ZAGREB, June 17, 2020 - State Electoral Commission vice president Ana Lovrin said on Wednesday that men were insufficiently represented on some lists of candidates for the July 5 parliamentary election.

All that will be established within 48 hours, after which fines will be proposed for slates which did not comply with the Gender Equality Act, she said on the public broadcaster after the deadline for submitting slates expired at midnight on Tuesday.

Lovrin said 192 slates were submitted, 187 by parties and five independent ones, and that they listed at least 2,600 candidates in total.

"We expect that all the valid lists... could be published in the early afternoon hours on Thursday. And then the official campaign begins," she said, adding that the Commission's deadline to publish the valid slates was midnight on Thursday.

As for the COVID-19 situation, Lovrin said the measures would be made public in the week before the election as the epidemiological situation was changing.

ZAGREB, June 17, 2020 - The president of the Democratic Alliance of Serbs and Deputy Mayor of the eastern Croatian town of Vukovar, Srdjan Milakovic, submitted his slate to the State Electoral Commission (DIP) on Tuesday.

Milakovic told the press that his list of candidates was targeting one seat in parliament and that their views were closer to those of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) due to their position on human and minority rights.

Milakovic said he is aware that the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS) is controlling more or less all Serb political and cultural institutions and that the SDSS is confident that it will win all three seats intended for the Serb minority in parliament.

He, however, added that the Democratic Alliance of Serbs was also recognised as the slate that was representing interests of the Serb minority, voicing confidence his slate had a shot at the coming election.

As Morski writes on the 16th of June, 2020, recently in the Dalmatian city of Split, Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli signed a grant agreement with the Split School of Tourism and Hospitality Management in the total amount of 74.3 million kuna. The project is 85 percent funded by the European Social Fund and 15 percent by the Croatian state budget. The allocated funds cover 100 percent of the eligible costs under the project.

''Tourism development is based on innovation, quality and hospitality. The key element is primarily people, those who create ideas. Education based on continuous improvement, the development of skills and knowledge with top experts and practical experience, is a long-term solution that ensures the future of the country's tourism. Croatian tourism is focused on being the best and this is exactly our desire through this project, to create conditions in which we'll continue to develop human resources and encourage people to be the best in the business in which they're engaged. Along with Split as one of the most promising tourist destinations in the Mediterranean, a total of six regional centres of competence in tourism and hospitality are being set up throughout Croatia, thus creating the backbone of the future strength of Croatian tourism,'' said Minister Cappelli when signing the contract.

It's worth reminding ourselves that more than 500 million kuna has been provided for the concept of regional competence centres from the European Social Fund and the European Regional Development Fund. In the tourism and hospitality sector, six regional competence centres have been appointed. They are the Zabok High School, the Split Tourism and Hospitality School, the Osijek Hospitality and Tourism School, the Opatija Hospitality School, the Pula School of Tourism, Hospitality and Trade and the Dubrovnik Tourism and Hospitality School.

The Regional Centre of Competence in Hospitality and Tourism in Split will implement a project entitled "the Establishment of a Regional Centre of Competence in the Tourism and Hospitality Sector in Split".

The main activities of the project will be focused on the implementation of education, training and education in hospitality and tourism based on work and according to the needs of employers operating within the sector. Thus, the project activities will be carried out with reputable hotel employers, the county's chamber of commerce and others. Through this project, cooperation was ensured with educational institutions, namely with three secondary vocational schools in tourism and hospitality in the county and with the University of Split.

The Regional Competence Centre in Split will develop a standard of occupation, qualifications and a vocational curriculum. In addition, relevant standards and educational programmes in adult education for qualifications will be developed: food and beverage manager, gastronomy specialist for Dalmatian delicacies, event manager, small hotel manager and hotel reception manager. Given the scope of the aforementioned qualifications, the regional centre of competence in hospitality and tourism in Split will profile itself as a centre of excellence that will generate the best and highest quality human potential primarily in the hotel segment, but also through adult education programmes focused on in gastronomy in Dalmatia. In response to the changing needs of the labour market, informal training has been additionally planned.

The development and implementation of regular secondary education programmes, adult education programmes and lifelong learning programmes, the procurement of equipment and innovative programmes for the use of new technologies in this Split facility will ensure the proper working conditions for these programmes, thus becoming a centre of excellence in vocational education and training and lifelong learning in tourism and hospitality.

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June 17, 2020 - Will entrepreneurs finally have a decisive influence on the election results?

