ZAGREB, 9 July 2021- The number of industrial workers in Croatia in May 2021 was 0.1% lower than in April 2021 and 0.4% lower than in May 2020, according to the data provided by the National Bureau of Statistics (DZS).

Month on month, the largest decreases were recorded in the manufacture of machinery and equipment (-1.7%) and manufacture of tobacco products (-1.7%), while the largest increase was observed in the manufacture of beverages (+2.8%).

Year on year, the largest decreases were recorded in mining support services (-28.6%), the manufacture of refined petroleum products (-23.3%), the manufacture of other means of transport (-13.5%) and the manufacture of textiles (-11.3%).

Year on year, the largest increases in the number of workers were observed in the manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers (+10.7%), computer, electronic and optical products (+8.5%), manufacture of metals (+6.2%), extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas (5.6%), manufacture of electrical equipment, (+4.3%) other manufacturing (+4.3%), and basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations (+4.2%).

In the first five months of this year, compared with the same period of last year, the total number of industrial workers declined by 1.4%, while labour productivity increased by 10.5%.

In May 2021, industrial production rose by 15.8% year on year for the sixth month in a row, indicating further recovery of production and the entire economy from the coronavirus crisis.

In the first five months of 2021, compared with the same period in 2020, industrial production increased by 9.9% after a fall of 3.4% last year due to the coronavirus outbreak.

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July 9, 2021 - The latest ECDC map has marked Croatia fully green, but we should remain cautious given the rising numbers of our tourism neighbors. 

The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has released an updated map of Europe. On this week's map, the whole of Croatia is in the green zone, reports Index.hr.

The surrounding countries are green, as is most of Europe. Important exceptions are Spain and Portugal, mostly in the red zone, which marks the highest incidence.

The ECDC map is updated weekly using data from Thursday at 23:59. Colors for individual areas are determined by combining the number of confirmed cases in the past 14 days per 100 thousand inhabitants, and the percentage of the population tested.

ECDC is a European agency based in Stockholm, and its Covid maps are also an indicator for tourists of whether it is safe to travel to a destination.

If Croatia stays in the green zone, tourism workers believe that we could be much closer to the record 2019 than expected by the end of the season.

"Croatia is a safe destination, and there is a great demand because the government has made all the preconditions for Croatia to be safe, and it is up to us to preserve this situation, to act responsibly, to respect epidemiological measures, to keep the good numbers we have," the Sports and Tourism minister Nikolina Brnjac said on Wednesday, adding that we are facing one of the best possible seasons during covid.

Portuguese tourism finds itself in an unenviable situation as it goes through a new pandemic wave. In the last few days, they have crossed the limit of 3,000 new daily cases, which has not happened since the beginning of February.

France has advised its citizens to avoid Portugal and Spain this summer due to the rapid spread of the Delta Variant.

“Those of you who haven’t booked a holiday yet, avoid Spain and Portugal as your destinations; that’s advice as a precaution,” Secretary of State for European Affairs Clement Beaune told public television France 2.

"This is a recommendation that I insist on; it is better to stay in France or go to other countries... The situation is very worrying," he added, noting that travel to these destinations is still allowed. He noted, however, that it is possible to introduce stricter measures in the coming days.

Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos said France's concerns were "understandable" given the country's deteriorating health situation.

The night curfew set last Friday is still in force in high-risk areas, mainly in Lisbon and the surrounding area and the Algarve tourist region, in the south of the country. Now visitors to restaurants over the weekend must have a negative test or proof that they are fully vaccinated. In hotels, it is a must every day across the country.

Veljko Ostojić from the Croatian Tourism Association (HUT) says we must be careful and learn from Portugal, Spain, and Greece.

"Portugal had a problem because they had a party after winning the World Championship, and they also let the British in. Great gatherings and celebrations always tell. We experienced something similar in mid-August last year. We must be aware that tourists who come to Croatia also know the world's situation and that they will not leave because a fishing evening was not held in a small coastal town or a concert was canceled. Therefore, we have to subordinate epidemiological measures for a long season," emphasizes Ostojić, adding that this season will also be a great challenge.

Faced with a large increase in the number of corona cases among young people, Spain wants to speed up vaccination of that age group to avoid a new wave that would ruin the tourist season and the rise of the economy.

With the arrival of summer and holidays, there are more and more student parties in cafes, discos, and apartments, so the number of infections among young people has spiraled out of control in the last ten days. As a result, the incidence increased to 814 cases per 100,000 people in 14 days for youth between the ages of 20 and 29, or three times the average incidence for the entire population (252).

