ZAGREB, 22 January, 2021 - Forty-three German firefighters from the state of Baden-Württemberg on Friday brought the third convoy of aid to the quake-hit area in Croatia aboard 16 trucks and four vans, including 17 housing containers, firefighting equipment and construction materials.

The donation also included an ambulance.

The convoy was welcomed by a Croatian foreign ministry state secretary, Zdenko Lucić, and county fire marshal Mijo Brlečić.

The first convoy from Baden-Württemberg arrived on 2 January, bringing 110 tonnes of firefighting equipment, medical supplies and food.

The second, 23-truck convoy arrived on 8 January, bringing firefighting equipment, construction material, clothes, hygiene products and food. The donation included five vehicles for firefighters in the quake-hit area.

Fire marshal Brlečić thanked the German firefighters for their donation.

January 22,  2021 - Looking for a local administration and business success story in Croatia? Mayor Dario Zurovec explains why Sveta Nedelja is the place to be. 

There are thousands of articles online complaining about the terrible state of Croatian bureaucracy, but no so many celebrating the success stories. And there are few places which do bureaucracy, transparency and a positive agenda for Croatia 2.0 better than the town of Sveta Nedelja, just outside Zagreb. It was a real pleasure meeting Dario Zurovec and Davor Nadji, Mayor and (then) Deputy Mayor of Sveta Nedelja. They initiated quite a revolution in their first term of office, and Dario Zurovec kindly found time for an extended interview to tell us more about the success stories inside a small Croatian town which has been voted the best medium-sized town for the economy for the last few years, as well as in the top five places in Croatia for quality of life.  

(Photo credit Grad Sveta Nedelja)

1. A population increase of 10% since 2011, 20% more jobs since you took over in 2017, unemployment at just 3.9%. These are sensationalist numbers in the current economic climate in Croatia. Congratulations! What is the secret?

We have shown that steps can be taken at the local level to create a good entrepreneurial climate and attracting investors which contributes to the development of our community. We invest intensively in the development of the economy. One of the resources we boast are our entrepreneurial zones in which many successful enterprises are located.

We have abolished and reduced certain fees, which represents significantly higher savings for enterprise owners, and we co-finance interest placed on entrepreneurial loans for investments up to a total of 6%. Additional plants are being constructed which expands the business, thus creating new jobs. The progress as a result of the aforementioned is visible in regard to many indicators, such as the growth of the number of companies, the fall in the unemployment rate, and the growth of income and average net wages.

I believe that it is necessary to encourage the growth and development of entrepreneurship, continuously create and strengthen the foundations for business operations and provide more tax and other reliefs.

2. Sveta Nedelja was named the best medium-sized town for the economy for the third year in a row last year. Tell us more about that, and what are you doing differently?

For the third year in a row, we have won the title of the best city for the economy in the medium cities category, and I see this as an indicator of our shared success and desire for excellence. I am proud of the results we have achieved, and a special thanks goes out to our enterprise and craft owners, who are working diligently and responsibly and developing their businesses, thus contributing to the wider community.

3. Sveta Nedelja was also named in the top five towns for quality of life, which might surprise people. Why is it such a good place to live?

The combination of a safe family environment, a high quality of life and idyllic nature make Sveta Nedelja an excellent place for family life. High economic development, entrepreneurial zones and natural beauty are just some of the recognisable things that make Sveta Nedelja attractive and pleasant to live in, as well as for doing smart business.

We abolished surtax, which amounted to 6%, and reduced utility/communal fees in the range of 2% to 30% for most of our fellow citizens. We follow children from birth to the end of their schooling, and we also raised our allowance for newborns, we provide co-financing for pre-school education, scholarships for students, co-finance transportation and offer scholarships for the best among them, and we continuously carry out large infrastructure projects that contribute to a higher quality and standard of living.

(Living and working in Croatia - fabulous snapshot through the eyes of Rimac staff in Sveta Nedelja)

4. Sveta Nedelja is perhaps best known internationally as the home of Rimac Automobili. How important is the Rimac factor in attracting other businesses to the town?