It is only a few weeks until the new parliamentary elections. UGP's attitude was clear. We thought that, just like most entrepreneurs, elections were scheduled too early. Political structures were focused on them, not at solving one of the world's largest health and economic crisis. We are afraid that politicians again looked only at their interests and calculated what's most cost-effective for them, instead of demonstrating state potential and solving general social importance issues, for which they received a mandate and for which they are paid.

We have already written about who entrepreneurs are (especially small, micro, and medium-sized ones), and we were also interested in what actions motivated them.

Given the massive influence through the media, both among the general population and among entrepreneurs, who significantly homogenized, we investigated their attitude to politics and elections through several surveys. Many of the data (as we will see) indicate that entrepreneurs (especially micro, small and medium-sized, and self-employed and small business owners, most of whom are in UGP) are awaking as a group. They are becoming more aware of their untapped potential, which is starting to focalize for the overall well-being of society.

First, it would be nice to note the perception of under what conditions, or better, in what "climate" do Croatian entrepreneurs work? To the question – What is the extent of (anti-)entrepreneurial climate in Croatia? We got these answers: almost 90% believe that the climate in Croatia is anti-entrepreneurial and that entrepreneurs are being harassed and discouraged. This number is supported by nearly 8% who think that the climate is somewhat anti-entrepreneurial and makes it difficult for entrepreneurs to work. It is worth noting that no one believed that the climate in Croatia is good for entrepreneurs.

Given this situation, a logical question arises: What do entrepreneurs plan to do to change this? Of course, there are many options, one of which is registering with UGP, which many have used. We were interested in direct action in the upcoming elections, so we asked them: Will you give preferential votes to listed entrepreneurs in the forthcoming elections? The answers were pretty clear: 84% said they would vote for entrepreneurs who are on the lists. Only 7% said that it did not matter to them, and highly interestingly, only 2.6% said that they would not go to the polls.

This information is exciting because there were only a few entrepreneurs in the last convocation of the Parliament, and that there is a need to improve the representation of business interests. Also, such information can lead to a preponderance both in the formation of the lists of individual parties and coalitions, if they want to maximize the votes of their voters.

This motivation was additionally confirmed with the question: For whom, in your opinion, is it essential to be in the new convocation of the Parliament? More than 41% of entrepreneurs said they believe that an entrepreneur should be in Parliament, while options such as doctors, academics, or musicians did not get too many votes. Almost 40% of people said that specialists should be in Parliament and another 13% only that it would be enough if they were righteous, no matter who they are.

Of course, desires are one thing, and what someone is willing to do another. The relationship between attitude and behavior is not always as simple as one would think. So far, there are also very few entrepreneurs who actively participated in politics and took higher positions. Given the desire for better representation and willingness to vote for entrepreneurs, we asked them – Are you ready to appear on the electoral lists of any party? More than 46% gave the expected answer – No, not getting close to politics. There is 37% of those who understand and appreciate the effort of those who went on this adventure saying: I am not, but I support those who dare to enter the political arena. And very interestingly, I believe more than ever – up to 13% of respondents said that they are considering this option or that they would be politically activated if they find the right choice.  

According to information that UGP has, there has already been a shift in the number of active entrepreneurs that will be found on the lists of parties across the political spectrum. Opportunities are being created, and the potential for change and the goal defined by UGP as Croatia 2.0 is growing. We asked our members for even better results: What else would motivate you to go to the polls? The responses correspond to information from previous surveys. More than 33% say that they go to the polls regularly, and another 30% say that this time they are participating for sure, even if that wasn't the case before. About 25% report that they are motivated by the party's support for UGP requirements. As a reminder, UGP Pledge was sent to all major parties, having received the answers and support from almost all of them except HDZ (no response) and SDP (they agree only with some requirements). Another 5% say that they would like to see more entrepreneurs on the electoral lists and that, in this way, different parties can motivate them.

Of course, even though UGP has repeatedly stated that it does not want to enter politics or engage as a party, it follows both the campaign promises and the statements of all active stakeholders. In election time, as they have every time so far, the parties have flippantly started pouncing on various figures and plans, such as the number of new jobs, or an increase in the minimum wage. That only showed that they are not interested, nor do they understand the economic context, but rather are trying to collect the cheapest political points. How many of them can be obtained from entrepreneurs, we checked with these questions: Do you think that the current governing coalition has fulfilled all its (old) campaign promises? The answers are clear, more than 90% believe they didn't fulfill anything, and only 5% favorably say they completed as much as they could. More than 2% hold that someone who dares to make such statements should be immediately disqualified from further discussion.

