Only Several Thousand Croats From Abroad Have Come Home for Easter
ZAGREB, April 12, 2020 - Over the past four days only several thousand Croats came home from abroad for the Easter holidays whereas in previous years 170,000 would do so, the head of the national civil protection authority, Interior Minister Davor Božinović, said on Saturday.
Speaking on Nova TV, he said a little over 700 Croats had entered Croatia per day on average over the past four days and that the figure included repatriations organised by the Foreign Ministry.
He said that upon entering the country all were instructed to self-isolate or quarantine in line with COVID-19 protection measures.
He concluded that most Croats abroad had listened to the appeals of the national civil protection authority not to come home for Easter because of the coronavirus epidemic.
More Easter news can be found in the Lifestyle section.
Food Prices Influenced by Demand and Economic Downturn
ZAGREB, April 12, 2020 - Global economy is slowing down, causing a drastic fall in prices of food on the global market, however, the trend has still not emerged on the Croatian market, shows an analysis by the Smarter consulting firm on the impact of the corona crisis on food price trends.
Nevertheless, the analysis shows that consumers in Croatia are starting to spend more rationally, fearing for their household budget after an initial increase in demand caused by fear of shortages.
Smarter notes that the latest data from the Market Information System in Agriculture (TISUP), which monitors price developments on a weekly basis, show that, compared to March 2019, prices for some categories of meat, especially pork, were up by around 10%.
Considerable price fluctuations were also registered in some fruit and vegetable categories - from around 10% for lettuce to around 40% for green onions, the analysis shows.
Smarter consultants believe that the stabilisation of prices was influenced by a government decision to limit price increases for certain foods, adopted at the start of the corona crisis. They emphasise that the measure was the trigger which prevented drastic price increases due to increased consumption, as a result of the fear of shortages.
"We estimate that, after the drastic increase in demand due to the fear of isolation, stock-piling and panic buying, the situation has stabilised," Smarter notes.
Influenced by the crisis which has already resulted in layoffs and closure of restaurants, hotels, and coffee shops, and having to stay home, consumers fear for their household budget and are spending more rationally. In other words, they worry if they will have enough money for the post-corona period, analysts note.
The analysis shows that the crisis caused by the coronavirus epidemic has led to new trends in supply.
"Due to the measures introduced, there has been an explosion of online purchases and deliveries of fruit, vegetables, and other foodstuffs," Smarter says, noting that various drive-in markets, support groups, and Facebook groups are offering products delivered to the consumer's doorstep.
Although this type of selling is modern and is working at the moment, because consumers are shut in at home due to the epidemic, Smarter thinks that this is a short-term solution which makes goods more available to consumers and enables domestic producers to sell their goods, as they cannot sell it on farmers' markets due to the current restrictions.
Most consumers, especially older persons, still prefer buying from the shelves in retail chains, say Smarter analysts, who also think that retailers should pay attention to the safety of goods they are offering.
Smarter estimates that Croatian consumers will soon feel a financial strain, as economic activities have slowed down or halted completely, which consequently leads to layoffs, pay reductions, delays in payment of goods and services, etc.
That is why it is important to act right away, so that goods, and especially such goods as fruit and vegetables, are purchased and placed on the market via safe and verified supply chains, experts at Smarter think.
They also think that an about-turn is necessary in agricultural policies to make them focus on higher production business models, raising the level of self-sufficiency, producers' forming associations, and on establishing purchase centres where larger quantities of goods can be gathered and sent to consumers.
Smarter is a consulting firm specialising in the agricultural and food sectors.
More economy news can be found in the Business section.
How Much Did Market Value Decrease for Players in Croatian First League?
April 12, 2020 - How has the market value dropped for players of Dinamo, Rijeka, Hajduk, and Osijek? A look at the player value of the Croatian First League from the beginning of March to present.
Index.hr reports that the coronavirus pandemic has caused a decline in market value for all footballers. This situation was expected, however, because the sport has been paralyzed, competitions have been suspended or postponed, and the deadlines are still in question.
Transfermarkt, the world's most popular football transfer site, has announced that the market value of all players born before January 1, 1998, is down 20 percent, while those born after that date are down 10 percent.