Numerous successful companies are located in our entrepreneurial zones, but certainly one of the most famous is Rimac Automobili. Relatively young, but by far the most successful company. Sveta Nedelja is certainly known all over the world precisely because of Rimac’s company, and with that creativity and knowledge, it further encourages many young entrepreneurs in terms of their further growth and development.

5. Let's talk public administration. You have become a beacon of transparency and progress, even introduced cryptocurrency payments, slashed local taxes and increased revenues to the town budget. Summarise it all for us.

The service of processing cryptocurrency when paying for public services to the City of Sveta Nedelja means the conversion of cryptocurrency into HRK according to the valid exchange rate at the time of service execution, and this is performed via cryptocurrency payment processing platforms. In our city, there are companies that use cryptocurrencies, like Greyp Bikes, which also belongs to Mate Rimac.

Sveta Nedelja has become the most transparent city and a leader in the Republic of Croatia in terms of innovation solutions for access to information and quality communication with fellow citizens.

We were the first in the Republic of Croatia to introduce employee appraisal by the citizens themselves and have their salaries and rewards align with those very appraisals whereby we are actually introducing a fixed and a variable part of their income. We were the first in the Republic of Croatia to introduce public announcement for all contracts, purchase orders and invoices in order to see the documents to which the invoices are linked, and such a system was also introduced in the city’s kindergarten and the fire and sports board(s) of the city.

Respecting the basic principles of public procurement and legal, purposeful spending of budget funds, we have a certificate called "Transparent Public Procurement".

We are also pioneers in the introduction of electromagnetic field monitoring systems in cooperation with the Končar Institute. This regards the amount of radiation that is ranked in relation to legal regulations and is made visible so that their levels and the locations where they are located can be seen.

We also were the first to introduce an advisory e-referendum in our country, so that citizens and entrepreneurs alike can be involved in important decision-making processes. We have also introduced the Geographic Information Centre, a system in which all information related to urban and spatial plans of the city of Sveta Nedelja and detailed information related to the communal infrastructure can be seen. The entire GIS system is unique in Croatia. Through this system, everyone can have access to even the smallest details of the entire city system: the transparency of spatial plans, water supply networks, land, forests and infrastructure. 

Through the choice of location within the map, any type of utility problem can be reported. The free mobile app Popravimo.hr is also available which reports the problem anonymously and through the means of photography. For our fellow citizens and for our family farms, we have introduced an e-marketplace system, an online store boasting domestic products, thus enabling the direct purchase of fresh and healthy ingredients and produce.

6. Lower taxes, higher revenues, more jobs, rising population. It all sounds perfect. Are other local administrations following your example, and what is stopping them if not?

Some local governments are following our example, but most still do not want to make such a big step forward, but they will soon have to because of the law that will come into force.

7. One more recent initiative you introduced to the town late last year was free buses for the town, connecting up to the Zagreb network. Tell us more.

I’m extremely happy that we have provided the citizens of Sveta Nedelja with new city transport, and that very transport will soon begin to operate. Public transport will be completely free. Three lines have been proposed but are subject to change. Better connectivity within the general area will be ensured, as will that which will take passengers to the City of Zagreb. If there is a need for changes in timetables on the lines that will operate, we will accept and realise them in agreement with the carrier.

8. You are not from the two big parties, SDP or HDZ. How does that affect your ability to get things done?

At the local level, I often face a number of challenges, most often due to political opposition. I think that with my work over these three and a half years, I’ve shown how things can change for the better, when you really want that and you choose to work exclusively for the benefit of all your fellow citizens.

9. What's next for Dario Zurovec. You have built a very solid platform in Sveta Nedelja. Is it time to take the revolutions of transparency and sensible governing to a bigger stage?

Of course, I will always encourage the further growth and development of the city.

10. And finally, what is your message to anyone contemplating Sveta Nedelja as a place to live or move their business to?

Sveta Nedelja is certainly a city for smart business and a comfortable life.

