d.o.o., we're paying tribute to the significant anniversary of broadcasting on Croatian soil, as well as the almost century-long effort of Croatian work and intellectual efforts in its quality,'' explained the TMNT website.

This selection includes various radio and television transmitters, televisions and radios used in Croatia, also accompanied by photos of the most significant locations across the country where transmitters are situated. In addition, the exhibition presents visitors with data that provides less known facts on the size and branching of the transmitters, as well as on the challenges of maintaining the broadcast network.

TMNT also reminds its readers that the first radio transmission in Croatia was achieved on May 15, 1926, by the hard work of the Radio Club Zagreb, and was produced by the German Telefunken company from Berlin. The same date, but this time in 1956, saw the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the radio on modern Croatian territory. Antennas placed on Sljeme, Medvednica's mountain top, saw the very first television broadcast. The most recent technological advancement in the Croatian broadcasting world was seen in 2017 when 16 radio stations started broadcasting on a digital signal.

Learn more about Croatian inventions & discoveries: from Tesla to Rimac on our TC page.

For more about Croatian history, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 26 Aug 2021 - President Zoran Milanović said on Thursday that the current anti-epidemic rules had no sense any more, and that Croatia should follow the example of Sweden rather than France and Germany considering measures taken to combat the COVID pandemic.

Milanović said this did not mean that Croatia should not copy others, however, he admitted that the country was also a part of a wider community and "it cannot always be the way we believe is the smartest."

"I think now that it would be more prudent to do something different than France and Germany or some other countries are doing," Milanović told the press in the Dalmatian town of Kijevo near Knin where he attended ceremonies commemorating civilian victims of the war who died 30 years ago. "I would follow the suit of Sweden. Sweden can afford it for itself, however it pays a political price, we obviously cannot do that," the president said.

The president explained that many people had got vaccinated against coronavirus which now made the anti-epidemic rules unnecessary unless the healthcare system and intensive care wards were exposed to strain.

 He again called on the Croatians to get vaccinated.

 "Get vaccinated. Trust science, be pragmatic, take care of yourselves," Milanović said.

Commenting on the forthcoming population census, Milanović said that the findings of the census would probably show that the population in Croatia alone was downsized by 10% compared to the situation 10 years ago, and he ascribed that to the emigration of Croatians to Ireland, Great Britain, and other western countries.

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

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.