So, how has the market value dropped for players of Dinamo, Rijeka, Hajduk, and Osijek? A comparison from the beginning of March to the present.
The biggest decrease was recorded for Dinamo's Bruno Petkovic and Dominic Livakovic, both of whom dropped 2.5 million euro. However, they remain at the top of the most expensive Croatian championship players.
Namely, before the pandemic, Petkovic was worth 13.5 million euro, while Livakovic was worth 13 million euro. They were accompanied by Mislav Oršić, whose market value was 9.5 million euro. Petkovic is now worth 11 million, Livakovic 10.5, and Orsic is estimated at 7.5 million euro, enough to keep him in third place.
With the example of Petkovic, Livakovic and Orsic, it is easy to conclude that Dinamo's market value has dropped the most, but it is not difficult to assume that the current Croatian champion still holds the most expensive lineup in the Championship.
Dinamo's players had totaled 97 million euro, and their total value now stands at 79.4 million euro, down 18.2 percent.
The coronavirus price drop has has hit Dinamo's Izet Hajrovic the hardest, whose value has been falling since last summer. In July, Hajrovic was worth 3 million euro, and today, his price is only 1.2 million euro. This is a staggering 60 percent drop. He was worth 1.5 million euro before the pandemic.
The overall value of Hajduk players fell by 17.2 percent. Hajduk players were worth 24 million euro, while their value now is 20 million euro.
Hajduk's most expensive player remains Mijo Caktaš, who was worth 3.5 million euro and is now estimated at 2.8 million euro. The price for Josip Juranovic fell half a million euro, and he is now worth two million euro. Brazilian Jairo also dropped by half a million euro, too, and is now worth 1.6 million euro.
A drop similar to Hajduk's was also recorded by Rijeka, whose team was worth 20.5 million euro before the pandemic, and is now worth 16.9 million euro, which is down 17.6 percent.
The price of Antonio Colak from Rijeka dropped from 3 million euro to 2.4 million euro. The value of his teammates Alexander Gorgon and Franko Andrijasevic is now worth 1.6 million euro each, down by 400,000 euro each.
It is impossible to say for the time being if there will be any further reductions in the football market soon, but it is evident that these declines are significant, considering the total sum of all Croatian First League players dropped by 16.3 percent, or from 226.6 million to 189.7 million euro.
This is a decrease of 36 million euro, which is almost equal to the current market value of players from Hajduk and Rijeka, amounting to 36.9 million euro.
Dinamo
Dominik Livakovic - €10.5 million (€13.5 million)
Danijel Zagorac - €475,000 (€600,000)
Dino Peric - €4.8 million (€6 million)
Kevin Theophile Catherine - €4 million (€5 million)
Emir Dilaver - €3.2 million (€4 million)
Josko Gvardiol - €1.3 million (€1.5 million)
Francois Moubandje - €1.6 million (€2 million)
Marin Leovac - €725,000 (€900,000)
Petar Stojanovic - €1.2 million (€1.5 million)
Sadegh Moharrami - €600,000 (€750,000)
Nikola Moro - €5.8 million (€6.5 million)
Arian Ademi - €7 million (€5 million)
Marko Djira - €1.3 million (€1.5 million)
Amer Gojak - €7 million (€5.5 million)
Luka Ivanusec - €3.6 million (€4 million)
Lovro Mayer - €2.3 million (€2.5 million)
Mislav Oršić - €7.5 million (€9.5 million)
Antonio Marin - €1.3 million (€1.5 million)
Damian Kadzior - €2.4 million (€3 million)
Izet Hajrovic - €1.2 million (€1.5 million)
Bruno Petkovic - €13.5 million (€11 million)
Mario Gavranovic - €1.6 million (€2 million)
