January 12, 2021 - Croatian-American NFL Coach Bill Belichick is in the spotlight for declining the Presidental Medal of Freedom from Donald Trump. 

Arguably one of the most famous Croatian-Americans, Bill Belichick, the six-time Super Bowl winner with the New England Patriots and a known Trump supporter and friend, has refused to accept the Presidental Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump in the aftermath of the Capitol Riots. 

Belichick, who was delighted by the honor, named the 'tragic events of last week' as the reason he could not accept the award, and said he holds the 'nation's values, freedom and democracy' above all, reports CNN.

"Recently, I was offered the opportunity to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which I was flattered by out of respect for what the honor represents and admiration for prior recipients. Subsequently, the tragic events of last week occurred and the decision has been made not to move forward with the award. Above all, I am an American citizen with great reverence for our nation's values, freedom and democracy," Belichick said in a statement.

"I also represent my family and the New England Patriots team. One of the most rewarding things in my professional career took place in 2020 when, through the great leadership within our team, conversations about social justice, equality and human rights moved to the forefront and became actions. Continuing those efforts while remaining true to the people, team and country I love outweigh the benefits of any individual award," Belichick concluded.

Considered one of the greatest coaches in NFL history, Belichick has never been shy about speaking of his Croatian heritage. His grandfather, Ivan Biličić, and grandmother, Marija Barković, emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1897 from Draganić.

In the HRT documentary series "Opstanak" back in January 2020, Belichick recalled Croatian being spoken in his grandparents' house and between his father and mother, who quickly picked it up. 

He also said the family had visited Zagreb, and, of course, Draganić, 'to see and feel where we come from, where our roots are.' Belichick even revealed that his son Stephen has a Croatian tattoo on his arm.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Lucija Spiljak writes on the 11th of November, 2020, the eyes of the entire whole world have been on the United States over recent days, where the US presidential election was being held, with the American public being asked to choose between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, which eventually, although still unofficially, ended in Biden's victory. One Croatian campaign has used Trump's situation to their advantage, and it has paid off.

The final course of the election was accompanied by a new, witty Croatian campaign by the online employment platform Adorio and the Spellcaster creative agency, with the image of President Trump leaving the White House with a box of his private belongings with the message "Got Fired?". On that occasion, Poslovni spoke with the founders of the Adorio.hr platform, brothers Danijel and Josip Burazer. The feedback they received after this unusual Croatian campaign, they say, has so far been very positive, and the number of visitors to their platform tripled on the first day alone.

An innovative and well-timed Croatian campaign

''We were looking for an innovative campaign that portrayed our platform well. The goal was to create a modern recruitment platform, so we developed an advanced search engine that searches for job advertisements on the Internet. Ads on the platform are free, the goal is to have the largest number of ads in Croatia and provide users with a platform where they can find all the ads in one place. We also offer information about employers, average salaries, as well as an occupation guide in which employees of individual companies present their occupation in five questions through a video interview. Such an guide serves young people as educational content that can help them develop their business careers,'' explain Danijel and Josip, whose wish was for their platform, which they started two years ago, to become the leading one for employment in all of Croatia. Therefore, they gradually began to develop a new concept for job searching that could separate them from other portals.

"We believe that with such an approach, we'll have the largest number of ads and thus the largest number of users, which has doubled in the last year and now we have more than 200,000 a month," reveal Danijel and Josip.

New search engine

For employers, they've developed a new candidate search engine that searches candidates on business social networks with comprehensive labour market analysis. "So far, we've only presented new products to selected employers. We asked them for their feedback in order to find out what else we needed to improve. Now we're done with the platform and that's why we started with this strong Croatian campaign and sales,'' explain the brothers, whose goal is to raise people's awareness of the portal, attract new partners, have as many job ads as possible and move from market challenger to leader.

''We're also developing an occupation guide because we want to offer visitors extra content and useful information when they're searching for jobs. The idea is to organise more than 200 video interviews,'' explain the brothers. According to data from the platform, the demand for labour is still more than 20 percent lower than it was last year.

