His hobby attracted great interest, so he created a community to promote the Croatian capital. Ivan Brnčić was born in Zagreb, grew up there, obtained his education and found love. Out of gratitude and love for the city, he assumed leadership of the Facebook group 'Zakaj volim Zagreb' (Why I Love Zagreb) and created a positive community which loyally promotes our metropolis.

Posts and Photos Reveal Zagreb Daily Delights

In addition to photos of Zagreb's main attractions, the group contains posts which reveal the daily delights of life in the capital, according to Nova Studio/Dnevnik on December 19, 2019. In addition to the photos that make up most of the posts, the page contains videos, lyrics and songs dedicated to Zagreb.

''The group 'Zakaj volim Zagreb' brought together lovers of Zagreb. The group was founded with the aim of promoting the positive values ​​of the city: its culture, history and tradition and everything that encompasses Zagreb - now, today and in the future,'' explains group administrator Ivan Brnčić.

Ivan Brnčić | Dnevnik

Everyone Welcome to Join Facebook Group

People from all over the world are welcome to join the group. In addition to those who fell in love with Zagreb during their short stay for school or work, there are also expatriates in the group who are follow developments in the city. Therefore, the community has an emotional significance for many followers and provides a window into a world that was their home at some point in their lives.

''People recognize our group as a positive place and see something of value in it. Our community brings together people who are total amateurs in photography, but there are professionals too. People who started as amateurs are holding exhibitions now and have grown into better photographers. That is how our community works; to teach people. As they do something, they can learn to do it even better and become more comfortable with themselves,'' Ivan explains.

The 'Zakaj volim Zagreb' community recently celebrated its tenth anniversary. And this was just another opportunity for the group members to gather in the same place at the same time.

Real Life Gatherings and Successful Photography Exhibitions

''I try not only to facilitate a community on the internet, but to socialize in real life as well. We have organized various anniversaries for the birthdays and deaths of our celebrities such as Marija Jurić Zagorka, ban Josip Jelačić, Miroslav Krleža,'' Ivan reveals.

Therefore, for the anniversary of Zagorka's birth, they gathered on one occasion to pay tribute to our greatest journalist despite the pouring rain.

But Ivan is most proud of the group's participation in exhibitions. ''One of our biggest exhibitions takes place at the Zagreb City Museum and was attended by many members. It lasted three months and there were plenty of visitors. The members work was well-received, which could be seen in the comments which visitors left in the book of impressions. That's one of the reasons I love Zagreb and this group. You can see the enthusiasm of all the members because they were part of something so positive for the city. And that’s something that is recognized not only the city but Croatia and the whole world,'' Ivan concluded.

Follow our Travel page and Lifestyle page to learn more about life in Zagreb and the city’s many attractions.

The Croatia takeover of the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union has not impacted the real estate rental market in Zagreb the way many had expected, at least in terms of renting out high-priced attractive apartments in the center of the city and nearby areas.

Very High Zagreb Expectations Have Fizzled

As reported by ZagrebInfo on December 2, 2019; several Zagreb landlords had evicted their long-term tenants to cash in on higher Western EU monthly rental prices, leaving their stunned evicted tenants to scramble for alternative housing. Unfortunately, that much-hyped cash cow has failed to produce any real milk.

Realtors and Zagreb Landlords Surprised by Lack of Interest

 “Expectations were very high, and many Zagreb residents have been calling us off the hook. They’ve eagerly left their information and addresses, and emphasized that they would move out of their apartments in top city locations immediately if they could rent them out for a half year, but there hasn’t been any interest. Seduced by the thought of a possible apartment shortage in Zagreb during the EU presidency, some owners even preemptively raised their rental prices,” observed Lana Mihaljinec Knežević, owner of Zagreb West Agency.

Boro Vujović, Director of the Opereta agency confirmed similar observations.

“The owners long-term apartment rental properties had big expectations, but nothing significant has happened. We have only rented two apartments for this purpose (EU government officials),” Vujović revealed to Korana Sutlić/Novac/Jutarnji List on January 12, 2020.

Zagreb West Agency

Croatia EU Administration Run Locally: Guests Not Long-Term

Lana Mihaljinec Knežević explained that the administration associated with the rotating presidency is run from Croatia with domestic resources. The guests who arrive from other EU states are not permanent guests, but occasionally show up to attend various meetings, summits and similar events.

