ZAGREB, July 25, 2019 - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Wednesday congratulated Boris Johnson on becoming Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, wishing him a lot of success in leading his country in the run-up to the completion of the Brexit process, the prime minister's office said in a press release.

Expressing hope that under the leadership of the European Commission an agreement on the UK's exit from the bloc would be reached to the satisfaction of both sides, Plenković said that it was in the interests of citizens to continue building ties between the EU and the UK.

"I am looking forward to continuing our cooperation and strengthening political and economic relations between Croatia and the United Kingdom," Plenković said in his message.

Johnson took office on Wednesday pledging a new, bold Brexit agreement with the European Union by October 31. He, however, said that if Brussels refused to renegotiate the "divorce" agreement, he would get his country out of the European bloc without a deal.

More news about relations between Croatia and the UK can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, May 9, 2019 - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Wednesday received visiting chief EU negotiator for Brexit Michel Barnier after which the two officials took part in a dialogue with citizens on Europe's future at Zagreb's Faculty of Economics.

Barnier briefed Plenković about the current state of the EU's negotiations with the United Kingdom and underscored the importance of preserving the legal security for European and British citizens and companies.

Croatia's presidency at the start of next year will be critical for the unity of Europeans, Barnier told reporters outside Government House. Croatia is scheduled to take over the 6-month rotating presidency of the European Union on 1 January 2020.

Plenković too commented on Croatia's preparations for taking over the presidency, saying that Croatia would play a role in regulating future relations between Brussels and London, as well as in the negotiations on a new European budget, according to a press release issued by the Croatian government's public relations office.

The biggest challenge for Croatia during its presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2020 will be the adoption of a new multiannual financial framework (MFF), Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Wednesday in a dialogue with citizens on Europe's future at Zagreb's Faculty of Economics that was also attended by visiting chief EU negotiator for Brexit Michel Barnier.

Plenković said that in the first half of 2020, Croatia would try to encourage a broad debate on European integration.

Barnier agreed Croatia would assume very serious responsibilities during its presidency, including the adoption of a seven-year budget.

"Within the new MFF, Croatia should receive approximately the same amount as in the current period (slightly over 10 billion euro), as one of the countries from the cohesion group," Plenković aid, adding that approximately 80% of public investments in Croatia were coming from European funds.

Attending the dialogue with citizens, Barnier said that a joint approach was necessary to all challenges before the European Union, stressing that EU member states could not act independently, Barnier said.

More news about Croatia and the EU can be found in the Politics section.

Permanent contracts, annual salaries ranging from 70,000 to 90,000 pounds, free English language courses, assistance with resettlement and finding a new home, kindergarten, school, bank account opening... – this is the offer which the Paragona agency from Poland has given to Croatian family doctors, inviting them to move to Great Britain despite Brexit, reports Večernji List on April 26, 2019.

They have been invited by the British National Health Service (NHS), the key health institution in the country, which has hired the Polish agency to help them bring family physicians from EU countries.

It has been known for years that Britain, as well as a number of other Western countries, does not have enough physicians. NHS's solution is to import doctors from other countries, which is the reason why they have launched this last drive to bring in family physicians. The number of physicians from all EU countries who can come and compete for jobs is not limited.

The contest will be open permanently until the need for the medical staff is met. In its statement, the NHS says that, regardless of Brexit, there will still be a need for excellent family physicians from Europe. In order to promote the competition and its conditions, the Polish agency’s representatives will visit Croatia next month, says Vikica Krolo, president of the Croatian Family Medicine Coordination (KOHOM).

“KOHOM wants as many of our physicians as possible to stay here, but this sounds very appealing, and it is an opportunity for people to go to a well-organised state for a well-paid job. We concessionaires are more or less retiring in five to ten years, so I am not interested, but I know how this sounds to younger doctors. People have been informed, they have received invitations, which have been shared on social networks and forums. We educate physicians who then leave to work in other countries. The world is open, and this call demonstrates it,” says Krolo, who is a family physician herself, adding that the number of her colleagues has been decreasing in the last few years and is now around 2,100.

The work of family physicians in the UK differs from the Croatian system. The key difference is in diagnosis segment and treatment of all age groups, as well as the fact that nurses do some of the medical jobs which are done exclusively by doctors in many other European countries.

Family medicine offices in Great Britain are equipped for smaller surgeries, which are usually done in hospitals in other European countries, including Croatia. Referrals to specialists are very strictly limited to cases when this is a real need because a family physician does not have the necessary equipment or the patient has a serious condition. Family doctors in Great Britain also deal with the health of children and mothers, prevention and rehabilitation. “We would all be happy to do this as well,” adds Krolo.

