ZAGREB, October 5, 2020 - President Zoran Milanovic met on Monday with a delegation of Croats from Serbia who informed him of their activities in protecting and promoting the rights of Croats in that country, the conditions in which they operate and the problems they encounter.

According to a press release, President Milanovic received the president of the Croatian National Council (HNV), Jasna Vojnic, the council's vice president for Subotica, Ladislav Suknovic, and the president of the Democratic Alliance  of Croats in Vojvodine (DSHV), Tomislav Zigmanov.

"HNV and DSHV representatives informed President Milanovic of their work in the past and activities to protect and promote the rights of Croats in Serbia as well as the conditions in which they operate and the problems they encounter," the press release said.

Milanovic supported their work and underlined that he expects the standards that Croatia applies in promoting the rights of national minorities to be equally applied to the Croat national minority in Serbia.

The President expressed his readiness to visit Croats who live in Serbia and in that way confirm Croatia's care for the Croat community in that neighbouring country. Milanovic said that respecting minority rights was and will remain an important criterion on the journey to European Union membership.

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ZAGREB, June 28, 2020 - A total of 84.5% of Croatians drink beer and 8.8% do it every day, which is 3.7% more than two years ago, a survey shows. 

The survey was conducted in May 2020 by Ja Trgovac magazine and the Hendal market research agency on a representative sample of citizens aged 16 years and over.

It showed that 84.5% of the respondents drink beer, 2.8% fewer compared with a survey carried out two years ago before the world football championship in Russia. However, the number of those who drink beer every day increased from 5.1% to 8.8%.

Some 36% of those interviewed said that they drink beer several times a week, an increase of 6.3% from the previous survey, while 18.8% said they do so once a week, up from 12% two years ago. Slightly over 24% consume beer several times monthly, 7% once a month, and 4.8% several times a year, markedly down from 17.3% in 2018. Only 0.1% drink beer fewer than several times a year, compared with 5.5% two years ago.

More than half of the respondents, namely 56.2% (up 5.3%), drink beer at home or at friends' or relatives', while the number of those who enjoy a pint in a pub or a restaurant fell by 5.4% to 28.1%. The number of people who equally drink beer at home and in a pub remained unchanged at 15.6%.

The number of people who like industrially-brewed beer rose from 70.8% to 76.2%, while the number of those who prefer craft beer increased from 8.9% to 9.4%.

By far the most popular type of beer among Croatians is lager or pilsner (76.9%), ahead of fruit-flavored lagers (7.9%), ale (6.5%), wheat beer (3.9%), stout (2.8%) and alcohol-free beers (2%).

March 30, 2020 - On Sunday night, Croatians around the county supported health professionals, the police, the military and anyone sacrificing their health for citizens. At 8 pm, Croatians clapped and sang, perhaps its most famous patriotic song, ‘Moja Domovina’.

As Croatia is on lockdown and citizens are limited with movement, there isn't much we can do apart from heading to the store or pharmacy. Our day to day lives are much quieter, as we're mostly confined to the walls of our homes to obey the most important global message - "stay home".

Things looked a bit different on Sunday night, however, and balconies around the country were the most happening place to be. 

Namely, Croatians took to their balconies and windowsills at 8 pm on Sunday evening for thunderous applause and a group rendition of ‘Moja Domovina’ (My Homeland), which lasted about fifteen minutes. In this way, they symbolically thanked all health professionals, the National Civil Protection Headquarters, the police, the military, and all those making sacrifices under challenging times for the benefit of all.

One 11-year-old Ema Music played 'Moja Domovina’ on the piano from her balcony. The young Solin native is in her third year of the Josip Hatze School of Music, reports Dalmatinski Portal.

“When she heard on the news that everyone would pay homage to all those who were tirelessly fighting the coronavirus at 8 pm, she began to learn the song. So, it was just two hours before the performance. She asked us to bring the piano to the balcony. She was very proud that she, at least with her performance, contributed to the fight against the coronavirus. Her heart is like a house in the hope that her video will reach those who need it most,” said proud mom Nives.

A complication of videos from various parts of Dalmatia.

Source: Dalmacija Danas, Dalmatinski Portal

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According to Croatian President, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, she has agreements with several countries which will enable Croatians to go elsewhere for training and then return home and work online. By working online, they will earn eight thousand euros in Croatia.