Entrepreneurial memory goes back four years and shows evident dissatisfaction with the current leadership of the state. But we also wanted to see how much they trust the new promises of the currently opposed parties, which are not far behind the well-known rhetoric. We asked another question: How much do you think the Restart coalition (SDP and others) will fulfill their campaign promises? The answers are similar, as in the previous question: almost 75% say that those are all empty stories. Another 16% have a good memory and says that they had their opportunity and haven't used it. And only 4% think they can make a difference.

And with that, the circle is closed. More than 90% of entrepreneurs do not believe in either the governing or the opposition party. On the other hand, so far, they have been quite active in voting. With the pressure from a crisis and struggle for survival, they are even more motivated, including those who have remained passive until now, who will go to the polls this time. The motive, in addition to the short-term catastrophic situation, is the medium-term goal of changing the unbearable anti-entrepreneurial climate in the country, through changes requested by UGP directly and through its postulates. It's time for more entrepreneurs to enter Parliament so their voice can be heard louder. The drive for more entrepreneurs follows a growing number of those who are willing to run, as well as creating a new level of awareness in the private sector that will increasingly value the entrepreneurs who enter politics and leave aside projects and firms to which they often have dedicated their entire lives. In this election, everyone will have an extra compass in mind with UGP Pledge and responses from all parties to our very logical and clear requirements that are needed to make changes for Croatia 2.0. If we want to escape from the rear end of Europe, the awakening of entrepreneurs, their connection, and collective political actions can and must be more powerful and decisive with each new election. After the parliamentary elections, where it will soon be seen who really supported the UGP requirements and who did so only on paper, come the equally important, if not, even more, local elections. There will be opportunities to reward and punish according to the merits promptly. In each case, one thing is clear: through the activities of the Glas Poduzetnika Association, entrepreneurs and their employees come together and concretize their views... The Force awakens.

June 17, 2020 - The Croatian Institute of Public Health recently published recommendations for swimming in the sea and inland surface waters this summer. Split beaches are getting prepared.

Thus, when swimming, it is recommended to keep a distance of 1.5 meters, and on the beaches, it is necessary to place information on hygienic procedures, proper behavior and protection measures.

For sea bathing areas, the maximum number of persons allowed to stay at the same time is determined according to the principle of 15 persons per 100 m2 of net area.

In accordance with the recommendations, Dalmacija Danas reports that a board has been set up in Žnjan, Split, showing instructions for a safe stay on public beaches.

Goran Les

The Croatian Institute of Public Health recently published recommendations for swimming in the sea and inland surface waters. These recommendations relate to the implementation of measures applicable to bathing in the sea and inland surface waters during the coronavirus epidemic to protect staff and visitors.

In a visible place at the entrance, as well as in the area where visitors stay, it is necessary to place information on hygienic procedures and with guidelines on proper behavior and protection measures to be followed or valid in that area.

If the appropriate infrastructure is available, it is possible to sound voice messages from time to time to remind visitors of the need to maintain physical space and other general measures.

For sea and freshwater bathing areas, the maximum number of persons allowed to stay at the same time is determined according to the principle of 15 persons per 100 m2 of net area.

All visitors and employees are advised to adhere to the rules of physical distance of 1.5 meters.

Recommendations for compliance with all preventive measures apply to all areas of sea and freshwater bathing areas (water surfaces, beaches and areas where locker rooms, toilets are located).

Dispensers with a disinfectant must be installed at reasonable intervals and in visible places (e.g. based on alcohol in a concentration of not less than 70 percent or another agent with declared virucidal action according to the manufacturer's instructions and suitable for use on the skin).

The concessionaire should separate the deckchairs in such a way as to ensure physical distance (provide a person who can supervise the prescribed measures) and disinfect the deckchairs several times a day, always after a certain guest no longer uses the deckchair and before another guest uses it. If the bathing areas provide for other seats, they should also be arranged at a distance of 1.5 m.

It is recommended to place waste bins with appropriate lids in all open swimming areas, as well as at reasonable intervals in open spaces.

When staying in the water, maintain a physical distance of 1.5 m.

It is necessary to intensify the cleaning and disinfection of sanitary facilities every two hours (and more often if necessary), as well as to increase the number of employees for daily cleaning in each sanitary facility. At the same time, the use of sanitary facilities should be limited in accordance with the size and prescribed sanitary conditions.