The combination of a safe family environment, high quality of life and idyllic nature make Sveta Nedelja an excellent place for family life. Because of its positive policy towards entrepreneurship, which includes zero surtax and consumption tax rates, the abolition and reduction of levies as well as location and transport connections, we’re an ideal city for investment and entrepreneurship.

For the latest news from Dario Zurovec and Sveta Nedelja, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

January 22, 2021 - The 2021 Croatia Rally, part of one of the world's most attractive auto racing competitions (World Rally Championship - WRC), will be held from April 22 to 25 this year. 

HRTurizam reports that after it was confirmed last year that Croatia Rally was included in the World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar, all other details are now known. From April 22 to 25, one of the most attractive sporting events of today will be held on the local roads of Zagreb, Karlovac, and Krapina-Zagorje counties.

The presentation of drivers and vehicles will be held at the National and University Library in Zagreb, the fastest will stand on the podium at St. Mark's Square, and test drives will start on Tuesday, April 20.

The start of the race will be in the Zagreb Fair area, and interestingly, for the first time in the history of the WRC, part of the track will be located indoors, inside the pavilion. The crews will start racing on April 23 in the area of Samoborsko Gorje, followed by speed tests in the wider area of Karlovac. The day after, speed tests will also take place in the area of Samoborsko Gorje and Karlovac. At the same time, on April 25, they will drive in the area of Hrvatsko Zagorje (Zagorska sela and Kumrovec), and on the trails on Medvednica.

"We chose the track carefully to avoid crowds, but also to enable the audience to come and enjoy the attractive rides. We hope that the epidemiological situation will allow that. Also, the WRC is an excellent opportunity to show the whole world the most beautiful parts of our country, and we have no doubt that the competition will be exciting - both live and in front of small screens," said the President of the Organizing Committee of Croatia Rally 2021, Daniel Šaškin.

The octane spectacle was watched by over 830 million viewers in 2019, and the WRC has seen a rise in popularity in the last seven years.

"With a huge international promotion, imagine the economic effect for Croatia will be achieved by tens of thousands of overnight stays, local consumption of participants, and the engagement of thousands of people needed for the organization. We hope that the situation at the end of April will allow the presence of spectators, which would mean the arrival of a large number of WRC fans from around the world. This is the best possible invitation before this year's tourist season," added the President of the Croatian Automobile and Karting Association and WRC Croatia Steering Committe, Davorin Štetner.

As Stetner pointed out, this is also a phenomenal opportunity to position and promote Croatian tourism. In 2021, Croatia will host two major spectacles, the World Rally Championship - WRC and the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series (for the next three years).

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

January 22, 2021 - Some sad news hit the Croatian and international media - an international star, Croatian actress Mira Furlan, passed away at the age of 65.

The news was first reported on the actress' Twitter profile, where an obituary of sorts was written earlier today:

pic.twitter.com/uVlatjUocZ

— Mira Furlan (@FurlanMira) January 22, 2021

J. Michael Straczynski, the showrunner for the show Babylon 5, in which Mira Furlan starred to achieve international acclaim after having left Croatia, also reported on her untimely demise:

It is a night of great sadness, for our friend and comrade had gone down the road where we cannot reach her. But as with all things, we will catch up with her in time, and I believe she will have many stories to tell us, and many new roles to share with the universe. pic.twitter.com/HyQlqyC19v

— J. Michael Straczynski (@straczynski) January 22, 2021

The Croatian media report, citing unnamed sources, that the actress has been infected with the Western Nile virus, and that after a long period of struggle with the disease and several months of poor health, she succumbed today in Los Angeles, where she lived with her husband.

Mira Furlan was one of the biggest acting stars in the former Yugoslavia, having the leading roles in numerous movies, theatre productions and TV shows during the eighties. When the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia started, she and her husband, Goran Gajić, were chased away from Croatia by the atmosphere created in all of the resulting nations by the nationalists, who felt like it was their prerogative to hate a couple that refused to become nationalists themselves. After their move to the US, they both managed to work their ways up to the exemplary careers, which in her case, included starring in TV hits such as Babylon 5 and Lost. During the last several years, Mira Furlan was able to return to her home country, where she performed in several stage-productions in different theatres in Croatia.