The agency hired for recruiting physicians has already successfully completed a pilot project and has placed family physicians from Europe to various parts of the United Kingdom.

Translated from Večernji List (reported by Ivana Rimac Lesički).

More medical news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, April 11, 2019 - The United Kingdom has been granted an extra six and a half months to complete the process of Brexit, ratify the withdrawal agreement and to try to reach a consensus in parliament on an orderly withdrawal from the European Union, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković told reporters in Brussels early on Thursday morning after an emergency EU summit.

The leaders of the 27 EU member states approved a delay of the UK's departure from the EU until 31 October. The UK will be able to leave at any time earlier when the withdrawal agreement is ratified.

"In this way we have accomplished our goal of not having a new summit and new extensions every two or three weeks," Plenković said.

Unless it leaves by 22 May, the United Kingdom will have to organise elections for the European Parliament, which are scheduled for 23-26 May, and if it fails to do so, it will have to leave the EU on 1 June, summit conclusions say. Brexit will be on the agenda again at a regular EU summit in the second half of June to discuss how the withdrawal process is proceeding.

European Council President Donald Tusk told a press conference that the extension would give the UK time to consider the entire situation regarding Brexit. "That might lead to changes in the Political Declaration, but not in the Withdrawal Agreement. Until the end of this period, the UK will also have the possibility to revoke Article 50 and cancel Brexit altogether," he said.

Plenković said that it was now "politically a bit awkward, not to say absurd" for the UK to organise elections for the European Parliament, "but such are the rules, and if it is still a member at the time of the elections, then it has to conduct them."

Also, the UK "must be a loyal member with all rights and duties as long as it is an EU member," he added.

"The European Council takes note of the commitment by the United Kingdom to act in a constructive and responsible manner throughout the extension period in accordance with the duty of sincere cooperation," summit conclusions say. This means that the UK is expected not to obstruct the functioning of the Union and its institutions.

If the UK remains in the EU after May's elections, Croatia, like other countries that have been allotted more seats in the European Parliament, will have one seat less until the UK leaves the bloc. Croatia has called elections for 12 seats in the European Parliament, according to the new seat allocation. The 12th MEP will be able to activate their term the moment the UK leaves the EU.

More Brexit news can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 29, 2019 - Europe will be stronger after Brexit, and Great Britain's departure from the EU will not have a strong impact on Croatia, President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović said at a press conference on Friday dedicated to her foreign policy activity over the past three weeks.

"My conviction is that it will come out stronger," she said when asked if Europe would come out of Brexit stronger or experience substantial disruptions.

The president said every member state had the right to leave the EU if it wanted to. "Great Britain exercised that sovereign right, although we are all sorry the United Kingdom is leaving the EU. However, that's their decision and it should be honoured."

The president believes Brexit will not have a major impact on Croatia and that the uncertainty over it will be resolved in the coming days. "We believe the cooperation with Great Britain may even become stronger after their departure."

She also commented on the distrust in the EU institutions among member states' citizens. "Brussels' policy must come closer to the people. The rise of populism is one of the results of political elites moving away from the people, running away from the people, from real problems. It seems to me that politicians are often afraid to come into such situations. The EU must definitely think about how to come closer to the people."

All ideas about strengthening the European project are welcome, the most well-known being the one by French President Emmanuel Macron, Grabar-Kitarović said. "I and Croatia firmly believe that Croatia wants to be part of Europe's core. Actually, all of the EU should be the core, a union of equal members with equal obligations as well as equal development possibilities."

As for the possibility of Macron visiting Croatia, the president said they met a number of times on the fringes of various events but that, due to the situation in France, she did not talk dates. "The invitation stands. The visit will take place and I wish it to occur at a time when we can really concentrate on Croatia-France relations and on how we can advance bilateral relations and the European project."

Also today, European Council President Donald Tusk scheduled a summit of member states' leaders for April 10 after the British Parliament rejected a withdrawal deal for the third time.

Agriculture Minister Tomislav Tolušić believes that Great Britain's exit from the European Union and the consequent reduction of the EU budget will not affect subsidies for Croatian farmers from EU funds in the new financial perspective.

"Support for our farmers will be at the same or higher level than now," he told reporters after opening the Gudovec Spring Fair in the town of Bjelovar.

"Our farmers can expect a lot more money for primary production, for boosting competitiveness and further development and I expect that in the next few years we will have continuous positive results. There are some sectors in which we need to invest more efforts, such as the dairy sector where we are trying hard but recovery can't occur overnight," Tolušić said.

