June 25th, 2021 - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković greeted Croatian citizens in the country and abroad on Independence Day, calling on lawmakers to turn to topics of the future and challenges of the modern era. 

"By marking Independence Day, we remember 25 June 1991 when the Croatian Parliament adopted two historic decisions: the Constitutional decision on Croatia's sovereignty and independence, and the Declaration of Croatia's sovereignty and independence. After that, all foreign representatives accredited in Zagreb were asked to recognize the Croatian state. These decisions represented the constitutional basis for independence on which the sovereign Croatian state emerged," Jandroković recalled in his address to Parliament.

With that act, Croatia launched disassociation with the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) and other Yugoslav republics and called for international recognition.

He added that as progress was not being made in agreement on disassociation with the former republics, the then president Franjo Tuđman called for a referendum held on 19 May 1991.

More than 93% of Croatians voted for a sovereign and independent country at that referendum. He said that consequently, on 25 June 1991, the Croatian Sabor adopted those two historic decisions.

He added that after the unsuccessful attempts to resolve the crisis peacefully and with the international community's mediation when a moratorium on the Constitutional decision expired, Yugoslav Air Force planes bombed Government House. Obviously, it would not be possible for Croatia to achieve its independence peacefully and that it would have to fight for freedom in the Homeland War, he underscored.

Our obligation to keep the values of the Homeland War

The Homeland War and its values are the foundation of contemporary Croatia. He added our obligation to keep those values and leave them as a legacy for future generations.

In the past 30 years, we have achieved great strategic objectives defined when creating the modern Croatian state. They include NATO and the European Union membership, which have brought new prospects and opportunities, he added.

"We are facing new challenges. By building the Pelješac Bridge, we will connect Croatian territory. In addition, we will continue preparations to join the Schengen Area and euro area, complete the procurement of multi-purpose Rafale fighter jets and accelerate the reforms of the judiciary, state administration, health, and social welfare, which will strengthen our security, protect our borders and ensure economic progress," Jandroković said.

In light of a fast-changing world, we can build Croatia only by joint action and mutual respect, keeping in mind the improvement of living standards for Croatian people.

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June 25th, 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković Friday congratulated Croatia Independence Day, observed today, saying that it was a memorial day marking parliament's historic decision to launch Croatia's separation from the former Yugoslavia.

By adopting the Constitutional Decision on Croatia's sovereignty and independence and the Declaration on the proclamation of a sovereign and independent Croatia on 25 June 1991, the Croatian parliament confirmed the plebiscitary would the Croatian people expressed at a referendum the previous May, Plenković said in his message.

We confirmed that freedom and independence, that centuries-long dream of the Croatian people, by winning in the Homeland War, he said, thanking Croatia's first president Franjo Tuđman and all defenders and their families "whose lives and sacrifice are woven into the foundations of Croatia's independence."

Plenković said that 30 years after the parliamentary decision which set the path towards independence, Croatia was a member of the EU and NATO, had chaired the Council of the EU, and was about to join Schengen and the eurozone, which he said were the remaining strategic EU integration goals on which the government was intensively working.

Today, faced with new challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects of devastating earthquakes, climate change, and catching up with the fourth industrial revolution, we are committed to economic recovery, reconstruction, energy, green and digital transition, demographic revitalization, and reforms, Plenković said.

Crucial for making the economy more resilient to future threats and swift post-crisis recovery are the investments and reforms the government envisaged in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. We obtained considerable funds at the European level.

Observing Independence Day, faced with numerous challenges, Croatia needs unity and to look to the future more than ever, he concluded.

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