"We're entering November and December when the demand for labour even in normal times decreases by 25 percent in November and 45 percent in December, so we'll probably not be able to make a good conclusion about the recovery of the labour market towards the end of the year. We shouldn't be afraid if the demand for labour drops significantly during December now, because this was the rule even before the coronavirus crisis struck. For better estimates of the labour market, we'll need to wait until the second week of January, which will be a key indicator of recovery,'' they state, adding that the number of unemployed people according to the CES is now around 154,000, and according to Adorio, they don't expect that figure to exceed 160,000 if job preservation measures continue to be used.

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ZAGREB, March 12 (Hina) - Croatia has been exempted from the decision by US President Donald Trump on introducing a ban on most travel from Europe due to not being a Schengen Area member state.

The ban takes effect on Friday at midnight, it will last for 30 days and will affect the 26 countries of the passport-free Schengen Area in Europe.

In those states there have been most confirmed cases of the coronavirus infection outside mainland China.

By March 11 there were 17,442 cases of infection and 711 cases of death, and the diseases was exported to 53 states.

The free movement of people among member states of the Schengen area impedes efforts to curb the spread of the virus, Trump said in the decision posted on the White House's website.

Among those countries there is no border control, which makes it easier for the COVID-19 to spread. Croatia, which is not a member of the area, so far has 19 positive cases and no victims of that infectious disease.

It is recommended that Americans planning travel to Croatia should not go if they are ill, should wash their hands more often and should take additional effort to monitor their health 14 days after returning to the US, the instructions by the White House state.

America's well-being always comes first, Trump said in a address from the Oval Office.

In addition to Croatia, countries exempted from Trump's ban are the UK, Ireland, Bulgaria and Romania.

The ban concerns anyone who has been to the Schengen Area 14 days before planning to enter the US.

American citizens, as well as holders of some visas and people with family ties to American citizens or to those permanently resident in the US, are exempt from the ban.

Trump made the decision after the US had begun to feel negative effects of the pandemic, ranging from disruptions in the financial market to sport events being cancelled and schools being closed.

On Wednesday the number of deaths from the coronavirus in the USA reached 37, 29 of which were in the US state of Washington in the Northwest of the US, while the number of cases of the infection exceeded 1,300, data by John Hopkins University show.

More coronavirus news can be found in the Lifestyle section

“I was with Trump the night he decided to attack Iran,” gushes Croatian American tycoon Vladimir Kraljević, who was at an exclusive New Year’s Eve party with the US president, the night he made that fateful decision. It felt tenser than usual that night. He came to the party late and was among the first to leave. But he still said to me, "Love you man."

It all started abruptly and took place in 30 seconds. Trump got up from the table and headed for the exit. Frowning, he crossed the hall, then noticed a man he knew among the crowd. Vladimir Kraljević waved at him immediately, and Trump in a rare rush of goodwill that evening, smiled and pointed his thumbs up. It was a sign that Kraljević could approach him, as he excitedly recounted his in-person encounter with the US President.

Trump's Ardent Supporter Gets to Shake His Hand

“A firm handshake, two or three sentences and a photo opportunity, that's how it always goes with Trump,” Kraljević tells me. I am your ardent supporter, and a loyal American from Europe; was the first thing he said to the president and put out his hand.

"Love you, love you man," Trump replied as Kraljević's wife breathlessly pulled out her cellphone and took pictures of them together, according to Tomislav Novak/Jutarnji List on January 12, 2020.

Trump patted Kraljević on the shoulder and then, with Melania dressed in a spectacular Givenchy dress, retired for the evening. It was just past midnight, at the luxurious Mar-a-Lago resort, and the world had just sailed into 2020. At Trump's traditional New Year's party of 740 people, Vladimir Kraljević and his wife Marija were the only Croatians and among only a few from Europe who attended.

Kraljević Witnesses History in the Making

So, by chance, Kraljević witnessed a crucial moment in history, because Trump made a risky decision at his resort that day: to execute Iranian General Kasem Suleimani and put him in danger of a serious conflict with Iran.