More news about Croatia and Brexit can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 28, 2019 - Croatian MPs will debate several bills on Thursday, including preparations for the UK's exit from the EU so as to enable British citizens to continue to enjoy their existing rights in Croatia after Brexit.

A bill on European Economic Area citizens and their families regulates temporary and permanent sojourn and proposes that UK citizens retain the status they already have when Brexit occurs.

This bill prescribes that they will keep either temporary or permanent sojourn and that, within a certain deadline, they should obtain a new sojourn permit in line with a special regulation so they can continue to stay and work in Croatia and deal with the negative consequences of a no-deal exit, said Interior Minister Davor Božinović.

With another bill, Croatia will enable British citizens to exercise mandatory health insurance coverage for up to one year after Brexit in case of a no-deal withdrawal, provided there is reciprocity. If there is no reciprocity, expenditures will be covered by the state budget.

More news about Croatia and Brexit can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 24, 2019 - Prime Minister and HDZ president Andrej Plenković said on Saturday that the European Parliament election would be called on March 26. "If the United Kingdom leaves, it means the election of 12 Croatian MEPs. In the event of some unforeseen circumstances, a possible extension of the Brexit deadline we set for May 22, then legally, in the first stage, we would elect 11 MEPs, and if (the UK) leaves, not just we but other countries too would have 12 MEPs."

Asked about a meeting of the state leadership in the president's office earlier on Saturday, Plenković said he met with President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović and Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković every four to six weeks and that they discussed all current matters.

Speaking to the press in Krapinske Toplice, where he attended a ceremony marking the 29th anniversary of the HDZ party's Krapina-Zagorje County branch, he said Croatia was prepared for both Brexit scenarios.

Asked about Social Democratic Party president Davor Bernardić's claim that the HDZ needed the law on the financing of political activities to legalise its slush funds, Plenković said "this degree of disastrous statements is below every level of rude, even slanderous statements" and that they were put in the context of a rational decision to give citizens more benefit from electioneering.

The campaign for the EP election "will last 45 days and you have only 1.5 million kuna per slate. A party can invest its own funds or seek contributions, and we raised the limit," he said, adding that even with the increase Croatia "is one of the countries with the smallest funds for campaigning."

He said it was important that Croatian citizens understood that as those spending more in the campaign would motivate people to vote in the EP election. He said the "anti-European sovereignists are clueless and it's important the public knows that, and they didn't lift a finger for Croatia to join the European Union."

Asked about the government's position on a Slovenian court's non-final jail sentence against Croatian fishermen for fishing in Savudrija Bay, Plenkovic said the government supported all Croatian fishermen who were being fined by the Slovenian authorities.

He reiterated that Croatia did not recognise the "compromised" arbitration procedure and ruling on the border with Slovenia and that it wanted to discuss and resolve the problem with Slovenia.

More news on the European elections can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 22, 2019 - The decision by the leaders of 27 European Union member states to offer the United Kingdom two dates to delay its departure from the bloc (Brexit) provides legal security, reliability and predictability for everyone involved, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in Brussels on Friday.

The leaders of 27 EU member states unanimously agreed on Thursday night to delay the UK's departure from the Union until 22 May, provided that the withdrawal agreement was adopted by the British Parliament next week, and if not, London would be given until 12 April to say whether it wanted to hold an election for the European Parliament or leave with no deal.

"That message is one of reliability, predictability and security for natural and legal persons, for the financial markets, and for all political actors on the British political scene to know exactly what will be going on and also for us to know what will be going on. That's why that message is very good, it is a reasonable answer to Prime Minister Theresa May's letter," Plenković said before the start of the second day of the summit of EU leaders.

The first date, of 22 May, will apply only if the British Parliament approves the withdrawal agreement by 29 March, the existing date for the UK's departure. That date was chosen because the European Parliament election takes place in all EU member states from 23 to 26 May, and an extension of the Brexit date would require the UK to participate in the election.

The second date, of 12 April, is the deadline by which an election for the European Parliament should be called in the UK. If the UK fails to ratify the withdrawal agreement and if it does not want to withdraw from the agreement, it has to decide by 12 April whether it will call an election for the European Parliament or seek a longer extension.

"If they ratify the agreement next week, they will have enough time by 22 May to adopt all the necessary laws. This is realistic and this is a positive scenario. If this does not happen, and at this point we cannot know what will happen in the United Kingdom and what will be the political consequences of another possible rejection, then we have the second deadline of 12 April. If they do not call the election by then, they leave automatically on 22 May," Plenković said.