Several apartments were reserved in the center of the city for these occasions, but nothing significant has happened for quite a while. These rentals (for EU government officials) can be counted on just one hand.

“For the time being, we just haven’t seen any interest in this area. We certainly expected interest, but nothing has happened. And we do not see an increase in the number of reservations compared with last year,” said Igor Kordić, co-founder of Irundo, a leading short-term rental company in Croatia. They handle several apartment rental properties in the center of Zagreb.

Hilton Double Tree Gets Fifth Star for EU Arrivals

Five Star Hotels in Big Demand: One Hotel Gets Fifth Star

Shortly before the beginning of the EU presidency, several ministries sought five-star hotels in Zagreb for short-term guest accommodations. For this reason, some hotels recently underwent upgrades, like the Hilton Double Tree Hotel, which became a five-star hotel.

HUP Zagreb indicated that highest category hotels, including The Westin Zagreb and Sheraton Zagreb, have generated the most interest during Croatia’s EU presidency. They are both reporting a high occupancy rate during the this 6-month period, as are their other high category hotels: Panorama Zagreb and International.

“Our hotels have a highly capable team of professionals who have hosted numerous international conferences and summits for many years, and our hotels, restaurants and conference halls are prepared for these upcoming events. Regarding our presentation of Croatia’s gastronomic options, we will be preparing special menus for the EU delegates to showcase our diverse selection of cuisine,” says Sara Valentić of the Marketing Department from the Croatian Consulate General in Zagreb.

Four Star Downtown Hotels Seeing Very Little Traffic

However, not all high-category hotels in Zagreb are in the same situation.

“We have not yet encountered any interested guests associated with the EU Council Presidency. It’s possible that one of them could occasionally stay with us for a short time, but we are not seeing that right now,” said Tomislav Kuliš , Director of the Palace Hotel, a four-star hotel located on Zrinjevac Park, right in the heart of the Croatian metropolis.

Follow our Travel page to keep updated on real and anticipated tourism opportunities in Croatia.

January 12, 2020 -Everyone is invited to the 4th Adria Business Network, organized by entrepreneurs Željka Barišić and Kristina Krstinić, which will be held on February 5,2020, at 6 pm at the FORUM Zagreb Convention Center, Radnička cesta 50.

Guest speaker Dace Ulste will lead the first part of the event. Ulste is known for bringing together and helping Croatian entrepreneurs effectively reach new clients and business opportunities through mutual personal recommendations using a BNI structured and focused business networking system. BNI, the world's largest and most successful business networking network, which currently has 250,000 actively involved businesses from 80 countries, came to Croatia six years ago.

Through BNI’s activities, Croatian entrepreneurs, through personal mutual recommendations, have concluded transactions worth over EUR 8 million, without any commissions. The result shows that Dace Ulste is an expert in business networking, and her specialty is referral marketing, which gives entrepreneurs the tools to grow their business and work smarter, not harder. More information on business networking in Croatia can be found at www.bni-zagrebeast.com or globally at www.bni.com

The second part of the event features one-minute pitches, or personal presentations, of all participants present. 

Finally, in an informal gathering with quality wines from the sponsors, all participants will have the opportunity to exchange experiences with the guest lecturer and other attendees.

Seating is limited and you can secure your spot on time by signing up at https://www.entrio.hr/event/turning-contacts-into-contracts-7374

The Adria Business Network event takes place every month and lasts an average of 2 hours. You can find out more about the event here. 

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

As we recently reported, works on the Zagreb roundabout are now finally drawing to a close. After a long 385 days of the roundabout being intensively worked on, causing issues with traffic at one of the Croatian capital's main hubs, the road is now ready to take cars.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 9th of January, 2020, the whole project has been under construction for a gruelling 385 days in total, and after the news came that everything was finally completed, more good news comes about how traffic will run along the new Zagreb (Remetinec) roundabout.

''We're currently installing traffic lights and traffic signs and finishing off the final details. In addition, the Road Transport Commission must review everything and only then will we be able to put the Zagreb roundabout into circulation for all types of road traffic,'' said project manager Goran Radić in conversation with journalists from 24sata.