To stop the increase in the number of infections among young people, the government of Catalonia has announced that it will close clubs for at least 15 days from the weekend. According to official data, the percentage of those between the ages of 20 and 29 who have received at least one dose of the vaccine is only 14.4 percent. Among the total population, 64.1 percent.

At the same time, the vaccination campaign is accelerating - 40.3 percent of the population of about 47 million Spaniards is fully vaccinated, while half (55.9 percent) received a single dose of the vaccine. However, due to the deteriorating situation, several regions, including Andalusia and Catalonia, are considering tightening restrictions this week, after outdoor masks have not been mandatory since June 26.

Greece, which is heavily dependent on tourism, has lifted most restrictions on travel and entertainment and wearing masks outdoors, as the number of those infected has been falling for a long time. But it has been growing rapidly again in recent days, and experts are particularly concerned about the Delta Variant of the virus. On the new Covid map, parts of Greece are in the orange zone.

Many of the newly infected are young, and authorities link the spread of the infection to entertainment, so they decided to return restrictions to restaurants, nightclubs, and bars later this week.

"From July 8, restaurants, bars, clubs, and entertainment venues will only work with seated guests and following legal capacity rules," Deputy Minister of Civil Protection Nikos Hardalias told reporters, adding that large fines are envisaged for violators, including closing the premises.

Owners of Greek cafes and nightclubs are worried that the new restrictive measures, which allow serving only seated guests, will jeopardize the tourist season but say they accept them if it prevents the spread of the coronavirus.

"It is a step back that will certainly affect tourism, but it seems necessary so that we do not lose the rest of the summer. So we will be patient," said 27-year-old Ilias Babacikos, a beach cafe manager in the Athens coastal suburb of Alimos.

So far, about 38 percent of the population has been fully vaccinated. However, the government wants to vaccinate 70 percent of citizens by autumn, offering various incentives, including money and free mobile data for young people.

According to the data published yesterday, 110 new cases were recorded in Croatia in the last 24 hours, and the number of active cases in Croatia was 624. Among them, 121 patients are in hospital, of which 3 are on a respirator. 

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.

July 9, 2021- Goran Ivanišević wins Wimbledon on this day 20 years ago! 

July 9, 2001, is one of the biggest days in Croatian sports history. One that most Croats will remember for the rest of their lives. 

Until that July 9, 2001, when he used his fourth match point for the final 9:7, Goran played the final match of the cult London tournament three times, and left the Central Court in disappointment every time: in 1992, he lost to Agassi, and in 1994 and 1998 to Pete Sampras. Few expected anything from a player who arrived at the tournament by invitation, was the 125th player in the world, and at the end of his career.

According to his position in the ATP rankings, he did not even deserve to play in the main part of the tournament without passing the qualifications. Still, because of the good old days and everything he gave to Wimbledon, he received an invitation. 

Although no one believed in Goran, a miracle happened, probably the greatest in the entire history of the sport.

Through the Swede Jonsson, Carlos Moya, Andy Roddick, and Greg Rusedski, he reached the quarterfinals where he defeated Marat Safin, while his opponent in the semifinals, Tim Henman, defeated Roger Federer, who made a sensation earlier by beating Sampras. Second seed Andre Agassi fell in the second semi-final to Patrick Rafter, and Goran had to play for the final in a hostile atmosphere in front of an audience that had been waiting for decades for the Briton to lift the Wimbledon trophy.

After a three-day fight and five sets, Ivanišević won his fourth chance against the Australian who was preparing for his second consecutive final.

They played a memorable match with a never-before-seen atmosphere. John McEnroe said after the match that it was the best final he had ever watched. Rafter was more agile, but Goran was more powerful, and they both fought for every point. Ivanišević was finally at 8:7 to win and end a decade of frustration and pain. After two double faults and an excellent reaction from his opponent in the third match point, Ivanišević served for the fourth time, and Rafter hit the net.

After three hours of tense fighting, tears of joy streamed down Goran's face. It was a drama that had everything, a boy's dream come true, three defeats in the finals, a great success at the very end of his career, entering the final by invitation despite all expectations, a five-set match and, to make the drama even bigger, two double faults on the match point.

On July 10, 2001, over 100,000 fans welcomed him in Split. 

“Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic received a hero's welcome when he returned to Croatia on Tuesday. More than 100,000 people in Ivanisevic's hometown of Split flocked to the city's main waterfront to celebrate his remarkable five-set win over Australian Pat Rafter in Monday's final. Ivanisevic flew into his hometown of Split at around 1800BST in a private plane provided by Slavica Ecclestone, the Croatian wife of Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone. He then boarded a ship that took him to his final destination in the harbour, where prominent athletes and celebrities greeted him for a party to be capped by a firework display. However, the champion is definitely in need of some sleep in order to find out if he is still dreaming,” wrote the BBC on July 10, 2001. 

Source: Dalmacija Danas

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

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July 9, 2021- The Croatia water polo team for Tokyo has been announced by coach Ivica Tucak, two days earlier than originally announced. A look at the final team that will represent Croatia at the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo.

The Croatia water polo team coach, Ivica Tucak, has announced a list of 13 players he is counting on at the Olympic Games in Tokyo (July 23 - August 8). Croatia will open its Olympic appearance in Group B on July 25 against Kazakhstan, followed by Serbia, Spain, Australia, and Montenegro.

In relation to the 19 players that the coach has had so far in the preparations, goalkeeper Toni Popadić, center Luka Lozina, defenders Hrvoje Benić, Andrija Bašić, and Rino Burić, and forward Franko Lazić have dropped out.

"The decision fell on a slightly faster team. My vision is that with a player more in the outside line, we gain speed, and we will compensate the position of a defender with some players, if necessary with the center because we now have Obradović who can play at 2 meters. So, we have somewhat wider possibilities," said coach Tucak after the announcement.

"The decision is not easy, these are never simple. I thanked all the players because they all gave their maximum in these preparations. I especially thanked Burić and Popadić who were at the Olympic qualifiers in Rotterdam. Especially Popadić because if it weren't for his defense against Russia on penalties, we wouldn't be on our way to Tokyo today. This is what is safe for me, even after consultation with associates, the best that Croatia can offer in Tokyo," concluded coach Tucak.

Before Tokyo, the national team will still play in the tournament in Cagliari - Sardinia Cup. Croatia will play its first game on Friday at 20:30 against Russia, while on Saturday at 19:00, they will play against the hosts Italy.

After the end of the tournament, on Sunday, the national team members will go home and gather again in Zagreb on July 15, when they will continue their preparations until they leave for Tokyo.

Goalkeeprs

1. Marko Bijač (Olympiacos)

2. Ivan Marcelić (Mladost) 

Centers

3. Luka Lončar (Pro Recco)

4. Josip Vrlić (without a club)

Defenders

5. Andro Bušlje, kapetan (Olympiacos)

6. Marko Macan (Waspo 98 Hannover)

7. Paulo Obradović (Jug Adriatic osiguranje)

Attackers

8. Lovre Miloš (without a club)

9. Maro Joković, zamjenik kapetana (without a club)

10. Xavi Garcia (Jug Adriatic osiguranja)

11. Ante Vukičević (Marseille)

12. Luka Bukić (Jadran Split)

13. Loren Fatović (Jug Adriatic osiguranje)

Source: HVS

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE. 

July the 9th, 2021 - Croatian job preservation measures which were introduced last year as an attempt to fight the dire economic consequences of lockdowns were a Godsend for many companies who would have gone under otherwise. Who made the most use of them?

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Suzana Varosanec writes, according to announcements from the Government, job preservation measures are set to undergo some quite significant changes. On the one hand, the announced changes, starting with the measures for July, are related to the current modality of approving them exclusively to enterprises from certain industries, but the question is which ones, because it hasn't yet been determined.

Unofficially, it has been learned that travel agencies will continue to receive funds from Croatian job preservation measures, while hopes for the catering and hospitality sector continue to be placed in the shaky hands of a hopefully good and long tourist season.

On the other hand, talks between the Government administration and the trade unions started with discussions on another possibility, which is the introduction of restrictions on Croatian job preservation measures for those employees who haven't yet been vaccinated. This second measure is ethically debatable, both because of human rights and personal data protection, with enterprises and the opposition becoming louder, and a decision on that will be known later on this month.

According to an assessment of auditor Dubravka Kopun, who undertook an analysis of the current Croatian job preservation measures, the Government is going in the right direction, especially in terms of defining the activities that further need these funds. The latest available CES data on approved measures have been concluded for the salary payments for March, and in terms of activities it turns out that the most significant beneficiary of these grants is of course the hospitality sector, which participates with as many as 26 percent of all employees to whom these measures apply.

A significant category are travel agencies that employ 9,578 employees, which is a share of close to 8 percent in terms of these measures, and hotels and camps where there are 6,214 or 5 percent of employees to whom the measures apply.