The viewers in Croatia remember her exquisite beauty and grace, as presented in TV shows and movies from the '80s, including Putovanje u Vučjak, Velo Misto, Kiklop and Smogovci.

ZAGREB, 22 January, 2021 - The European Council agrees that the EU must insist on the agreements reached with pharmaceutical companies on the quantities and deliveries of vaccines against coronavirus, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Friday.

"We have asked the European Commission president to insist in talks with Pfizer and Moderna, and hopefully soon with AstraZeneca as well, on the agreed quantities of vaccine and dynamics of delivery so that people can be vaccinated as soon as possible," Plenković told a press conference in Zagreb following a virtual conference of the European Council on the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday night.

Croatia started administering the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine after Christmas, while Moderna's vaccine arrived last week and the initial shipment was sent to the earthquake-devastated Petrinja area. The European Medicines Agency is expected to approve AstraZeneca's vaccine on 29 January.

"It is fascinating that processes that otherwise take 10 years were finalised within a year and that we, not just Croatia but the EU and all countries in the world as well, were able to get a vaccine for a new disease so quickly," Plenković said.

He said that many EU leaders had expressed concern about new strains of the coronavirus, including a more contagious one in the United Kingdom.

ZAGREB, 22 January, 2021 - Croatian Public Health Institute (HZJZ) director Krunoslav Capak said on Friday that he was not satisfied with the pace of COVID-19 vaccine delivery and that the vaccination plan would have to be changed because less than planned supplies were being delivered.

"We are not satisfied with the delivery, it is far below what we agreed. What makes the situation more difficult is that at the beginning we were given larger quantities of the vaccine and in the meantime they have decreased," Capak said at a news conference of the national coronavirus crisis management team.

"We will manage to vaccinate everyone who has been given the first dose of the vaccine but new vaccinations will have to be suspended as we do not have new vaccine supplies to begin administering the Pfizer vaccine," Capak said.

He added that Pfizer had reduced its deliveries for the next month by 30%.

Moderna, too, has changed the amount of the vaccine to be delivered, the delivery is a week late and it was promised that 11,000 doses would be delivered after February 1, he said.

"We must change the vaccination schedule because at the moment we do not have enough of the Pfizer vaccine to increase the number of people to be vaccinated but are keeping it for the second round of vaccination," he said.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is expected to be registered on 29 January, its fast distribution has been promised and additional quantities, promised after the 29 December earthquake, are expected from the EU.

Capak says that the rate of inoculation of the population depends on vaccine deliveries but that with greater quantities of the AstraZeneca vaccine and all the other vaccines, it is possible to achieve a high rate of inoculation of the general population by summer.

He said that the epidemiological situation in the country had improved but that there was a danger of new virus strains and that one should also take into account the situation in the earthquake-hit Sisak-Moslavina County when considering possible relaxation of restrictions.

He said that compared to the previous week, there was a 21% drop in the number of new infections. The incidence is highest in Sisak-Moslavina County, which has a rate of 428 infections per 100,000 people, and it is lowest in Istria, with 114.5 new infections per 100,000 people.

The share of new infections in the tests done is 12.3%, which puts Croatia in 13th place in the EU. So far 64,951 people have been vaccinated, and in Sisak-Moslavina County 5,863 have been vaccinated, said Capak.

Markotić: New virus mutations put us where we were a year ago

The head of Zagreb's Dr Fran Mihaljević hospital for infectious diseases, Alemka Markotić, said that the third variant of the virus originated in Brazil and that it differed from the strains in Great Britain and South Africa.

It seems this virus could partly bypass the response of antibodies in persons who have developed immunity either because they got infected or were vaccinated, and that can also affect serological testing, she warned.

The entire EU is agreed that virus genome sequencing should be stepped up, she said, warning that coronavirus was prone to mutation and sought new ways to spread.