After 385 days and with a massive construction price of 331.6 million kuna, of which 273 million kuna was co-financed by European Union funds and 48 million kuna from Croatia's state budget, the completion of the Zagreb roundabout equals a bold ''tick'' next to one of the country's most demanding and significant strategic projects.

''We built the east-west tunnels at 280 metres in length. Drivers from the direction of Lučko and Novi Zagreb don't have to enter the Zagreb roundabout at all, but they can pass under it. The roadways on the north side of the roundabout, Adriatic Bridge (Jadranski most) - Adriatic Avenue (Jadranska avenija) and Dubrovnik Avenue (Avenija Dubrovnik) - Adriatic Bridge (Jadranski most), have been extended by one lane and now have four lanes, of which two lanes enter the Zagreb roundabout and two lanes act as right turners which don't enter it,'' explained Radić.

''Projections show that 40 percent of the traffic will go through tunnels, and it will be more than 30 percent less crowded on the new Zagreb roundabout,'' he concluded.

Watch the video below:

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for more.

January 9, 2020 - Former Croatian presidential candidate Dario Jurican, aka Milan Bandic, takes his campaign against corruption in Zagreb to the next level - a press release. 

The recent Croatian Presidential election had a little more colour than the usual two-horse race between SDP and HDZ than the contest traditionally entails. In terms of votes, the biggest change was the challenge from the right from Miroslav Skoro, who captured many of the traditional HDZ votes in the first round, and he came within about 2% of beating incumbent President and HDZ candidate, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic. 

But in terms of colour, there was one candidate who stood head and shoulders above the rest, one who had many people rooting for his cause, and one whose message talked openly and aggressively about one of the great scourges of Croatian society - corruption. 

(Whatever they offered you, I will offer you double - one of the campaign slogans of the Corruption for All campaign).

I will confess that I had never heard of Dario Jurican before the campaign started, but that was definitely a result of my ignorance. I had assumed that he was just some kind of comedian looking for some cheap laughs during the campaign. The target of his campaign was Zagreb Mayor, Milan Bandic, and Jurican even went as far as officially changing his name to Milan Bandic as part of his campaign, which you can follow on his Facebook page I Want to Be Milan Bandic, President of Croatia. 

But while there were plenty of elements of comedy in his brilliant campaign and accomplished performance in his many media appearances, Jurican, I learned, was an accomplished filmmaker and producer, and was indeed the man behind the groundbreaking Gazda documentary, which took a deeper look at the murky world of Agrokor (see trailer above).

I total, Dario Jurican aka Milan Bandic took 87,000 votes, or 5% of the electorate, faring better in Zagreb, where his tally of 8.67% or 33,145 votes accounted for almost half that of President Kolinda in the capital city. He took much joy in winning the diaspora vote in Romania, and also claiming Indonesia, where he was tied with two other candidates, but came first alphabetically.

Rather than finishing his campaign with the election, it seems to be only just starting, as Dario Jurican, in association with the Croatian Center for Investigative Journalism and Freedom of the Press, have outlined their next move in a press release, which you can read below in full. He is a brave guy, and the least we can do is offer him a platform.

PRESS RELEASE 

Zagreb, January 9th, 2020. – Croatian Center for Investigative Journalism and Freedom of the Press (HRCIN) and Dario Juričan alias Milan Bandić, the film director and a presidential candidate at the recent presidential elections in Croatia, continues conducting actions against the 6th term mayor of City of Zagreb, also Milan Bandić. As Dario Juričan often said, Milan Bandić the mayor of Zagreb is his only political adversary.   

The struggle continues 

Yesterday, in front of the building of the main utility company Zagreb Holding (ZGH), Dario Juričan alias Milan Bandić continues to capitalize on impressive presidential election results recently held in the Republic of Croatia.  Dario started his campaign in early spring 2019. by changing his own name from Dario Juričan to Milan Bandić. Soon after the official procedure for changing personal name was finalized and Dario legally changed his name to Milan Bandić and received his new ID card, the local and national public bodies, under the instructions of the mayor Milan Bandić, unlawfully revoked the personal name change. The Administrative court in Zagreb, in an urgent procedure, ruled all actions undertaken by local and national bodies as illegal. Moreover, the Court clearly outlined that the human rights of Dario Juričan were badly violated by the official institutions. In its ruling from November 2019. the Court instructed all institutions to annul those illegal actions and allow execute the legal name change. To this day, this has not been executed so Dario and his legal team continue legal actions to reobtain the name. „The entire legal system has been misused by the Mayor and it seems that his power, even though diminished is still stronger than the Rule of Law“ says Juričan. 