According to Kopun, however, the segment of construction, architects and surveyors is interesting. While there are continuous talks of a significant labour shortage in the construction sector, almost 4.6 percent of their employees or 5,623 people remain in the total number of those for whom economic measures have been approved.

It is also, as she says, an interesting fact about the number of lawyers who still receive suppoer, although their business isn't significantly affected by the pandemic. There are 417 lawyers who employ 667 employees, which is about 0.5 percent of all employees to whom Croatian job preservation measures are approved.

Of the total number of beneficiaries of Croatian job preservation measures as of March 2021 - 35,900 companies employing 123,547 people for whose jobs the measures are still being implemented, the situation is critical in the most vulnerable group - those engaged in micro-entrepreneurship. The most important in the structure of the use of CES measures, which include co-financing the costs of salaries and part-time work, are micro-entrepreneurs who employ from 1 to 10 employees. According to Kopun's analysis, these entities participate with as many as 63 percent of employees for whom such funds have been approved. One year ago, the share stood at around 85 percent, with about 110,000 employees accounted for.

A comparison of these trends on an annual basis - the realisation of the measure of wages at the beginning of the pandemic for March 2020 compared to March this year shows that the number of beneficiaries decreased by about 4450 companies. A year ago, it was used by 40,350 enterprises who employed 387,372 people, with only 2.5 percent of those companies being in the category of those who employ over 50 people.

Some sectors are still so affected by the current global situation that targeted measures are now under way to replace the horizontal measures at the level of one sector. Such is the latest move by the Ministry of Transport, which recently announced a public call for the allocation of ''small value aid'' to help affected companies operating in the transport sector, worth a total of 60 million kuna. As many as 9,665 people are employed in transport, airports and Croatia Airlines, who receive Croatian job preservation measures (a share of 7.82 percent).

For more, follow our dedicated business section.

July the 9th, 2021 - Croatian political stability is key to sending out the message to the world that it is safe and worthwhile to invest in the country, as small countries like Croatia have little other choice in such a big proverbial pond.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Vecernji list writes, inventions and innovations should be strongly encouraged in all sectors, and it is naturally necessary to accelerate the digitalisation of industry and the state at all levels, initiate rapid and effective public administration reform, reduce bureaucratisation, state apparatus costs and corruption, and shape a long-term strategy.

All of the above, and basing it firmly on activities related to blossoming sectors in Croatia such as robotics, biotechnology, artificial intelligence and applied cognitive science, is one of the conclusions of the recently held and fourth Rings of the Business Forum Zagreb 2021, where the Ring (Prsten) Association of Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina discussed how to quickly and efficiently adapt and continue doing business in coexistence with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Pavo Zubak, president of the Ring, which brings together more than 230 businesses operating across Croatia with about 11,000 employees and generating 5.5 percent of Croatia's GDP, said they were acting affirmatively, looking to the future, and trying to build partnerships with representatives of the executive branch and harbour a relationship full of trust.

"Behind us is a difficult and challenging period, and before us lie new challenges and opportunities that we can and must take advantage of. Therefore, it's important to communicate openly in order to jointly prepare projects that can mostly be co-financed from European Union (EU) funds,'' Zuban stressed, emphasising the importance of Croatian political stability for further economic progress.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic (HDZ), the patron of the forum, said that Croatian political stability was the goal of the Government because it was the first indicator that investments could be safely made here.

On the topic of this year's Ring Forum Opportunities and threats facing the Croatian economy in the post-pandemic period, the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Tomislav Coric said that there are many challenges that we must overcome. One of them is the absorption of more than 200 billion kuna in various financial envelopes, available over the next ten years.

For more, follow our dedicated politics and business sections.

July the 9th, 2021 - The incredible Mate Rimac Bugatti deal has blown the myths about not being able to succeed in Croatia straight out of the water. If he hadn't managed to convince you of that before, which is difficult to believe, he certainly has now. This remarkable Croatian entrepreneur's dogged determination is tireless, and Porsche has become even more deeply involved in the Rimac company.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Ana Blaskovic writes, drowning in the proverbial Croatian sea of ​​gloomy news about the failure of the vaccination rollout amid the pandemic and a new wave of mutated coronavirus posing a potential threat, the news that young entrepreneur Mate Rimac has taken over the cult figure of the automotive world, Bugatti, resounded like a nuclear bomb.

The historical success of the Rimac company, which operated out of a mere garage back in 2009, is astonishing. Very few people believed in the company's plans to create hypercars right here in Croatia, where cars are imported but not produced, but it turned out to be an astronomical success. The business side of the story, however, went under the radar.