Food and beverage service areas and shopping facilities at sea and freshwater beaches

Instructions for catering facilities are available on the CNIPH website.

Regular monitoring of water for recreation: Monitoring is carried out by employees of the competent Institute of Public Health, i.e., authorized laboratories in accordance with the Plan and program for monitoring sea beaches and land bathing areas.

Laboratory staff conducting water sampling and analysis should adhere to the usual protection and safety measures when performing sampling and analysis, respecting the rules of the profession, general protection measures and general recommendations on maintaining physical distance and personal hygiene.

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June 17, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for flights to Croatia with updates from Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, Rijeka, Pula, Zadar and Osijek. 

Croatian Aviation reports that low-cost airline Transavia has announced its flight schedule for July, which includes as many as five destinations in Croatia.

All lines to Croatia have been introduced from the beginning of July, although earlier announcements were somewhat different.

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The Split - Paris line will be in operation from July 2, 3 times a week, on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. From July 27, 6 flights per week are expected (every day except Saturday).

The Dubrovnik - Rotterdam line is announced from July 21, twice a week, every Tuesday and Saturday.

The Dubrovnik - Nantes line will operate from July 1, twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The Dubrovnik - Paris route will be introduced from July 5, once a week (Sunday), from July 11, one flight will be added on Saturdays, and from July 24, 4 flights a week are expected on this line (Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays).

The Rijeka - Eindhoven line has been announced from July 2, 3 times a week, every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.

The Pula - Eindhoven line will also operate from July 2, as many as 6 times a week, every day except Wednesday.

The Zadar - Rotterdam line is announced from July 4, 3 times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Transavia has reduced its flight schedule throughout the network for this summer season and will send email notifications to passengers who have tickets on already canceled flights.

Furthermore, Croatian Aviation reports that Croatia Airlines announced a temporary summer flight schedule from June 29 this year, and the company will re-launch certain routes from Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik. On most routes, there has been an increase in weekly flights.

The Zagreb - Frankfurt line will operate twice a day until June 29, and then on Mondays and Fridays, there will be 3 flights a day on this line, for a total of 20 weekly flights between the two cities.

The Zagreb - Sarajevo line, which started operating Monday with 4-weekly flights from June 29, will get another weekly flight, every Thursday, i.e., 5 times a week.

The Zagreb - Split - Rome line will also receive another weekly flight, every Wednesday, a total of 5 times a week.

The Zagreb - Brussels line will operate 6 times a week from that date, noting that two daily flights are available on Wednesdays.

The Zagreb - Paris line is being reintroduced, twice a week, on Fridays and Sundays.

The Zagreb - Zadar - Pula line is currently open daily, but from that date, it will be reduced to 4 times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays).

As for the flights of the Croatian national carrier from Split, Croatia Airlines will strengthen one existing route. Namely, the Split - Frankfurt line operates 2 times a week (Wednesdays and Saturdays) until June 29, and from that date, it will operate as many as 5 times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays).

The Osijek - Split line is also reintroduced every Saturday.

Croatia Airlines will launch the first international route this year from Dubrovnik. From the end of June, Dubrovnik will be connected to Frankfurt 4 times a week; on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

It is to be expected that Croatia Airlines will announce the launch of certain routes in the next announcement (for flights from July 5, 2020), such as the one between Zagreb and Prague, and Zagreb and Skopje.

Finally, Ex Yu Aviation reports that low-cost carrier easyJet has canceled plans to launch its new routes between Glasgow and Pula this summer, which was to run twice per week.  

As Novac/Privredni/Jozo Vrdoljak writes on the 15th of June, 2020, Trogir's Brown Beach House Hotel & Spa, which was created on the back of the reconstruction of the former Duhanka building, had one hundred percent occupancy for the recent extended weekend (with Tijelovo).

According to the forecast of Stanka Karadzija, the director of the Brown Beach Hotel, it will also be full next weekend, when many guests will combine that particular weekend with the celebration of the Day of Anti-Fascist Struggle/Dan antifašističke borbe.

;;We reopened the hotel on June the 1st and since then we've recorded excellent occupancy given the situation, more than 50 percent of our capacities were filled during those first few days of June while at this time, during the extended weekend, we didn't have a single room available.