“It felt like Trump was a little more tense than usual that night," Kraljević remembers. The US president is among the first to arrive at his New Year's party, giving speeches, a toast, and sometimes leading the countdown to midnight while the entire ballroom watches the ball roll down Times Square in New York.

“This time he was among the last to arrive. He briefly addressed the press at the entrance, and immediately after midnight he was among the first to leave. He didn't hold a toast,” describes a disappointed Kraljević ten days later at the Esplanada Hotel, a sort of Kraljević pop up office, where he often holds court and receives reporters as a Miss Universe Croatia license holder.

Tuđman Ordered Kraljević to Obtain Miss Universe License

That license is also the most important link between him and Trump. The US president was one of New York's leading businessmen when he bought the stumbling enterprise from ITT in 1996, and along with NBC, turned it into an event that is watched by more than one billion people. And Kraljević, who was living in New York at the time, was contacted by President Franjo Tudjman himself regarding the license Trump owned.

“I remember as if it were yesterday, it was three o'clock in the morning when the phone rang in my apartment. I heard a voice on the other end when I answered, but didn't immediately recognize that it was Tudjman, Kraljević recounts.

“Kraljević, by God, so everyone, including Serbia, is licensed for Miss Universe. Bring that opportunity to us in Zagreb, it will be a great promotion of the country,” the late Croatian President proclaimed to him.

After meeting Tuđman in Zagreb, Kraljević reached out to Trump through his acquaintances and settled the license and gained a rather powerful acquaintance at the same time. A member of the Republican Party member since the 1970s, he has managed to get a coveted seat at Trump’s exclusive New Year's Eve celebration.

Membership Fee for Trump’s Mar-a-Lago $200,000

This is a very exclusive event for Mar-a-Lago club members and Trump's closest friends. And the cost of joining the club is about 200,000 USD (180,000 EUR) upfront, plus an annual fee of 14,000 USD (12,500 EUR). The price tag of a chair at the New Year's Eve party was 560 USD (504 EUR) three years ago, according to foreign media, but that has risen to a thousand USD (900 EUR).

“Once they approved me for a table with eight seats, preparations began for the trip, which lasted four months in total. I needed to find people to come with me and my wife, Marija, and hand over my passport for a background check,” he tells me.

Regarding the background check, Kraljević assumes that the CIA plays a role. In the end, besides Marija, they were joined by Michael Pfaller, one of the sponsors of Miss Universe Croatia and entrepreneur from Graz; New York entrepreneur Charles Paris, and Stephen Fanuka, an interior designer for the rich and famous whose father is a Croat from Ugljan.

People Arrive at Mar-a-Lago by Limo or Private Plane Only

They arrived from Paris three days early, and the Kraljevićs stayed at their summer residence in Pompano Beach. Then they headed to the Mar-a-Lago resort in a rented limo the afternoon of the party. Or as Kraljević points out, it’s a place where taxi drivers refuse to drive. People only fly to Mar-a-Lago in private jets or arrive in limousines.

“We waited half an hour in the limo. During this time, the Secret Service checked our information and the limo itself, from the undercarriage to the engine. The level of security was intense but very professional and friendly. The day before, we had to send over the limo driver’s personal information even though he had to leave us at the entrance. Once they checked everything, we were allowed inside, through the first, second and third entrance,” says Kraljević.

Despite all these checks, everything went without a hitch, so right before 7pm, they finally found themselves in line for the red carpet draped across a perfectly landscaped lawn, where they arrived at a welcome cocktail set up by the outdoor pool. Each guest was personally greeted by managing director, Bernd Lembcke, who was very hospitable.

“During the welcome cocktail, we chatted with other guests. Some of them were curious about how we had arrived, specifically on what kind of private jet. They were confused when we told them Lufthansa,” he laughs.

“And the ensuing dinner is between nine in the evening and half past one in the morning,” Kraljević says, while eagerly showing off the menu. Trump appeared later at the beginning of dinner and gave a brief speech to reporters.