As for possible relaxation of anti-epidemic measures, she called for caution, citing the winter season, which facilitated the spread of the virus.

Even though vaccines seem to be effective against the strain from Great Britain, one should follow new mutations and adapt diagnostic tests to the new variants, she said.

The European Commission believes that the new variants of the virus put us back where we were a year ago when it appeared. Everyone hopes that the existing vaccines and tests will be appropriate for new variants but we have to be extremely cautious to prevent them from spreading, Markotić said.

Božinović: Measures to be defined at meeting on Sunday 

The head of the national coronavirus crisis management team, Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović, declined to comment on the possible relaxation of epidemiological restrictions, saying that members of the coronavirus crisis management team and government ministers would meet on Sunday to discuss the topic.

He stressed that there was no draft for the relaxation of restrictions in the hospitality sector, an issue raised in recent days by the national hospitality sector association.

Božinović confirmed that inspections had been stepped up in ski resorts and spas and that so far 99 fines had been collected for failure to wear a face mask and 853 warnings had been issued.

He also said that the EU was ready to provide financial assistance for virus genome sequencing in the member-states.

"The European Commission wants the member-countries to sequence at least five percent of positive COVID-19 tests. We must step up our efforts to prevent potential damage from new strains," said Božinović.

Earlier in the day, the team said that in the last 24 hours, 643 new coronavirus infections had been confirmed and 32 people had died of the consequences of the coronavirus infection.

ZAGREB, 22 January, 2021 - In the last 24 hours, 643 new coronavirus infections have been confirmed in Croatia and 32 people have died of the consequences of the disease, the national coronavirus crisis management team said on Friday morning.

Currently there are 3,321 active cases and 1,518 people are receiving hospital treatment, including 145 who are on ventilators.

Since the outbreak of the infection in late February, 227,969 people have been infected with the novel virus, of whom 4,770 have died.

A total of 219,878 people have recovered, including 796 in the last 24 hours.

Currently, 15,878 persons are self-isolating.

To date 1,144,819 people have been tested, including 4,863 in the last 24 hours.

January 22, 2021 - Croatia will suspend new Pfizer vaccinations for the time being as there are not enough doses currently available. 

T.portal reports that the director of the Institute of Public Health, Krunoslav Capak, expressed dissatisfaction with the dynamics of vaccine delivery to Croatia during a press conference on Friday. Capak noted that it is not operating according to how it was negotiated and signed, and they are now receiving reduced quantities. 

"Moderna informed us yesterday that it would be a week late with delivery and that it would reduce our doses," Capak said, adding that the vaccination plan must now be restructured.

"We don’t have the Pfizer vaccine for new vaccinations, but we will now have to keep what we have for revaccination," Capak said, adding that 11,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine should arrive in early February.

He said that the quantities of vaccines coming are 'far below what we negotiated, and it is made even more difficult for us by the fact that they were initially given larger quantities, and now they are reduced.'

"We will certainly be able to vaccinate for the second dose, but we will have to suspend new vaccinations," Capak said. "Through individual contacts with European Commission officials and producers, we seek our rights, but so far, this has remained only an attempt," he added.

"We are now in a situation where we have to restructure our vaccination plan; now we are storing the Pfizer vaccine exclusively for the second dose and waiting until mid-February to get some larger quantities. Moderna promised us that they would deliver what they promised the week after the first one, and we can only hope that'll be the case," said Capak.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is likely to be registered on January 29, and distribution will follow soon after. The European Union is currently working on the distribution by member states.

Capak also spoke about when he expects the general population to be largely vaccinated.

"It all depends on the delivery of the vaccine. We are ready for much faster vaccination, all county public health institutes, health centers, and family doctors are ready for it, but we do not have vaccines. If AstraZeneca delivers larger quantities after registration, we could vaccinate much faster. I think that together with all the other doses, it was promised that we would have the general population largely vaccinated by the summer," said Capak on Jutarnji List.

Illustration by Little Shiva

To read more about COVID-19 in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.