Sandro Kulenovic - €1.3 million (€1.5 million)
Mario Ćuže - €775,000 (€850,000)
Hajduk
Josip Posavec - €1 million (€1.3 million)
Marin Ljubić - €600,000 (€750,000)
Goran Blažević - €50,000 (€50,000)
Stefan Simić - €800,000 (€1 million)
Ardian Ismajli - €800,000 (€1 million)
Nihad Mujakic - €800,000 (€750,000)
Mario Vuskovic - €600,000 (€525,000)
Kristian Dimitrov - €400,000 (€500,000)
Stipe Vucur - €300,000 (€350,000)
Stipe Radic - €100,000
David Colina - €900,000 (€1 million)
Josip Juranovic - €2 million (€ 2.5 million)
Josip Bašić - €150,000
Darko Nejašmić - €1.8 million (€2 million)
Stanko Juric - €750,000 (€900,000)
Mijo Caktas - €2.7 million (€3.5 million)
Hamza Barry - €800,000 (€1 million)
Bassel Jradi - €800,000 (€1 million)
Jakov Blagaić - €300,000
Loen Krekovic - €50,000
Jairo da Silva - €1.6 million (€2 million)
Ivan Dolček - €450,000 (€500,000)
Samuel Eduok - €1.6 million (€2 million)
Francesco Tahiraj - €300,000 (€450,000)
Marin Jakoliš - €400,000 (€500,000)
Rijeka
Andrej Prskalo - €400,000 (€500,000)
David Nwolokor - €250,000
Ivor Pandur - €250,000 (€150,000)
Hrvoje Smolčić - €750,000 (€850,000)
Nino Galovic - €600,000 (€750,000)
Joao Escoval - €400,000 (€500,000)
Darko Velkovski - €400,000 (€500,000)
Jasmin Celikovic - €150,000 (€200,000)
Daniel Stefulj - €300,000 (€250,000)
Muhammad Kabiru - €50,000
Ivan Tomečak - €550,000 (€750,000)
Momcilo Raspopovic - €475,000 (€600,000)
Ivan Lepinjica - €900,000 (€1 million)
Luka Capan - €525,000 (€650,000)
Domagoj Pavicic - €1.2 million (€1.5 million)
Stjepan Loncar - €1.2 million (€1.5 million)
Franko Andrijasevic - €1.6 million (€2 million)
Tibor Halilovic - €800,000 (€1 million)
Dani Iglesias - €250,000 (€350,000)
Alexander Gorgon - €1.6 million (€2 million)
Felipe Pires - €750,000 (€900,000)
Robert Muric - €750,000 (€900,000)
Antonio Colak - €2.4 million (€3 million)
Sterling Yateke - €300,000
Osijek
Ivica Ivusic - €650,000 (€800,000)
Marko Malenica - €600,000 (€750,000)
Mile Skoric - €1.4 million (€1.8 million)
Ante Majstorovic - €1.2 million (€1.5 million)
Guti - €525,000 (€650,000)
Danijel Loncar - €300,000 (€400,000)
Talys - €675,000 (€750,000)
Igor Silva - €650,000 (€800,000)
Alen Grgić - €550,000 (€700,000)
Tomislav Sorsa - €150,000 (€250,000)
Mihael Žaper - €900,000 (€1 million)
Vedran Jugovic - €350,000 (€450,000)
Laszlo Kleinheisler - €1.4 million (€1.7 million)
Marin Pilj - €400,000 (€500,000)
Karlo Kamenar - €300,000
Dmytro Lopa - €300,000 (€350,000)
Petar Bockaj - €675,000 (€850,000)
Marveil Ndockyt - €575,000 (€650,000)
Eros Grezda - €1.1 million (€1.35 million)
Josip Špoljarić - €300,000 (€350,000)
Mirko Maric - €3.2 million (€4 million)
Antonio Mance - €1 million (€1.3 million)
Jerry Mbakogu - €400,000 (€500,000)
To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
Istria Buzz: New Online Platform Supporting Domestic Production by Local Entrepreneurs
April 12, 2020 - Istria Buzz is a new online platform bringing together homemade, local, and natural products from Croatian farms around the region.
HRTurizam writes that each crisis carries its challenges - and the corona crisis, perhaps the most serious in the 21st century, has led to restrictions on movement, a drastic reduction in shopping opportunities, and the closure of green markets for everyday shopping. Like other types of shopping - this can be organized online, and we've seen a significant need to place fruits, vegetables, meat or dairy products in webshops.
In the last few weeks, online ordering for food and basic household supplies has become extremely popular and is rapidly expanding across Croatia, including in Istria.