The main campaign slogan during Juričan’s presidential campaign was „I want to be Milan Bandić, the President of Croatia“ and „Corruption to all, not only them“. Juričan won 87.883 votes, which was close to 5% of the total number of voters at the national level. More importantly, in the city of Zagreb Juričan finished 4th, winning almost 9% of the votes cast in Zagreb. As political elites in Croatia are accustomed to post election trade, Juričan and his team are continuing “corruption for all” campaign by demanding Zagreb Holding as their political „prey“.

Today Dario and his team erected tents in front of the main utility company Zagreb Holding, well known as the place for political employment of many mayor’s „partners and friends“. Event is inspired by a group of war veterans who, several years ago dissatisfied by the left wing government (led by social democrat SDP) and with the support of the center right party (christian democrat HDZ), protested by illegally erecting a big tent in front of the Ministry of Veterans’ Affairs for over 500 days. 

Many political analysts defined the tent as one of the main reasons SDP lost the parliamentary elections in 2016. The tent was taken down as soon as HDZ won the elections. Dario is now using the same model to get „his share“ after the presidential elections. 

The satirical public campaign that has shaken the political scene in Croatia during the last presidential elections is evidently not over. Juričan has no plans to stop roasting the political mainstream, concentrating his actions on the fight against corruption in politics with emphasis on the city of Zagreb and the 20 years long reign of the mayor Milan Bandić. Croatia is still a highly corrupted country and Dario is keen, as he says, to put an end to it so that corruption is available to all citizens, not only to the few chosen ones. Mayor Milan Bandić is accused in several high corruption cases and the trials are ongoing. Controversies around mayor Bandić are adding up and the public support as well as support of his partners is fading. His rule of the capital city, which hosts a fifth of Croatia’s population, is still maintained by political symbiosis of „Milan Bandić 365“ party supporting HDZ parliamentary majority while HDZ supports his parties majority in the Zagreb city council. 

HRCIN is currently conducting a crowdrising campaign „Meet Zagreb’s finest“. The main goal of this crowdfunding campaign is to promote „Zagreb’s finest“  by buying billboard spaces on the most frequent Zagreb roads and exhibit the posters for a period of at least 2 months. This project presents the most valuable Zagreb citizens to European dignitaries during the time of Croatian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, from January until June 2020! 

HRCIN outlined: Let’s present the most valuable Zagreb citizens to the EU officials during the Croatian Presidency of the EU Council in 2020!

The campaign „Meet Zagreb’s finest“ presents several high profile individuals who have a special place in the reign of Milan Bandić the Mayor. 

„Meet the Mayor’s partner“: Andrej Plenković, experienced professional, diplomat and multi linguist is a perfect incarnation of a calm but firm leader whose handshake is a blast for our Mayor. Their two hands united in one touch are a symbol of many successful city-state projects, heading forward to their realization.

„Meet the Mayor’s buddy“: Josip Bozanić, Croatian Cardinal of the Catholic Church. This construction visionary was always gladly supported in the Mayors city. There’s always some piece of land left to be baptized. In return, Cardinal’s flock of sheep could easily find a headquarter when it’s time of election.

„Meet the driver“: Successful businessman mister Zdravko Krajina, one of the most influential event managers is the owner of a private company which organizes events on the City’s main square. At the same time he drives the Mayor.

„Meet the secretary“: Marija Caharija is a proper name for success. A bright example that anything is possible if you believe. How to jump from the position of a secretary to the Director of Project management branch in the city’s utility company Zagreb Holding? She knows how. A true role model we should all look up to.

„Meet the butcher“: Ratimir Jureković is an assistant to the Head of City Office for Agriculture and Forestry. In the rare moments of his leisure time he slaughters pigs for the Mayor.

ZAGREB, January 9, 2020 - Film director Dario Juričan, who ran in the recent presidential election under the slogan "Corruption for All", highlighting the problem of corruption in Croatia, and who came in fifth, on Wednesday put up a tent outside the Zagrebački Holding multi-utility conglomerate in Zagreb, calling on "the Croatian people: criminals and others, to come and take their share of the city company".