Trump Rule: Must Give Thumbs Up Before Photo Opportunity

Everyone who has ever been to his New Year's Eve knows the one key rule. Trump will shake hands with everyone, but he can only be approached for a photo shoot if he gives a thumbs up.

“Simply, 740 guests are too many people to talk to. For the same reason, he did not approach Trump at the table where he sat with his family, because otherwise he would spend the entire evening welcoming guests,” explains Kraljević.

Kraljević's life path is already well-known, as a young immigrant to America in the 1970s he worked as a maître d' at many famous New York restaurants of that era, such as the Russian Tea Room, a cult Art Deco hangout located between Carnegie Hall and the Metropolitan Tower, and Central Park’s Tavern on the Green.

His boss was the legendary Warner LeRoy, both the son of Mervyn LeRoy and grandson of Harry Warner, one of the founders of Warner Bros. Kraljević, who served many celebrities there such like John Wayne, Harry Belafonte, Frank Sinatra and others, first met Donald's father Fred, who gave him some essential advice.

Kraljević Confused by Trump Senior’s Advice for Success

“I was young, crazy and eager for success. ‘Happy go lucky’ is a term that describes it well (laughs). I approached Fred and asked him directly: ‘I want to be successful and rich like you, what do I do?’ Fred Trump paused, looked into the distance and answered.

"Do something nice for the people around you," he told him. Kraljević didn’t understand him at first.

“It took me years to conclude that this was the best piece of advice he could have given me,” he reveals.

Fred occasionally came to the restaurant for lunch with Donald, so Kraljević met him too, and the rest is history. He recalls traveling Europe with Marija during the presidential election and lobbying American citizens who live here to vote for Trump.

"There are three million Americans living in Europe, but you won't find a more ardent Trump supporter than I am," he claims.

Kraljević Does Not Need to Boast About Trump Friendship

“I do not want to be misunderstood; we would not meet for coffee. We are not that close, and I have no need to brag about our acquaintance. We have met twenty times over the years, always briefly, but I can say that he is my idol and I believe that he is an honest man, and not racist at all. People often say negative things about Trump, the media doesn't like him, and much is written about him.

“However, as someone who knows him, I can only praise him. In three years, he has done more for America than all the previous presidents put together: unemployment has never been lower, and the stock market has broken all records. He abolished many unnecessary taxes and has relieved Americans of their tax burdens. He is doing everything to improve the life of an average American,” says Kraljević.

Trump was always a five-sentence man, he says. He is always interested in whether we are going get something done and makes his decisions quickly because he has no time to waste.

“After Trump left, we stayed for another hour and headed home. People were dancing and having a great time. There was an unprecedented crowd on the podium and we soon realized that getting home was even harder than getting into the party. The roads were jammed, and it took us a long time to arrive home. I feel lucky, of course, because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Kraljević gushes.

No Celebrities Present at Trump’s 2020 New Year’s Party

Trump's New Year's party has traditionally featured superstars like Sylvester Stallone, Woody Allen, Rod Stewart, Serena Williams and Martha Stewart, but Kraljević says he didn’t notice any prominent celebrities this year.

"I think there were more gems and furs in that room at that moment than anywhere else in the world," he says excitedly.

Trump's critics, however, are telling Kraljević that a US president should not holding private dinners on New Year's Eve, from which he makes an income. He ignores the naysayers. Mar-a-Lago's revenue is about 27 million USD (24.3 million EUR) a year. Impressive.

"This will be a very good year again," Trump said at one point that night. If you ask Kraljević, he would surely agree. 

Follow our Politics page and Lifestyle page to keep updated on Croatian tycoons, celebrities and US presidents. 

Melania Trump is the inspiration for Croatian singer Miki Solus' new single “Melanija”. Everything will be fine as long as the CIA and the FBI don’t come knocking on his door! “Melania has completely lost touch and has not been in Slovenia for ten years. She's alienated herself."