Recognizing the urgent need, and with the mission of solidarity to help Croatian OPGs and small food producers by providing a digital platform for free advertising, the young software company Lloyds Design from Labin came up with the idea to create a brand new, up-to-date digital platform in a short timeframe that will bring together Istrian OPGs and greatly facilitate and accelerate their connection with potential customers.
Istra Buzz is a modern platform that is designed to ease the current situation for domestic producers and, of course, customers.
"Since online shopping is truly an integral part of today, and Istria has not had a good enough platform so far, we have decided to use our company's resources to create a platform that will be used not only in the current situation of limited movement, but also in the future. We are providing the platform for free to use, and we hope that the news of this platform will spread quickly. We are sure that with this platform, we will make it easier for citizens to buy local products while helping manufacturers sell them," points out Domagoj Ostovic, owner of Lloyds Design.
The simple, intuitive and fast interface allows those less proficient in online shopping to easily browse the offer, get the items they want, contact OPGs and place their order, whether they are on their PC, tablet or smartphone.
As of today, the platform is active on the istria.buzz website, and is already gathering over 50 OPGs from Istria County, who will offer their products, as well as delivery, to Istrian cities and settlements.
“We support domestic production and encourage the development of our local entrepreneurs. Let it all buzz," Ostovic concludes.
You can visit Istria.buzz HERE.
To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
Corona Voices in the Croatian Diaspora: Ana from Dalmatia in Queens, New York
April 12, 2020 - With as many Croatians living abroad as in the Homeland, what are the diaspora experiences of self-isolation? In the sixth of a new series, Corona Voices in the Croatian Diaspora, here is Ana at the centre of the pandemic in Queens, New York City and originally from Dalmatia.
Last week TCN started a feature series called Foreigner Self-Isolation In Croatia: Do You Feel Safer? I can honestly say we have never had such a response or so many incredible contributions. The countries of origin of these expats in Croatia literally from all over the world. So far we have had submissions from expats from Romania, USA, Ireland, UK, Mexico, Argentina, Spain, Singapore, Holland, Canada, India, Hong Kong, Venezuela, Latvia, China, Honduras, Hungary, Moldova, New Zealand, Japan and Germany. You can see all their stories here.
Given the success of the series (still going strong) and large interest, it made sense to expand it to look at this from another angle - how Croatians abroad are coping where they are. If you would like to contribute your story to Corona Voices in the Croatian Diaspora, please find the submission guidelines below. And now, the view from the very heart of the pandemic. As Croatians celebrate Easter as best they can in these difficult times, spare a moment to think of Ana from a Dalmatian island, currently in Queens, New York City.
Firstly, how are you? Are you alone/with someone? Tell us a little about your situation and sanity levels.
When did you realise that corona was going to be a big issue?
When did you realise that corona was going to be a big issue in New York in particular?
Give us a timeline on when and how life changed.
Tell us about your day. Do you/can you leave your apartment?
How are the authorities doing at handling the situation?
You obviously keep an eye on your homeland. What is your impression of the way Croatia is dealing with the crisis?
Compare and contrast the responses of Croatia and USA. Who is doing what better?
What about official communications from the authorities, compared to your home country?
What's the one thing you wish you had taken with you into self-isolation?
One thing you have learned about yourself, and one thing you have learned about others during this crisis.
If you could be self-isolating in Croatia, where would it be, and why?
Thanks, Ana. Stay safe and see you on the other side. You can see all the stories in both this diaspora series, and the one on expats in Croatia on this link.
TCN is starting a new feature series on Croatian diaspora experiences of sitting out COVID-19 abroad and comparing your experiences to the situation in Croatia. If you would like to contribute, the questions are below. Please also include a para about yourself and where you are from, and a link to your website if you would like. Please also send 3-4 photos minimum to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Subject Corona Diaspora
If you would be interested to record a video version for our partners www.rplus.video please let us know in the email. Thanks and stay safe.
Self-Isolation Voices from the Diaspora
Firstly, how are you? Are you alone/with someone? Tell us a little about your situation and sanity levels.
When did you realise that corona was going to be a big issue?
When did you realise that corona was going to be a big issue in New York in particular?
Give us a timeline on when and how life changed.
Tell us about your day. Do you/can you leave your apartment?
