March the 29th, 2021 - The World Happiness Report on Croatia and its details has been met with a few raised eyebrows. When talking about various lists and surveys, Croatia unfortunately doesn't tend to fare very well. Just how the country managed to jump from an unenviable 75th place to 23rd on the UN's The World Happiness Report is something baffling quite a few.

As Novac/Marina Klepo writes, Croatia hasn't been able to boast about its excellent ranking on any of the numerous charts of happiness and the like, but during the year of the coronavirus pandemic, it seems, it has experienced real providence. The ninth UN report The World Happiness Report, conducted by external experts (including John F. Halliwell, Richard Layard and Jeffrey D. Sachs), shows that among 95 countries, Croatia ranked 23rd last year, and in the period 2017- 2019, it was in a far less desirable 61st place.

In the previous report, from back in pre-pandemic 2019, which had a wider scope and included 156 countries, Croatia came in 75th place. This information, which points to a "rush of happiness" in 2020, seems so unreal that even well known news anchor Zoran Sprajc used it on RTL Direct only to point out, in his typical style, just how ridiculous these indicators can be.

Precisely what raised Croatia on this UN scale of happiness in just one single year, and during a year which was so difficult for the whole world? In an extensive survey based on the Gallup poll, last year brought a change in that questions were asked over the phone instead of face-to-face (previously discussed in three-quarters of countries). While this is a reason for caution in interpreting these latest results, the authors believe it didn't affect the overall ranking of countries because telephone surveys are very much the norm in most countries, pandemic or not.

The results of the questionnaire, which relate to the assessment of life, its positive (laughter and pleasure) and negative (anxiety, sadness) ingredients, indicate that at the top are those countries that have dropped the frequency of negative emotions the most. Although the report does not explain why the perception of happiness in Croatia has changed more than in any other country, the numbers show that there were significantly more positive and significantly fewer negative emotions, despite the pandemic and earthquake. One can only assume that it was these events that changed life’s priorities and preferences a bit, in line with the definition that happiness means having something to lose.

A previous World Happiness Report on Croatia, in which Croatia's residents were still very much on the unhappy side of life, showed that almost all comparable countries, including neighbouring Serbia and Montenegro, were better placed. Croatia's frustrated residents cited corruption and injustice and the feeling that they didn't have enough choices as the most common reasons for their sense of general dissatisfaction.

When it comes to the latest World Happiness Report on Croatia and the devastating impact of the ongoing coronavirus crisis on the overall well-being of individuals, the country is again not doing all that well. The index, which includes three variables - life expectancy, rising unemployment and mortality from SARS-CoV-2 - fell in all countries except for Egypt, China and Taiwan, which maintained the same levels respectively. On that scale, Croatia took 57th place.

For current coronavirus information specific to Croatia, including travel and border rules, as well as testing centres up and down the country, bookmark this page.

ZAGREB, 28 March 2021- Croatian Radio's short radio drama "Earthquake", from the Short Forms cycle, has won the BBC Best European Drama Award 2021, after reaching the finals with Austrian and Swiss radio shows.

Katja Šimunić, the editor of the Short Forms show, confirmed that they had found out they had won the BBC Best European Award 2021 in a live Zoom broadcast on Friday evening and that they were very happy.

"It gives us encouragement to continue exploring in our drama program", she said, adding that the excellent interpretation of Janko Polić Kamov's text, older than a hundred years, and the emotional resonance the work had with the audience were crucial.

The extraordinary contemporary and radical text of the short story "Earthquake" by Janko Polić Kamov, the innovative direction by Dario Harjaček, the extraordinary sound design by composer Maro Market, and the superb work of sound engineer Lana Deban were certainly crucial, she said.

Also, crucial was the emotion that this short radio form evoked, especially in us who experienced the recent earthquakes, but also in the entire Europe and world who are going through the pandemic, she said.

Katja Šimunić recalled that the drama had already been awarded the second prize in Bucharest last year.

The radio drama "Earthquake" was created as part of the Short Forms show, which is regularly broadcast from 6.05 to 6.15 p.m. from Monday to Wednesday on Croatian Radio One.

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ZAGREB, 28 March 2021 - The number of domestic violence crimes has increased by 39% during the coronavirus pandemic, which requires establishing confidential communication channels so that the victims would have confidence that something will be done about this problem, an online conference said earlier this week.

The coronavirus pandemic has exposed gender inequality in all its forms and has additionally exacerbated problems such as domestic violence or inequality on the labor market, the conference on gender equality at the time of the coronavirus crisis, organized by the European Parliament Office, was told.