"I am a petty criminal while those sitting across (in Zagrebaćki Holding) are nice people," Juričan told reporters, calling on citizens to come to his tent as part of the campaign "100% for Croatia & 366% for Holding" (an allusion to the slogan of a 2015 war veterans' protest and the name of Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandić's party), and help themselves to roast lamb.

Commenting on Mayor Bandić, who has been the main target of his campaign, Juričan said that he was "a reputable man who has taken Zagreb to European heights", and promised to name streets, avenues and parks after Bandić as much as possible.

Juričan also called on President-elect Zoran Milanović to come to his tent to spend some time with the people, noting that "if he does not come, that will mean that he is not a president from the people."

"He has allegedly said that he is a big fighter against corruption so he should come and support us, and it would also be good if he gave me the embassies in Indonesia and Romania where I won the elections, that's the minimum I expect of him," Juričan said.

Juričan's performance was announced on his Facebook wall, entitled "I want to be Milan Bandić, President of Croatia."

"To the Croatian people: Criminals and all the others, come to take your share of Zagrebački Holding which you have cheatingly won in the presidential election by voting for me," Juričan wrote.

The performance, to last until Thursday morning, includes "lamb eating, bribing of the media, consultations on how to steal off the Zagreb Advent event, as well as hiring at the Knjižnice chain of city libraries, the Čistoća city sanitation company and the Gradska Groblja city cemetery management company.

More Zagreb news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

Savka cesta, an important, busy and visually neglected Zagreb street will welcome a 4-star 17-story luxury hotel with bars, shops and lounges; which will help revitalize this part of the city.

The winning submission has recently been selected for the architectural design competition of the complex, which will span a long-neglected plot at the intersection of Savska and Nova cesta, across the road from the Vjesnik building.

Unidentified German Group to Invest 40 Million EUR

A German entrepreneur is investing 40 million EUR into the hotel, and if all goes according to plan, they could break ground this year, so in about a year and a half the hotel, part of a large unnamed hotel chain will open its doors, according to Lana Mindoljević/Matej Devčić/Jutarnji List on January 5, 2020.

On Friday, an exhibition was held to showcase the submissions for the open competition, where architect Dario Travaš, from the Zagreb branch of ATP Architects and Engineers, a Central European design house, entered the winning design.

Travaš and ATP Firm Designed Zagreb Shopping Centers

Architect Travaš and Vienna-based ATP have designed, among other things, the Zagreb-Westgate Shopping City Center, Pula Shopping Center, the Western Shopping Center in Rijeka (ZTC) and IKEA Outlet Center in Rugvica. Travaš is also the chief designer for the expanded tourist zone at the Marina Harbor in Primošten and several tourist facilities for Falkensteiner resort chain.

Street View of Hotel Location

“We have adapted the conceptual design for the hotel to the spirit of the location. We simply decided to work with the urban conditions which were outlined in the competition. The 65-meter-high hotel will have 219 units, which includes rooms and suites and 17 floors,” Travaš explains.

Ground Floors for Commercial and Business Space

“The ground floor of the building will have spaces for commercial and business purposes. The entrance lobby and the reception will be housed on the fourth floor, which is one of the unique aspects of the hotel design. The ground floor will have a about 1150 square meters of office space, with one store occupying 800 to 900 square meters, and a bakery,” Travaš points out.

The first three floors will have an above-ground garage. Travaš indicates the building’s facade will be designed so that it passers-by won’t be able to detect that it is a garage. The ground floor and the first three floors will hug the border of the plot and will be on par with the houses on Savska cesta, which have four floors. On the fourth and fifth floors, he explains, there will be restaurants and a conference area which will be connected by a magnificent set of stairs, as Travaš maintains.

“Since the rest of the building will rise away from the façade to continue the scale of the buildings on Sava cesta; the fourth and fifth floors will have large terraces which can be accessed from the restaurant and conference area,” he adds.

Upper Floors Will be Used for Hotel and Sky Bar

“The rooms are oriented in all four directions. If you look South, you’ll see the Sava river. You can see the Zagreb Cathedral and the old part of the city by looking North. If you look West, you will have a view of the Western part of Medvednica. Every room will have a beautiful view,” Travaš claims.