How are the authorities doing at handling the situation?
You obviously keep an eye on your homeland. What is your impression of the way Croatia is dealing with the crisis?
Compare and contrast the responses of Croatia and USA. Who is doing what better?
What about official communications from the authorities, compared to your home country?
What's the one thing you wish you had taken with you into self-isolation?
One thing you have learned about yourself, and one thing you have learned about others during this crisis.
If you could be self-isolating in Croatia, where would it be, and why?
TCN has recently become a partner in Robert Tomic Zuber's new R+ video channel, initially telling stories about corona experiences. You can see the first TCN contribution from this morning, my video from Jelsa talking about the realities of running a news portal in the corona era below. If you would like to also submit a video interview, please find Robert's guidelines below
VIDEO RECORDING GUIDE
The video footage should be recorded so that the cell phone is turned horizontally (landscape mode).
There are several rules for television and video news:- length is not a virtue- a picture speaks more than a thousand words
In short, this would mean that your story should not last more than 90 seconds and that everything you say in the report should be shown by video (for example, if you talk about empty streets, we should see those empty streets, etc.).
How to do it with your cell phone? First, use a selfie camera to record yourself telling your story for about a minute and a half. Ideally, it would be taken in the exterior, except in situations where you are reporting on things in the interior (quarantine, hospital, self-isolation, etc.). Also, when shooting, move freely, make sure everything is not static.
After you have recorded your report, you should capture footage that will tell your story with a picture, such as an earlier example with empty streets.
One of the basic rules of TV journalism is that the story is told in the same way as a journalist with his text. Therefore, we ask you for additional effort. Because we work in a very specific situation, sometimes you may not be able to capture footage for each sentence of the report. In this case, record the details on the streets: people walking, the main features of the city where you live, inscriptions on the windows related to the virus, etc.
The same rules apply if you are shooting a story from your apartment, self-isolation, quarantine. We also need you to capture footage that describes your story.
When shooting frames to cover your reports, it is important that you change the angle of the shot (in other words, shoot that empty street from several angles). Also, when shooting a detail, count at least five seconds before removing the camera to another detail.
The material should be about 5 minutes long (90 seconds of your report + frames to cover your story).
After recording everything, send us to Zagreb, preferably via WeTransfer to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
13,500 Tourists Registered in Croatia for Easter
April 12, 2020 - There are 13,500 tourists registered in Croatia for Easter this year, and most of them are on Vir Island.
Dnevnik.hr reports that thousands of tourists will still spend Easter in Dalmatia this year. While some are hiding from the coronavirus, others are stuck here and unable to get back home. Most tourists, however, are on Vir Island.
Namely, out of the 13,500 tourists registered across Croatia, there are currently 600 tourists on the still corona-free island.
Barbara and Atila arrived in Croatia a month ago and have been staying in a weekend house on the island of Vir instead of an apartment in Budapest.
"Everyone would like to come here now, of course, but they need to wait a little longer," Atila says, adding that he followed the news and prepared his family to go to Croatia as soon as the pandemic appeared in China.
At a time when the coronavirus pandemic has taken over the world, Vir has become their haven.
"The tourists who found themselves on Vir at the time when the measures were announced are now sharing the fate of the corona crisis with us," says Kristijan Kapović, Mayor of Vir Municipality.
Barbara from Hungary says she feels completely safe on Vir, too.
"I feel safer here than in Hungary because there are no infections on Vir," says Barbara.
The Vir Crisis Headquarters says there are no infected people because they adhere to all the rules. However, a few days ago, the fishing rules were broken by two Czechs who, after a 20-hour search, were found on the high seas with high temperatures.
"The temperatures they had probably came from being outside all night. But no coronavirus was detected," says Antonio Vucetic, Chief of Vir Municipality's Civil Protection Headquarters.
Around 600 tourists, mostly 'weekenders', will welcome Easter on Vir.
"All of them are welcome, all of them are registered, and everyone who changes their place of residence for more than 24 hours belongs to the status of a tourist," explains Srdjan Liveric, director of the Vir Tourist Board.
And not only Croats are among them.