Gender Equality Ombudsman Višnja Ljubičić said domestic violence had increased across the EU, including Croatia, during the coronavirus pandemic. Citing official data, she said that the number of these crimes had risen by as much as 39% compared with 2019.

"The epidemiological measures, although necessary, have exacerbated social problems, which will have far-reaching consequences for the equality of women and men," Ljubičić said.

The Dean of the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb, Franka Perković Gamulin, spoke of serious allegations of sexual harassment at the Academy, saying that "concrete, clear and confidential communication channels" needed to be established so that the victims would have confidence that something would be done and that they would not be stigmatized. 

Perković Gamulin said that three female students had reported sexual assaults against them. Many former female students had also come forward saying they had been victims of sexual harassment. She said that one teacher had been suspended, and an employment contract had not been renewed for an external lecturer.

Psychiatrist Maja Šeparović Lisak stressed the need for systematic advocacy of zero tolerance to violence.

To read more news from Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 28 March (Hina) - The results of a study on the mental health of children and young people during COVID-19 and the earthquake in Zagreb, which included 22,020 children and young people, have shown that 9% of them had significantly increased anxiety and/or depression, and 15% had symptoms of post-traumatic stress.

The study, presented earlier this week, included 22,020 children and young people in Zagreb's primary and secondary schools whose parents completed questionnaires via an online application. Data were obtained on almost every fourth child in Zagreb, with equal representation by gender and age.

The sample is considered representative. It was said that the experiences of the children and young people included in the study largely reflect the experiences of Zagreb's children and young people in general.

Presenting the results, the head of the Child and Youth Protection Centre, Gordana Buljan Flander, said that within the framework of experiences belonging to the circle of post-traumatic stress reactions, it was seen that half of the children and young people at least once experienced difficulty concentrating, anxiety when remembering a stressful event, emotional sensitivity, intrusive images of traumatic events and avoidance of unpleasant memories and feelings.

Looking at anxiety and depression, it is visible that the concerns of children and young people in this period are significantly pronounced, Buljan Flander warned. Seventy-four percent of them faced a fear of failure last year, and 60% anxiety in social situations. Feelings of sadness and emptiness, concerns for family members' safety, and fear that they have to stay at home alone were recorded in nearly half of children and young people.

In terms of changes, no difference was found between children and young people in primary and secondary schools. Still, girls were at greater risk because they show elevated levels of anxiety and/or depression and post-traumatic stress more often than boys.

Buljan Flander stressed that the study results could "serve as a guide" to what children needed and what additional support they required.

"The results clearly indicate that we need to strengthen the resilience of our children, that we need to work on mechanisms for dealing with stressful, traumatic situations and crises," she said.

To read more news from Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 28 March 2021 - The Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS) leader and member of Parliament, Milorad Pupovac, said on Saturday that President Zoran Milanović was destabilizing the country's constitutional order by violating his constitutional obligations and using threats in an attempt to influence lawmakers.

"An attempt by any branch of government to influence the opinions and decisions of members of Parliament is against the constitutional provisions on separation of powers and the independence of members of Parliament. Milanović violated these provisions in my case and in the case of Veljko Kajtazi (who represents the Roma minority) by trying to influence our opinions, our views, and our decisions, using threats," Pupovac told a press conference.

Pupovac said that Milanović had called Kajtazi and tried to influence him, while later saying that Kajtazi was blackmailed. He added that the President accused him of making decisions for his own benefit and that the USKOK anti-corruption agency should act against him.

"This kind of presumption constitutes absolute destabilization of the legal order and the autonomy of the work of members of the Croatian Parliament. If anyone thinks that my discussions on the Committee on the Constitution and Rules of Procedure or within the SDSS group were subject to anyone's influence or any bargaining, they should prove it," the SDSS leader said.

"And if they do not prove it, while at the same time threatening the state institutions as the representative of the highest state institution in the country, then this constitutes a serious violation of the Constitution," he added.

Pupovac said that Milanović told him by telephone that the other parliamentary representatives of the ethnic minorities should also vote for his candidate for Supreme Court President, Zlata Đurđević, which Pupovac said was an attempt at exerting influence.

Milanović took advantage of Đurđević.

Pupovac rejected the accusations that they had dragged Đurđević through the mud, saying that Milanović was creating "an alternative reality." He said that he thought highly of Đurđević and that he had defended her from right-wing circles who criticized her over her background.

"If anyone dragged through the mud this respectable member of the academic community who agreed to participate in the judicial reform, it was Milanović, with his interpretation of the Constitution and his attitude towards other stakeholders," Pupovac said, adding that Milanović had taken advantage of Đurđević for his own benefit.