The decision on whether the UK will participate in the European election will have repercussions for Croatia and 13 other member states which are to get more seats in the European Parliament under a new seat distribution plan.

A new seat distribution has been agreed as part of preparations for the UK's exit from the EU, under which the number of seats in the European Parliament would be reduced from 751 to 705.

Of the 73 seats currently assigned to the UK, 46 would be held in reserve for future enlargement, or would remain unfilled, while the remaining 27 British seas would be distributed among 14 member states which are underrepresented in the European Parliament. Croatia would thus have 12 instead of the present 11 seats.

In Croatia, elections for the European Parliament must be called at least 60 days in advance, meaning by 26 March, which is next Tuesday.

More news about Croatia and Brexit can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 15, 2019 - Croatia is prepared to protect the rights of UK citizens staying in Croatia after the official Brexit date – March 29 – but in accordance with the principle of reciprocity, it was said at a cabinet meeting on Friday when it was also underlined that efforts were being made so that the country could be prepared for all possible Brexit scenarios.

Croatia is preparing for two scenarios involving the UK's departure from the European Union – an orderly Brexit and a no-deal Brexit, it was said at the cabinet meeting a day after the British Parliament voted to postpone the fast-approaching departure date.

"Given that it is still uncertain what will happen on March 29, Croatia and other EU member states are working on plans and scenarios so that our institutions can be prepared for the consequences that Great Britain's leaving the bloc will have on physical and legal entities, particularly on Croatian citizens living in Great Britain but also on British citizens living in Croatia," Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said, referring to the official date of the British divorce form the EU.

Plenković recalled that numerous institutions and all relevant stakeholders have published the necessary information on their websites so that citizens could get acquainted with issues they must take into account, adding that owing to the efforts the Foreign and European Affairs Ministry and other departments were making, the government would soon present comprehensive information on Croatia's preparations in case of a no-deal Brexit.

A state secretary in the Foreign and European Affairs Ministry, Andreja Metelko Zgombić, said at a cabinet meeting that Croatia still believed that an orderly Brexit was the best possible solution as it would provide for the legal security of citizens and business communities on both sides.

The government adopted a conclusion taking note of Croatia's preparations for a no-deal Brexit which tasks all central state administration bodies with completing the necessary activities within their remit to be prepared for that scenario.

More news on Croatia and Brexit can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 13, 2019 - Croatia is open to the idea of extending the deadline for Great Britain's leaving the European Union, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Wednesday, expressing dissatisfaction over the situation involving Brexit, saying it was an example of a referendum in the public sphere and for campaigning. "We are open to extending the deadline," Plenković said when asked if Croatia would be willing to accept an extension to the March 29 deadline for Britain's departure from the EU.

According to Plenković, delaying Bexit could have two scenarios. The first one is a shorter deadline which would give a final chance for an orderly Brexit before the European election or by July 1 at the latest, while the second, longer deadline would raise a number of issues such as the make-up of the European Parliament. In case of a need for the deadline extension, Plenković said he would prefer if the deadline was shorter.

"What is happening in the United Kingdom now is a very good example and it is very important for the Croatian public to understand the consequences of the misuse of a referendum in the public sphere of for campaigning," Plenković said.

Plenković said that ahead of the 2016 referendum, voters heard a lot of information which scared them and were fairy tales and lies, adding that because of that a majority of voters supported Britain's departure from the EU.

Plenković also recalled that the incumbent Prime Minister Theresa May as well as the then Prime Minister David Cameron were for Britain's staying in the EU, but Cameron made "a wrong political assessment by giving room to a man like Nigel Farage ... who had an agenda of destruction which unfortunately was successful."

Plenković said that the will of the majority must be respected, but that it is bad for the British people. "Today they are realising that for the past two and a half years they were a country that dealt with only one topic and one topic alone. Great Britain is one of the the top five global economies, a permanent member of the Security Council, a nuclear force, a global free trade champion. They are self-centred."

The Croatian PM said the European Union did its best to have an orderly Brexit.

Three years after Britain voted to leave the European Union, lawmakers have failed to agree on how to do so. Parliament rejected Prime Minister Theresa May's revised Brexit deal on Tuesday in a vote of 391 to 242, the second time she has suffered such an overwhelming defeat.

Parliament will vote on Wednesday on whether to leave the European Union on schedule, on March 29, without a deal -- a scenario that could create economic havoc for Britain and, to a lesser degree, Europe.

Plenković believes that lawmakers were very likely to reject Brexit without a deal and then the only thing left to do was to opt for a delay.

More news on Croatia and Brexit can be found in the Politics section.