"They are from central Europe, from those 700-800 kilometers around Vir. There are Slovenes, Hungarians, Slovaks, Poles, Czechs, Germans, Austrians, Bosnians, from the places that surround us. Vir is an auto destination," says Kristijan Kapović, Mayor of Vir Municipality.
Currently, out of the 13,500 tourists in Croatia, 3,800 of them are from abroad. Thus, nearly 10,000 Croats are likely escaping the coronavirus in their weekend homes.
The least are registered in Dubrovnik-Neretva County, while in some counties, tourist numbers are rising despite the pandemic.
Zadar County ensured that it was a unique county in Croatia during this corona period. Specifically, in the corona-fueled March, and the first quarter of 2020, they recorded 5 percent more overnight stays than last year.
Vir is also convinced that this season will be an advantage for them, concluded Dnevnik.hr.
To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
Finance Minister Maric Explains Government Minimum Wage Measure
As Novac writes on the 11th of April, 2020, Croatian Finance Minister Zdravko Maric commented on the government's ''minimum wage'' measures for RTL on Friday, stating that the amount being offered by the government was not the workers' full pay but merely support for wages. Minister Maric went on to make the measure more clear.
"This [measure] is payroll support. We [the government] cover that part, the rest is up to the employer to make up for if the worker otherwise has a higher salary. The salary should be as is stated in their employment contract. But if someone has run into problems, then he or she needs to solve them with the employee. That's why we have other measures, such as credit measures of liquidity,'' explained Minister Maric.
When asked about workers who are otherwise paid less than 4,000 kuna and the state pays the affected companies an amount of 4,000 kuna per worker, Minister Maric said that it would be fair for the employer to pay the worker the difference up to 4,000 kuna.
Finance Minister Maric didn't express any particular desire to talk about possible salary cuts for public sector employees amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, stating only that those matters needed to be discussed.
"This is a topic that we have on the table. There was a meeting yesterday. I hope that the talks will continue. We'll also invite the unions with which we've signed collective bargaining agreements. In this part, solidarity and community are important in defeating the crisis," he said.
He added that at present, the state has paid over one billion and one hundred million kuna out to employers to make up the wage differences of their employees as part of these "minimum wage" anti-epidemic economic measures. That is for more than 370,000 employees, and the total measure, he assumes, will be used by 600,000.
Make sure to follow our dedicated section for rolling information and updates on coronavirus in Croatia. For more on politics in Croatia, follow this page.
Neretva Valley Will Soon Boast Wind Organs - First Installations Begin
As Morski writes on the 11th of April, 2020, 21 ''tubes'' for the Neretva Valley's upcoming wind organs were delivered to the construction site of the unique wind organ project, which sits 114 metres high on Trovro hill in Rogotin, and the installation of the first tube into a 15.5 metre long concrete structure built by Trag employees from Dubrovnik began on Monday.
These tubes are made of a special type of stainless steel, they're resistant to even the most harsh weather conditions, and were built by the Kvaternik Orguljarstvo company from Koprivnica. The director of the aforementioned company, Alen Kvaternik, came to the site to organise the works on the installation of the tubes with chief construction engineer, Ivan Simovic, and supervising engineer, Matko Medak. Through pipes which are 120cm in diameter, air will flow in and produce sound. The pipe will be delivered from Koprivnica to Rogotin after the tubes have been fully installed.
Currently, two of the three structures have been completed, while the third is being completed, followed by the installation of the instruments and the stonework, which is the final phase of the wind organ project in the Neretva Valley.
The wind farm investment is worth just over three million kuna, and besides the installation of the tubes, it includes paving the path with stone slabs from the site, installing benches made of natural materials, such as stone and wood in accordance with the local environment, setting up an information map, creating a plateau from stone drywall, the construction of a panoramic binocular observatory and construction of an eco garden.
These new wind organs are one of the nine planned infrastructure activities undertaken as part of the project "Promoting the Sustainable Development of the Natural Heritage of the Neretva Valley", sponsored by Dubrovnik-Neretva County, with partners from the DUNEA Regional Agency, Ploce, Metkovic and the Public Institution for the Management of Protected Areas of Nature of Dubrovnik-Neretva County.