Commenting on the statements and text messages he had received from President Milanović, Pupovac said that Milanović used foul, insulting, and belittling language.

Shortly before this press conference, which lasted 50 minutes, Pupovac published on his Facebook account the text messages he had received from Milanović at the time of discussion on the new Supreme Court President's appointment. He said he had decided to make them public after seeing such discourse being used in the public sphere.

In one of the messages that Pupovac published. Milanović wrote: "Shame on you, you wretch! The Serb people in Croatia will thrive once they get rid of you and your thieves." Pupovac said he would not seek an apology.

Pupovac also commented on his cooperation with Milanović during his term as prime minister, saying that, despite promises, they had not managed to have a single Serb-owned house in rural areas connected to the public electricity grid. "So much for his and his government's care about the Serbs." 

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

ZAGREB, 28 March 2021 - A comparative social study of the City of Zagreb has shown a continued rise in the number of residents as well as an increase in the number of unemployed people.

The 2019-2020 comparative social study, prepared by the City of Zagreb's Social Council and the CERANEO - Centre for the Development of Non-Profit Organisations, focused on dealing with challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and a 5.5-strong earthquake that hit Zagreb and its environs on the 22 March 2020.

Presenting the study results recently, Professor Gojko Bežovan said that the city had allocated additional funds to cope with the corona crisis and the quake aftermath. "The social situation in the city is stable, but many social challenges clearly remain."

In 2019, the number of residents increased by 0.34% to 807,254, mainly due to young people's immigration. Also, that year Zagreb registered 3,808 new marriages while 1,430 couples divorced.

When it comes to unemployment, in 2019, the average unemployment number was 15,957, while in 2020, it was 18,902. Nearly half of the jobless people had secondary school qualifications.

The City of Zagreb has the lowest at-risk-of-poverty rate in Croatia, of 9.8%.

The pandemic's dual challenge and the earthquake have put many tasks before Zagreb since the start of 2020 concerning housing and accommodation, the study said.

To read more news from Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 28 March 2021 - The Homeland Movement candidate for Mayor of Zagreb, Miroslav Škoro, said that he is ready to take charge of the city's complex management because he has managerial experience, adding that Zagreb has lost its way in poor management over the last 20 years.

Presenting the main points of his election platform, Škoro said that it is opposed to the management style of the late mayor Milan Bandić and that he is offering change.

He said that before announcing his candidacy, the Homeland Movement had talked with other potential candidates, adding that they might have supported the ruling Croatian Democratic Union's (HDZ) Damir Vanđelić had he been nominated and allowed to present his program.

"I am offering the citizens of Zagreb my knowledge and experience in public affairs and business. In this campaign, each of us candidates must prove their competencies. My professional career is easily verifiable and includes managerial experience and the creation of added value. I am a trained civil engineer, but I also hold a Ph.D. in economics and management," Škoro said.

He said that Croatia's demographic, economic, financial, and educational indicators and the public healthcare system's state were disastrous. "If the citizens give their confidence to the HDZ or the SDP (Social Democratic Party) and their satellites, they will only help the unstoppable decline to ruin. On the other hand, for change to occur, there are two options: the leftist, activist narrative propagated by people without work experience, and the entrepreneurial narrative of the center-right Homeland Movement, which is based on experience, competence, prudence, respect for the tradition and legacy of our nation."

"We cannot build our future on activism. Also, none of us is a superman, and that is exactly how the candidate of the We Can! platform is being portrayed. Figuratively speaking, if a tree needs to be cut down, we will cut it down and plant dozens more wherever possible. At the same time, activists will tie themselves to that tree because they don't see beyond that and cannot offer other solutions. I don't want to belittle anyone, but there is a huge difference between us in how we see the management model and the city administration's role. I am confident that the citizens will be able to see this distinction in the election," he added.

Asked about his election platform, Škoro said that he would present it this week. The program addresses finance, economy, entrepreneurship, utility infrastructure, traffic, education, healthcare, pensioners, young people, demography, waste management, and post-earthquake reconstruction.

"First, we will have to conduct due diligence of the city's finances. We think that the city's properties should be used more efficiently, rather than being sold at any cost, and businesses' incentives should be higher. Also, there is no reason for local tax in Zagreb to be the highest in the country, and it can be reduced over a period of time by several percentage points from the present 18%," he said.

Speaking of the city's budget deficit, Škoro said that "a budget surplus of at least HRK 800-900 million" could be achieved over a period of four years. 

