The Croatian Diaspora

ZAGREB, December 18, 2018 - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković met representatives of Croats living in Austria on Monday and told them Croatia would continue to support their activities. Plenković arrived in Vienna to attend the EU-Africa summit the central event of which will be held Tuesday. "Here are the representatives of all Croatian organisations in Austria, at least in Vienna and the area," said Petar Tyran, head of the Croatian Centre in Vienna where the meeting was held. He also informed the prime minister Croat organisations in Austria needed financial support to be able to keep the media for…

ZAGREB, December 13, 2018 - Acquiring Croatian citizenship should be easier for Croats abroad and Croatian diaspora, the government proposes in amendments to the Citizenship Act which it sent to parliament on Thursday. This bill of amendments is aimed at simplifying the acquiring of Croatian citizenship, which will recognise and valorise the economic, demographic, social, scientific and other potential of Croatian emigrants, said Interior Minister Davor Božinović. Since 1992, when the Citizenship Act came into force, nearly 1.1 million foreigners have been naturalised, which does not include children of Croatian citizens, he added. The amendments raise the age limit for…

ZAGREB, December 12, 2018 - At the EU summit on Thursday and Friday, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković will once again address the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina after last October's general election and the status of Croats in Bosnia, a source from the European Council has said. Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenković has asked that he be allowed to inform leaders of the latest situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina following the election, the source said. Cyprian President Nicos Anastasiades has asked to speak about Serbia and Kosovo, the source added and explained that it is the duty of the…

December the 11th, 2018 - The United States might be very far from Croatia, both in terms of geography and in terms of many customs, but how do we bridge the gap? A quick look at how the diaspora keep their ancestral home close to their hearts during the festive season with a Croatian inspired advent in Boston, USA. Santa (Djed Mraz) gives out early gift bags filled with Croatian candy Over 100 members of the New England Friends of Croatia (NEFC), a non-profit organization in the Boston area which fosters the preservation of Croatian culture in New England, has gathered to celebrate…

ZAGREB, December 1, 2018 - The Democratic Alliance of Croats in Vojvodina (DSHV), which represents the Croat minority in Serbia, welcomed on Saturday the European Parliament's good remarks for progress Serbia made in economic reforms, but at the same time it regretted that Serbia had not yet launched the processes of facing the past, which was also noted in the EP resolution adopted on Thursday. MEPs on Thursday in Brussels adopted a resolution which acknowledges Serbia's progress in economic reforms but which also notes that it was critical to make tangible results in judicial reform, corruption suppression and freedom of…

25th of November 2018 - That music is deeply rooted in the Croatian genes is a simple fact. Just look around a little bit, if you have never given it a thought, and you will realise that almost every village has its own dance and its own song. At least one, that is. This extends far from the country's borders and into the Croatian diaspora, and next year they'll have no less than a Swiss stage. If you look alongside the coast, you can hardly find a hamlet without a ''klapa''. And then all those festivals of all sorts (of music), everywhere.…

ZAGREB, November 19, 2018 - Croatian Foreign Minister Marija Pejčinović Burić informed her colleagues at a meeting in Brussels on Monday of Croatia's concern about the status of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and their legitimate representation at all government levels. At Croatia's request, the foreign ministers of European Union member states discussed the situation in BiH after the October 7 general elections. "The conclusion is that everyone agrees that BiH's European journey is very important. More and more member states understand Croatia's concern about the status of Bosnian Croats, one of the three constituent peoples. We expect further discussion…

ZAGREB, November 18, 2018 - The Croatian National Council (HNV) in Serbia welcomed on Saturday a European Parliament resolution on minimum standards for minorities, passed on November 13, saying that it "will contribute to enhancing protection of the Croat minority in Serbia as part of the country's EU entry talks." The European Parliament's conclusion, which has no legal force, calls on the European Commission to start drawing up a plan to define minimum common standards for the protection of ethnic minorities that would incorporate the best practices in EU countries and be based on the principle of subsidiarity and proportionality,…

November 14, 2018 - What is it like being a foreigner at a Croatian diaspora conference with no Croatian heritage? Some observations of a British fly on the wall after recent conferences.  I will confess to a mild fascination with the Croatian diaspora, a fascination which grows stronger the more I find myself immersed in its complexities. And there is nowhere more fascinating to observe the Croatian diaspora than at the various conferences that are held each year, with the aim of better connecting the diaspora with the Homeland.  My knowledge of the diaspora is rudimentary, but growing all the time.…

White House Deputy National Security Adviser Mira Ricardel has left her post, following a high-profile row with US First Lady Melania Trump. A White House spokeswoman said the official leaves the White House to transition to a new role within the administration. She did not elaborate, reports BBC on November 15, 2018. Mrs. Trump said this week that Mrs. Ricardel no longer deserves the honour of serving in this White House. The two reportedly feuded during a tour of Africa in October. Mira Ricardel was the highest-ranking Croatian American in the US administration. She was born as Mira Radielović in 1960,…