The project is being implemented under the Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014-2020 operation programme and is funded by European Structural and Investment Funds. The total value of the project stands at a massive 14.3 million kuna, of which 10.5 million kuna is being co-financed by the EU support system.
Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for much more.
VIDEO: Croatian Police Officers From Pula Perform #TikTokChallenge Dance
April the 12th, 2020 - As the coronavirus crisis continues to hold the global economy and public health in its grip, with apparently no end in sight until we get a vaccine or at least a drug to relieve the pressure on the world's struggling health systems, it's difficult to find much to laugh about. If the Croatian police can manage to entertain themselves in these trying times, so can you!
We're all stuck behind closed doors apart from the increasingly exciting trips ''out'' to the store or to the pharmacy, or even to do something as adventurous as fill up our cars that we now can't drive anywhere. Cabin fever is a real thing and a lot of us are feeling it, be we ''locked in'' alone or with others.
For those of us who are used to working from home and online, this transition isn't that dramatic, but for many others, especially for those feeling the unprecedented pinch caused by the coronavirus pandemic, life has turned almost entirely upside down. Unable to work, and unable to do just about anything else, there isn't a great deal to smile about for many.
The Croatian police, who are key workers in these trying times, are busy making sure the public adhere to the rules set by the Civil Protection Headquarters, and checking the passes (propusnice) of those wanting to leave their places of registered permanent residence. Being out on the front lines trying to battle the spread of COVID-19 sounds just about as morbid as one might imagine. But it doesn't have to be...
Two Croatian police officers from the beautiful Istrian city of Pula managed to make a few people grin after they engaged in a popular TikTok challenge while donning their uniforms. The Chinese app has boomed in popularity since its creation, and what could be better to kill time during these long and boring, epidemic filled days?
Watch the video, with thanks to the Croatian Government's official website koronavirus.hr here:
Make sure to follow our dedicated section for rolling information and updates on coronavirus in Croatia.
Despite Coronavirus, Croatia Completing Joint Project With BiH
As Novac/Vedran Marjanovic writes on the 11th of April, 2020, despite the coronavirus pandemic, the Sava Bridge near Svilaj and the Croatia-Bosnia and Herzegovina border crossing are in the final stages of construction, the Ministry of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina announced.
''In the coming days, the testing of the bridge with a trial load, the drawing of horizontal signalling, technical inspections and the obtaining of a permit will follow,'' announced the aforementioned ministry, and their information is in accordance with plans that the bridge near Svilaj will be in use by the autumn of this year at the latest.
It should be recalled that this is a joint investment from both the Republic of Croatia and neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina in the total amount of 23 million euros. Since the Svilaj bridge is part of the pan-European Corridor Vc, Croatia has, for its part of the investment, obtained European Union (EU) co-financing with a maximum allowable amount of 57.79 percent of the investment. In addition, Croatia is paying for the construction of the bridge through a loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB).
The construction of the Svilaj bridge, along with its access roads, began back on the 17th of March 2017, with the then Commissioner for Enlargement, Johannes Hann, presenting the foundation stone, along with Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butkovic. The bridge is 660 metres long in total, 29 metres wide with three lanes in each direction which are 3.5 metres wide.
With the completion of the Svilaj bridge, Croatia will take an additional step towards completing its part of the international Vc corridor in the direction of Budapest-Beli Manastir-Osijek-Sarajevo-Ploce. The Croatian part of the corridor is the A5 Beli-Monastery-Osijek-Svilaj motorway, boasting a total length of 59 kilometres.
At a Government session held on the 25th of March this year, the Croatian Government gave the green light for the conclusion of a loan agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) of 55 million euros for the completion of the remaining Croatian share.
According to the aforementioned Government decision, the Halasica-Beli Manastir bridge section should be completed by the end of this year, regardless of the coronavirus crisis which has seen everything else grind to an unprecedented halt, while the construction of the right of way to the border with Hungary will occur in 2021 when the A5 section is fully completed.
Connecting Central Europe through the Hungarian and Croatian Danube basins with Bosnia and Herzegovina, building a modern road linking Bosnia and Herzegovina with the southern Adriatic and Ploce port, and cross-border traffic connections between Hungary, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are just some of the goals that will be achieved with the construction of the A5 motorway and the rest of this large project.
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