In the Balkans, Melania could be an inspiration for how just how far you can go with “a little bit of English,” but Solus urges her to go even further and reconnect with her homeland. He also believes she could use her considerable influence for a greater good.

“I find it interesting that Melania has completely lost contact with her Slovenian homeland and the entire Balkan region. She has reportedly not been in Slovenia for ten years, let alone to her birthplace. She's alienated herself, and I want to remind her, through my song, to think about her roots a little! Who she is and where she comes from...and to influence her husband a little since she is in such a powerful position to do something good for this world,” Croatian singer Miki Solus reveals to Barbara Marinović/100posto on November 13, 2019; and introduces his new hit single: “Melanija”.

The song is dedicated to the first lady of the United States, Trump's wife and “Slovenian Rose” - as the Croatian singer teasingly calls her in his new single. This performance by Miki Solus could also get him into lots of trouble! When asked if he's afraid of The Donald's retaliation – because this song is not flattering to Trump at all; he replies, "Reprisals? What do I know? I don’t know. I’m a little scared, I'm thinking, Uh-oh, what if someone deletes my YouTube video in ten days, what if the CIA or the FBI come to my door, but I hope there won’t be any retaliation.” If the FBI knocks on the door of his Zagreb apartment - Solus will surrender to the mighty powers! What else can he do? “I would be powerless in that situation. I could fight and sue against this or that, but against the FBI or the US...I don’t stand a chance, the song will be gone and maybe I will be too…I'll disappear, yeah.” Miki jokes.

Making a Decent Living After Years of Work and Patience

He has been patiently working on his career for a long time and has just recently begun to make a decent living. “I've been doing this for seven or eight years since I released my first album. But it became serious about two or three years ago.”

“Everything started when I began working in theater and writing for others. It’s easier for me to write for others. As much as I try to do everything I do in a unique way, I cannot be as free when I work for someone else. Nevertheless, we can still deal with some more universal topics. Writing for others is a departure from myself, where my first goal is to be as innovative as I can. I try to express myself in a quality way but in a more standard pop form.”

Professor of Croatian Language and Art History

If he weren’t writing songs, he would be teaching. Soon Solus will obtain his degree as “Professor of Croatian Language and Art History” and he has already completed his teaching fellowship. “If I didn't have this (career in music), I would be teaching in school. I have already finished my fellowship and it was great. I would definitely like to work as a teacher for at least a couple of years, purely to get that experience because it’s a great job for someone who loves it.” When it comes to music, this unusual professor loves to study and is self-taught. He is learning to play various instruments himself. “I am learning to play the trumpet, and am nearly finished with that, and will begin studying violin next year. I never attended music school and am self-taught. I started near the end of high school, found some old guitar and began learning. In the age of the Internet one can really learn a lot. It's simple with instruments, at least in my opinion. When you learn to play one instrument, the next one comes easier...The principle is the same, one must simply master the physical aspects, but the whole philosophy is the same. It seems to come easy for me.”

Born in Germany and Built a Career in Croatia

He was born in Germany and came to Croatia when he was only three years old. “I lived in Germany for the first three years of my life and then my parents moved back here. I would not go back, I know how to write good songs, and I do my best in Croatian, so I'm fine with living here. As long as I can make my music and have an audience - I'll be fine”. He is aware that it would be easier to build his career in a larger country and sing in English, but he loves everything that he experiences in his home country. “There is a smaller audience for alternative music in this region. When considering concerts throughout the Balkans, there are two or three cities that are serious about this genre. There would be more of an audience elsewhere but also more competition. Working in the Croatian language is an advantage because we work among a small number of artists, relatively small, and it’s easier for me with a smaller crowd.” Solus reveals.

As one of the more talented young people in the alternative scene, this Zagreb-based musician will admit privately that he is rather boring and ordinary. “I walk the dog, watch football, go out with my girlfriend, and hang out with my friends. I enjoy walking my dog three times a day and love nature. I also like to go to the zoo and to Sljeme. It's a great break from making music, which requires a certain level of concentration, especially when working on a computer. Therefore, nature and animals are my best break from everything.”