"Over a period of four years, the City of Zagreb can close down the Jakuševec landfill. Instead of paying HRK 25 million for plastic waste disposal, it can earn HRK 100 million from managing such waste. Zagreb has a problem with transport infrastructure because a railway line cuts it east-west. The railway should be either elevated or lowered and become the backbone of the city's transport system. The City of Zagreb has lost its way in poor management over the last 20 years. It must be put back on the right track. We will do that and will rebuild it together," Škoro said.

Asked why he had pledged kindergartens free of charge given that the average monthly salary in Zagreb is the highest in the country, Škoro said: "Because the city can afford free kindergartens for children and free public transport for pensioners. That is our money. This is not just a promise. I will deliver on it. In the budget for a city the size of Zagreb, several dozen million kunas means nothing. The City of Zagreb must remain socially sensitive. We must raise the level of social sensitivity because this money belongs to the citizens."

An election victory in Zagreb requires between 150,000 and 170,000 votes. Asked if he counted on the support of the 90,000 voters who had backed him in the presidential election and how he was going to attract the remaining voters, Škoro said: "We are running in this election as a team who will be able to take charge of the complex functioning of a complex city which is neglected and burdened with countless problems. This team comprises professional and competent people who will be a guarantee of that."

Škoro said that he would use the time leading up to the election, scheduled for 16 May, to visit every neighborhood in the city and present his platform. 

"Indeed, I won over 90,000 votes in Zagreb in the presidential election, and that is my asset which the citizens recognize, despite those who want to label me as an election loser. To start from nowhere, alone against all, and achieve such a result is a major feat. I have already mentioned the 16 seats in the national parliament that we won in the middle of the coronavirus epidemic and lockdown. The Homeland Movement could have participated in government had we agreed to obey unquestioningly and consented to shameless political trade-offs. We want reforms and changes, and that is not possible with the prime minister and his coalition government who put the interests of the Brussels administration before the interests of their own country and people," Škoro said.

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

March 28, 2021 - In the second round of the U-21 Euros, Croatia tops Switzerland 3:2 in Koper, Slovenia. 

The Croatia U-21 side played the second round of the European Championship in Koper against Switzerland on Sunday. 

Recall, Croatia lost to Portugal 1-0 in the first round, while Switzerland beat England with the same result. Igor Bišćan's team needed a good result today to stay in the game for the final phase of the competition. In the event of Croatia's defeat and Portugal's victory or draw against England, Croatia will no longer have a chance to pass.

Igor Bišćan made four changes compared to the last game, and instead of Šemper, Vušković, Majer, and Kulenović, he started Kotarski, Babec, Špikić, and Vizinger.

Lineups

Croatia: Kotarski - Šverko, Erlić, Franjić, Bradarić - Babec, Moro, Bistrović - Špikić, Vizinger, Ivanušec

Switzerland: Racioppi - Lotomba, van der Werff, Zesiger, Sidler - Pušić, Sohm, Domgjoni, Toma - Guillemenot, Zeqiri

Recap

The match started with a great opportunity for Switzerland. Zeqiri crossed to Guillemenot whose shot went just past the goal.

But it was Croatia to get ahead first. 

Slobodan Kadic

Switzerland goalkeeper Racioppi made a weak clearance, Ivanušec capitalized and shot a volley from about 20 meters. Racioppi could not get to the goal line quick enough, and Croatia led 1:0. 

Switzerland was dangerous in Croatia's penalty area, only slightly missing the goal on a few occasions. In the 24th minute, Erlić was unable to continue the match and Bišćan made his first substitution. Vušković entered the pitch. 

Slobodan Kadic

Guillemenot and Sidler both had chances to equalize for Switzerland, but Kotarski remained solid in goal. Switzerland continued attacking in the final minutes before halftime, but Croatia's defense allowed nothing through. 

The ref added two minutes of injury time, and Croatia led 1:0 at the half. 

The second half started without any changes on either side. 

Moro and Ivanušec had an excellent opportunity to increase Croatia's lead in the 52nd minute, but the Switzerland keeper made two brilliant saves to keep them in the game.

Slobodan Kadic

Moro, Špikić, and Bistrović combined for another chance which resulted in a corner. 

Croatia was awarded a penalty in the 60th minute, which Nikola Moro scored for 2:0! Not even two minutes later, Vizinger made it 3:0!

Bišćan made changes for the first time in the second half in the 76th minute. Franjić, Moro, and Špikić came out for Krizmanić, Žaper, and Čolina. Moro also suffered an injury, hopefully nothing major. 

Slobodan Kadic

Switzerland was awarded a penalty in the 78th minute thanks to a Vizinger handball. Imeri scored for 3:1.

Switzerland reduced the result to 3:2 in the 89th minute. Kulenović knocked the ball into Croatia's net.

The match ended 3:2 for Croatia!

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