The merger of Rimac Automobili and Bugatti Automobiles created a joint venture, known as Bugatti Rimac (in which the newly formed Rimac Group will hold a majority stake), which will be (in)directly controlled by Porsche with 58.2 percent ownership, while Mate Rimac will remain at the forefront, but with a minority stake of 20.4 percent.

The transaction isn't accompanied by cash flow as such but is a matter of exchanging shares, which reflects the consequent rearrangement of the structure of the Rimac company. With this move, Rimac's startup actually ceases to be a startup and is being additionally integrated within the umbrella of the VW Group, of which Porsche is of course a part. Rimac Automobili is becoming the Rimac Group (divided into Bugatti Rimac and Rimac Technology) in which Mate Rimac formally holds the largest single stake of 37 percent, Porsche 24 percent, Hyundai 12 percent and other shareholders 27 percent.

The Rimac Group will have a 55 percent stake in the Bugatti Rimac package, which includes the separate brands Bugatti Automobiles and Rimac Automobili. The remaining 45 percent of the shares of the joint venture are held by the German manufacturer, which has been following the Rimac company financially for the last three years.

Despite these figures, which lean significantly in the favour of the German investor, it has been agreed that Mate Rimac will remain at the helm, as the CEO of the Rimac Group he will lead the business of Bugatti Rimac and the new company Rimac Technology. It's here that the core business that broke through in the automotive industry remains - the development, production and delivery of battery systems, powertrains and other EV components. All of the above will be 100 percent owned by the Rimac company.

“What's important to note is that the Rimac Group is managed by director Mate Rimac. The owners participate in the management of the company through the Supervisory Board,'' stated an explanation regarding German shares. They added that “Rimac Group is the largest shareholder of Bugatti Rimac d.o.o. where Mate Rimac is also the director. Mate is also the director of Rimac Technology, which is 100 percent owned by the Rimac Group.''

Car buffs who follow such news aren't too surprised by this outcome, although it is almost certain that there was resistance to such a solution. The new Rimac company remains under the control of a young businessman who, despite all the objective obstacles to doing business in Croatia, raised the company from scratch in an industry that is markedly capital intensive. Only twelve years has passed from the aforementioned garage adventures to the presentation of the stunning Nevera, the fastest electric hypercar in the entire world. 

The fact that all of the above was done at all is exceptional, but knowing it has been done by a Croat, in Croatia, is bordering on miraculous.

For more, follow our dedicated business section.

July the 9th, 2021 - Each and every Croatian resident disposes of a shocking amount of waste every single year, with each person being responsible for approximately 414 kilograms of rubbish on an annual basis.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Darko Bicak writes, back in pandemic-dominated 2020, a massive 1,680,428 tonnes of municipal waste were generated, ie 414 kilograms per capita, according to the preliminary review of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development on municipal waste in the Republic of Croatia for 2020, which contains information on generated waste and separate collection at the national level.

This is a decrease of 7 percent when compared to the total amount of municipal waste from pre-pandemic 2019. Significant reductions in quantities were recorded for mixed municipal waste and packaging waste. 686,475 tonnes of municipal waste were collected separately, and the rate of separate collection was 41 percent, which is an increase of 4 percent when compared to 2019. The Ministry pointed out that this is the result of significant investments in infrastructure for waste separation and the general education of the population on such matters.

From back in 2016 until today, through two open calls/invitations from within the Competitiveness and Cohesion Operational Programme, 213 projects for Croatian recycling yards have been approved, co-financed in the amount of 85 percent with European Union funds, and the total allocated funds for this amount to a staggering 465 million kuna.

More than 3 million Croatian residents were covered through 91 projects for the implementation of educational and information activities, with 53.6 million kuna in grants being officially approved for these projects. 315 million kuna in non-refundable EU funds were invested in the primary waste selection, which makes up 85 percent of the investment for the procurement of 1,230,695 pieces of bins and containers for separate waste collection for 407 local self-government units.

In addition, the construction of sorting plants, composting plants, the procurement of vehicles for separate waste collection and money for dealing with landfills were all also co-financed. All this directly contributes to the achievement of the goals of increasing the rate of separate collection and recycling of waste and reducing landfills. It is crucial that everyone, from each Croatian resident through to local self-government units to the national level, continue to work every day to establish a waste management system in order to continue this positive trend and achieve good results based on developing a circular economy and reducing environmental pressure.

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