He doesn’t have any specific ambitions except for continuing to make singles and albums. “’Melanija’ is coming out, and then I plan to drop two, three or four more singles by summer. The new album is planned for release before summer, and then I’ll quickly begin working on songs for the next album,” Solus says. Of course, unless everything is thwarted by Trump and his nefarious administration!

For more entertainment news follow our lifestyle page.

Check out Miki Solus' website here. Find him on Facebook here and on Instagram here.

Miki Solus / Melanija
Music / Lyrics: Miki Solus
Arrangement: Miki Solus / Silvio Pasarić

Melania, who did you marry for?
Melania, don’t you know your husband is a fool?
Melania, instead of a young husband
you married a rich old snail.

Melania, this is a cry from the Balkans
Melania, come back to us someday
Melania, you can stop the war
save this world, f*** the marriage.

Because you are a Slovenian Rose, and he is a maniac
let’s find you a husband who is not a psychopath
or ugly, because you are a delicate flower
Melania, save the world.

Melania, who made you do this?
Melania, how did you fall in love with that b******?
Melania, I know that you see a saint in him
but your husband is a walking bag of trash.

Melania, this is a cry from the Balkans
Melania, come back to us someday
Melania, you can stop the war
save this world, f*** the marriage.

Because you are a Slovenian Rose, and he is a maniac
let's find you a husband who is not a psychopath
or ugly, because you are a delicate flower
Melania, save the world.

Slovenian Rose, save the world!
Slovenian Rose, save the world!

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, four years after her father came to the United States, moving from Breza in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In their new American home, they always spoke Croatian and regularly attended masses in the Croatian church in Arcadia, California.

Mira devoted her career to international relations and politics. She graduated from Georgetown University in the field of international relations, and several years later she received her doctorate from the Tufts University. Shortly thereafter, she met his first husband, Robert Baratta. With him she gained the initial political experience and soon defined her political position as a "Reagan Republican", relying on the policies of the Republican president from the 1980s.

In 1986, she was hired by the State Department where she helped managed relations with the US Congress. Three years later, in 1989, she started working with Senator Bob Dole as his legal advisor. After the outbreak of the war on the territory of the former Yugoslavia, she significantly influenced Sen. Bob Dole, enabling him to have a full and real insight into the situation on the ground. Precisely because of this, Serbia accused her at the time for influencing Senator Dole to conduct "anti-Serbian polities".

She supported Bob Dole in the presidential election in 1996 which he lost to Bill Clinton. She moved to New York and worked for Freedom House for the next few years.

With the return of the Republicans to the White House, Mira Baratta returned to politics, becoming the assistant secretary of defence for international security. At that time, her marriage with Baratta fell apart and she soon married the well-known photographer Vincent Ricardel.

With the departure of George Bush from the White House, Mira Ricardel decided to try her luck in business. She soon became the vice president of Teachscape, and in 2006 she became vice president of Boeing, where she would stay for the next ten years.

After Donald Trump became president, she was first appointed to a position in the Commerce Department, and in April this year, she became the Deputy National Security Adviser.

For more on Croatia’s relations with the United States, click here.

ZAGREB, September 24, 2018 - Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, who on Sunday met with the Croatian expat community in New York, said that she had a good relationship with her U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, and informed them that the U.S. President advocated the conclusion of a U.S.A.-Croatia agreement on double tax avoidance.

ZAGREB, September 17, 2018 - US President Donald Trump has sent a message to participants in a summit of the Three Seas Initiative taking place in Bucharest, Romania, confirming his country's strong support for the development of energy, transport and digital infrastructure in the area between the Adriatic, Baltic and Black Seas, the US Embassy in Bucharest stated on Monday.

Alan Sugar is the host of the British version of “The Apprentice”.

ZAGREB, June 24, 2018 - On the occasion of Croatia's Statehood Day, observed on June 25, President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović has received congratulations to all Croatian citizens from numerous statesmen, including Pope Francis, US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of several European states, her office said on Sunday.