The 17^th floor, which is also the top floor, will house a sky bar and a fitness room. The tower section of the hotel is set back from the curb and will line up with other skyscrapers on the Sava river. “It was very important that this tower be in sync with Vjesnik because that is the closest and most prominent building,” he explains.

The exterior design of the hotel will connect the windows of rooms on several floors vertically to give the impression that the hotel is taller than it really is. “Full sections of walls will be made of micro cement panels which look like Brač stone. Slavonian oak will dominate the interior, which will be full of greenery,” says Travaš.

Dario Travaš | ATP

He adds that the hotel is a good example of sustainable construction because pylons will be used for energy-efficiency, for example. This would not normally be the case as ATP does not consist of designers and engineers who worked together on the hotel innovations.

“Creating an urban dialogue and taking environmental standards were the challenges put before us, and we tried to create an attractive and modern facility that will define the spirit of Savska cesta, which has an architecturally unattractive lower section,” Travaš declares.

Four types of hotel accommodation will be offered: standard, comfort and junior rooms, and suites. The average floor area of ​​every rooms is 25 square meters.

Identity of German Investor and Hotel Chain Kept Secret

Eduard Vasilj of Kamelia Promet, the investor’s mediator, says that the Travaš/ATP Design submission was exactly what they had in mind when conceptualizing the project. Investors are delighted with the aesthetics, functionality and the practical solutions offered by the winning submission, he adds. He also notes the emphasis on business facilities, conference rooms and attractive sky bar on the top floor, which is the type of accommodation Zagreb currently lacks.

The identity of the German investors has not been revealed, except that they are from a family in the Hesse province, which has been in the real estate business for four generations. They invest in hotels, public facilities and the design of entire neighborhoods. They do not want to identify themselves publicly, nor do they wish to reveal the hotel chain the new hotel will operate under.

“While we are in a delicate period because several contracts have to be signed, this will be the German investor’s and hotel chain’s first entry into the Croatian market,” says Vasilj. He added that now that the conceptual design is completed and the lot has been purchased, they are hoping to begin construction soon with the support of the City of Zagreb.

Aerial View of Hotel Location

“We hope that our project will revive the entire Sava river area, which has been a bit neglected, and introduce a new element to the area. There will be shops and hair salons in the complex, so we believe that this will contribute giving the street a real European feel and offer an attractive view at the entrance to the city,” concludes Vasilj.

Follow our Business page for more information on hotel projects underway in Croatia.

Although only 53 years old, Croatian President-elect Zoran Milanović is already a political veteran. Since Croatia's independence, he is the only politician to be elected to two of the most important state functions, first as prime minister and now president.

He was born on October 30, 1966 in Zagreb. In private conversations, he likes to point out that Zagreb shaped his identity, but was also intrigued by his family history, according to Robert Bajruš/Jutarnji List on January 6, 2020. Therefore, Milanović researched archives from Austrian barracks and the Sinj monastery in a quest for information on his ancestors and their life paths. Zoran Milanović's family is from western Bosnia and arrived in the Sinj region as part of a mass migration led by Franciscan Friars in 1687. His mother Đurđica Matasić's family has lived in Sinj for almost two centuries.

Father Held Key Zagreb Government Positions

His father, Stipe Milanović, performed several important roles during the socialist regime: he was Cabinet Secretary to Miko Tripalo, a Zagreb city council member and chaired the Vatroslav Lisinski Hall Construction Committee. In the early 1990s, he joined HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) and became Assistant Minister to Vlatko Pavletić.

Milanović's claim that his grandfather was an Ustasha member (Croatian WWII Fascists) was one of the more interesting developments in the 2016 election campaign. He was referring to his mother Đurđica’s stepfather, Petar Plišić, but had kept silent about him until then.

He graduated from the Faculty of Law in Zagreb in the early 1990s where he was an excellent student. He received the Rector's Award and participated in the "Telders" competition in public international law at The Hague.

Began Post Law School Career in Foreign Diplomacy

Milanović landed his first job at the Commercial Court in Zagreb and then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1993, where he arrived upon the recommendation of Ivan Šimonović, professor at the Faculty of Law and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Croatia to the UN. He became advisor to the Croatian Mission to the European Union and NATO in Brussels in 1996 and completed a postgraduate certificate in European Union law there two years later.