We may have a slight advantage over the competition because Brown Beach is very popular due to its unique concept, great design and offer. In the first three years of our operations, we hosted the corporate events of some of the world's most prestigious brands, including Mercedes, Porsche, Google… Therefore, our offer of June packages at lower prices than usual was greeted with great enthusiasm by our guests, and especially by Trogir locals. The most numerous guests in June have been locals from here in Trogir, followed by Germans and Austrian nationals. Almost everyone arrived here by car,'' explained Stanko Karadzija.

She also noted that this particular Trogir hotel is currently well filled, so it is likely that next weekend it will manage to reach a previously unimaginable 100 percent occupancy level with respect to many last minute bookings and an increased number of walk-in guests, which, as she herself says, wasn't really a common situation in previous years. As for further forecasts, the hotel director pointed out that the situation has changed significantly this year because of these surreal circumstances in which we find ourselves.

''In previous years, July would have been almost sold out by this time of year, but this year it is different, because the behaviour of our guests has changed. Five days before the extended weekend, we didn't imagine that we would be completely full," she admitted.

As for prices, Karadzija admits that corrections have already been made to suit the coronavirus-dominated situation.

For more on Croatian tourism and hotels in the coronavirus era, follow our travel section.

Croatian competitiveness isn't something that has had much of a spring in its step, and while the coronavirus crisis has seen it advance in ways we couldn't have imagined in the pre-pandemic age, the country is still lagging behind.

Croatia has handled the ongoing coronavirus situation excellently, and even the likes of Oxford University have praised the country for having some of the most stringent anti-epidemic measures in the world. The epidemiological situation here in Croatia is now among the best in all of Europe, but while Croatia has come out on top on many a ''coronavirus list'', it still remains in a rather unimpressive place when it comes to Croatian competitiveness levels.

As Novac/Gordana Grgas writes on the 16th of June, 2020, the Republic of Croatia retained its somewhat infamous 60th place on the global competitiveness ranking, according to results released recently by the Lausanne Institute for Business Development (IMD). The competitiveness survey compares 63 economies, and in 2020, only the likes of Mongolia, Argentina and Venezuela are behind Croatia.

Of the 20 indices measured in this survey, Croatia ranks last in three segments: labour market, business management, and attitudes/values.

On the overall global competitiveness scale, Singapore is still holding onto its glorious first place, followed by Denmark, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Sweden, Norway, Canada and the United States of America.

How are the transition countries from Central and Eastern Europe doing, given the fact that they are the ones Croatia can actually compare itself to realistically?

Slovakia is the only one near Croatia, in the 57th position. Romania ranks 51st, Bulgaria 48th, Hungary 47th and Latvia 41st. Estonia placed best, which isn't a surprise, coming in at 28th place, followed by the Czech Republic in the 33rd place, Slovenia in the 35th and Poland in the 39th place. The Czech Republic, Hungary and Bulgaria have held the same positions since last year, much like Croatia has, while Poland, Romania and Slovakia have fallen in the rankings, with only Slovenia improving its position by two places.

The survey was conducted back in February, March and April and is based on statistical data for 2019, according to the Croatian National Competitiveness Council, which is IMD's partner. The scale includes 255 criteria, most of which relate to statistical indicators, and the rest to the survey of business opinions. As explained, the World Competitiveness Yearbook measures how well countries manage their resources and competencies to enable the long-term creation of new values. It also analyses economic results, public sector efficiency, business sector efficiency and infrastructure.

The effects of the coronavirus pandemic aren't pronounced in this study because this is old data from last year, before the appearance of the new virus, and the business survey only partially includes the impact of COVID-19 (for example, indicators of the adaptability of government policies and health system quality may reflect the current crisis).

Out of 20 indices for measuring competitiveness, Croatia has relatively good rankings in the field of international trade, price levels, health and environment and education (19th - 40th place on the scale), conclude the NVK, and ''it is relatively good in competitiveness in the field of foreign investment ".

In areas that are often cited as a priority for reforms (tax policy, institutional framework and technological infrastructure), Croatia isn't at the very bottom (52nd - 55th place on the scale).

Challenges for Croatian competitiveness throughout 2020 include public administration reform and the territorial organisation of the state with the digitalisation of public administration and its services, then strengthening sectors important for self-sufficiency in national security (primarily the food, medicine and public health sectors), strengthening the private sector investment through venture capital funds, business angels and crowdfunding, judicial reform and achieving cooperation between the academic, business and government sectors in strengthening innovation and competitiveness.

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