ZAGREB, 30 May 2022 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Monday offered his best wishes to citizens for Statehood Day underscoring the government's commitment to the protection of national interests and betterment of the lives of all Croatian citizens.

"We are continuing with our dedication to make Croatia an even more organized, advanced, and developed state," the Prime Minister said in his message for Statehood Day.

The government stands firmly with the business sector and Croatian citizens, particularly the most vulnerable, he said, underscoring that the government wanted to prevent social fracture.

The government aims to use European funds to improve the quality of life for citizens and ensure a faster and more sustainable economic development, he said.

With digital transformation and the green and energy transition we wish to make our economy more competitive and prepared for the challenges of the 4th industrial revolution, Plenković underlined.

On the anniversary of the inauguration of the first democratically elected multi-party Sabor, the Prime Minister recalled the boldness of the first Croatian President Franjo Tuđman who, he said, won international recognition for Croatia and enabled the liberation of its occupied areas.

Plenković said the Homeland War was a cornerstone of the Croatian state, adding that Croatia "will always be with its defenders" because of their contribution to the country's independence.

Speaking of Croatian expatriate communities, he said that many of their members had contributed significantly to Croatia's defence and international recognition.

"We will continue to help Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the least numerous of the constituent peoples in BiH, whose equality we resolutely and tirelessly advocate," he underscored.

Plenković also emphasized full support and solidarity with the friendly Ukrainian people whose defenders, he said, are today defending the values and freedom of all of Europe, adding that nobody understands their justified struggle better than Croatians.

"In today's increasingly uncertain international circumstances, it is our duty to preserve the safety of our citizens and we will continue investing in our police and strengthening the overall capabilities of the Croatian army. We have shown that the procurement of the Rafale multipurpose fighter jets will raise Croatia's security to a level it has never been at," said Plenković.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, May 30, 2020 - In 2020, after almost two decades, Croatia again celebrates Statehood Day on May 30, as it had done in the first decade of its existence.

This year Statehood Day is celebrated on the 30th anniversary of the inauguration of the first multi-party parliament on 30 May 1990, when the foundations of the modern Croatian Parliament were laid and its historic role in preserving Croatian statehood was confirmed after decades of the Communist rule.

Until last year, May 30 was observed as the Day of the Croatian Parliament, a memorial day and a working day, while Statehood Day was celebrated on June 25 as a public holiday and nonworking day.

Since 2001, when the SDP-led coalition government changed the public holiday calendar, all governments endeavored to appropriately observe the new dates, however, ordinary citizens never embraced the new holidays in the same way Statehood Day was celebrated on May 30 during the 1990s.

That was one of the arguments for the HDZ majority to reinstate May 30 as Statehood Day when it arranged the new public holiday calendar last year.

The controversy regarding the 'real' date for celebrating Statehood Day will certainly last, however, it is indisputable that a large number of citizens remember 30 May 1990 very fondly, describing it with words such as 'special', 'festive', and 'exciting'.

The assembly hall was too small for all the members of parliament and guests on 30 May thirty years ago. In the first part of the session the Election and Appointment Commission was elected, led by Ivan Milas, at whose proposal the leadership of the first multi-party parliament was elected. Zarko Domjan was elected the first parliament speaker.

Stipe Mesic was elected the head of the Executive Committee of the Croatian Parliament, and Franjo Tudjman was elected Chairman of the Socialist Republic of Croatia's Presidency. On that occasion, he gave a speech, emphasising that throughout its long history, "the Croatian state parliament was the guardian of the sovereignty (with the exception of the period from 1918 to 1941) of the Croatian people in relation to other national and state unions."

Tudjman said that he had had no doubt that the Croatian people would show their maturity at the first democratic election, "in which the parliament originated", expressing his conviction that "under the guidance of their true leadership, the people will know and be able to build a life worthy of free people in their only, long-suffering and holy homeland".

The first Croatian parliament assembly had 351 members of parliament and was tricameral. The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) had the majority of seats, 207, the League of the Communists of Croatia - the Party for Democratic Changes had 107, the Coalition of People's Accord had 21, and the Serb Democratic Party had five, while 13 seats were won by independent members and members representing ethnic minorities.

The 1990's tricameral parliament operated for around two years, and in August 1992, a parliamentary election was held for the new unicameral Croatian Parliament with a significantly smaller number of members - 138.

Regardless of the shortness of its term, and considering the fact that it served a part of it in circumstances of war, the first Croatian Parliament adopted historic decisions on Croatia's sovereignty and independence, the decision on severing state and legal ties with the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), and it also passed the "Christmas Constitution".

On Saturday June 25, in honor of the National Day of the Republic of Croatia, Skradin will be hosting a concert with urban music Skradin, Klapa Skradinke, and musicians Vrbovsko.