She also emphasized, during a campaign rally in Osijek, that the December 22nd presidential election is particularly important because we will be choosing a policy that will promote Croatian national and state interests, and the president will be working to resolve critical social problems over the next five years.

Croatians Must Think About Direction of Country

Grabar-Kitarović, Croatian president and HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) candidate, who is running for another presidential term, stressed at the election rally that "we all need to think about where Croatia is heading. We must unite in our love for our homeland, and not focus on quarrels or excuses that nothing can be accomplished just because of a lack of leadership," she added, as reported by Index on December 15, 2019.

She assessed that Croatia is a country full of talented people and that we must work "together to enable our talented people to help Croatia attain her rightful place, which is among the most prosperous and best places to live in the world.”

“We have both resources and people, which is everything we need. All we need is good leadership, and not the kind of leadership which claims that nothing can be done, because that would just be a symbol for inaction. We need to get to work and take pride in our work," Grabar-Kitarović said.

Criticized Croatian Government Inaction

She recalled that, during her tenure, she has been critical of the Croatian government because she "does not want to be a salon politician" and announced that she would "continue to be critical of anyone who is not doing their job, not working for Croatia’s best interests, underestimates Croatia or believes that Croatia is small and insignificant."

"On the other hand, I will always lend a hand to anyone who wants to collaborate, because we can only achieve our goals by working together. Our nation is the source of power in this country. Don’t allow a few people tell you that they are more important than you are," she emphasized.

She continued by saying her parents taught her that goals can only be achieved through hard work, effort and dedication. And she "does not want idle people at the helm of the state because they just become the excuse that leadership is not doing enough."

New Deal: Croatians Can Work Online for 8,000 EUR

She said she would "create new jobs" even though some claimed that she couldn’t.

"I am telling you that we can accomplish this because I already have agreements with several countries, which will enable Croatians can go elsewhere for training and then return to Croatia and work online for another country. By doing this, they can earn eight thousand euros in Croatia. Imagine what that could mean for our young people," she noted. It isn’t clear whether the president was referring to an income of 8,000 EUR a year, which amounts to 4,960 HRK a month, or 8,000 EUR a month which is over 59,500 HRK a month or 96,000 EUR (714,363 HRK) a year. Nor did she disclose a timeline for the implementation of these agreements.

While the Croatian President did not clarify if the 8,000 EUR was monthly or annually, it is hard to decide which would be more ridiculous, given her enthusiastic announcement. Without any concrete details to back up the claim, 8,000 EUR a month is clearly absurd, while the annual figure would place it marginally above the minimum wage, hardly cause for chest-thumping celebration at a political rally. 

"Do not underestimate your vote, every vote is important to me because it is a vote from my country, and I guarantee you that I will continue to be your voice and your president," Grabar-Kitarović added.

The head of her election headquarters, Osijek-Baranja County Mayor Ivan Anusić, emphasized that she is "the only candidate who is a Christian-Democrat and Croatian patriot, and the goal is for Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović to win the election."

Other Candidate Should Have Been in Croatia in 1991

He asserted that the President’s campaign has been subject to attacks by Croatians in the media which are "not objective and realistic" and that the upcoming elections are important because the media have united "in attacking a woman who has more courage than all of them put together."

"Serving in the army in 1991 is not a requirement. And it's not a drawback if other candidates didn’t. But if you enter the race, my dear candidate, and your story is based entirely on the Homeland War, Croatian veterans, religion, love and homeland – then you should have been here in Croatia in 1991. Religion, faith and love mean absolutely nothing to the other candidate. Therefore, he didn’t need to be here, and he does not consider is a sin that he wasn’t.”

Osijek HDZ president Ivan Radić said the competition is full of "bitter, pessimistic and disappointed losers who don’t believe in Croatian knowhow and potential."

He said that SDP candidate Zoran Milanović registered for the election "without a vision, plan or program." Regarding presidential candidate Miroslav Škoro, he claimed that "this isn’t sport for him and that his politics only reflect frustration, hatred and the strange world hiding behind him."

We must send a clear message that our community is stronger than some believe, and we cannot be divided by people who consider this country to be an undesirable experiment, Radić concluded.

Here is a video of the president’s speech. Ivan Radić’s speech begins at 1:00:25, Ivan Anušić’s at 1:12:30, and the event concludes with the President’s speech, which begins at 1:27:50.

Check out our Politics page to follow the upcoming presidential election in Croatia. The first election round takes place this Sunday December 22, 2019.