He joined SDP (Social Democratic Party of Croatia) immediately after his return to Zagreb in 1999. After SDP won the January 3, 2000 elections as part of a coalition, he was entrusted with a position in communications with NATO. Three years later, he was appointed Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs under Tonino Picula. However, he left diplomacy and was brought onto the SDP Executive Board at the invitation of Ivica Račan after the HDZ won the 2003 elections.

Assumed SDP Leadership Role After Račan

The SDP party membership overwhelmingly chose Milanović as their new leader when Ivica Račan died in 2007. He had defeated Željko Antunović, Milan Bandić and Tonino Picula; the party’s old guard. While Račan had not considered him his successor; within a month Milanović had taken control of SDP and set about overthrowing Ivo Sanader.

Diana Pleština, widow of the former SDP leader, spoke about the Račan-Milanović relationship. While she has always thought well of Milanović; she also noted:

"Ivica Račan understood that Milanović was young and well-educated, and had experience communicating with the outside world, but he was not referring to Zoran Milanović in the phrase 'New SDP Force'. Instead he was referring to Milanović along with other members of the party. Therefore, the ‘New SDP force’ was not referring to one person, but an overall proposal to continue the rejuvenation of the Social Democratic Party, and one of those players was Milanović,” Dijana Pleština recalled.

However, he lost to Ivo Sanader in the 2007 parliamentary elections and spent the next four years leading the opposition. During that time, he was able to marginalize the old guard within SDP and surround himself with a new generation of associates including Ranko Ostojić, Siniša Hajdaš Dončić, Rajko Ostojić, Ante Kotromanović, Igor Dragovan and Gordan Maras.

Defeated Scandal Ridden HDZ With Kukuriku Coalition

In November 2011, under Milanović’s leadership, the SDP-HNS-IDS-HSU coalition overwhelmingly defeated HDZ, which had been rocked by a series of corruption scandals. Their coalition ruled Croatia for the next four years. Before that victory, Milanović played a crucial role in the election of SDP presidential candidate Ivo Josipović. Josipović's victory had a strategic effect on the downfall of HDZ and Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, and subsequent victory of the four-party coalition.

Milanović's political experience did not often reveal itself during his first three years in office. In the face of poor economic performance, he was subject to widespread criticism for refusing to make severe cuts to a bloated and inefficient state administration, which was stifling the economy. In addition, almost nobody believed he could make a comeback after he barely succeeded in expelling Slavko Linić from SDP in June 2014. Those doubts were strengthened after Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović narrowly defeated Ivo Josipović in the 2015 presidential election.

"Who would have thought that we were capable of regaining voter confidence back in January," Milanović recently suggested in a private interview.

Political Personal Evolution and Move to Right

Nevertheless, he changed tremendously and became much more accessible while choosing to remain silent about the confrontation with Linić. Even then, a well-known SDP politician revealed that he had been closely observing Milanović's career for seven years, and denied the widespread belief that the SDP chief was incapable of transforming himself:

"After losing the election to Ivo Sanader in 2007, Milanović realized that he had to change. He succeeded because he strengthened the party with new young talent. I’ve also changed and have begun displaying a better part of my character in interactions with people. That’s why I believe he can also change in a positive way,” claimed this member of government.

Praise for Franjo Tuđman and Croatian Nation in Knin

After all, Milanović's metamorphosis, which manifested itself in a slight turn to the right, was first noticed in Knin on August 5, 2014 when he gave a speech commemorating Dan domovinske zahvalnosti (Homeland Thanksgiving Day), which suggested a more patriotic direction. It was then that he first came forward with the conviction that his government was a people's government elected by the Croatian nation, comprised of people who are of primarily Croatian background. "As long is that is the case, we will oversee this country and lead it on the right path with Croatian interests in mind," Milanović said.

Milanović also paid respect to the first Croatian president, Franjo Tuđman, "because he was the Croatian president during a most difficult and challenging time."

“We have been waiting for a thousand years to have our own state and are grateful to those who gave everything for our country. For thousands of years we have worked, fought and died for foreigners, who treated us like foreigners, but they are not our enemies today. We are united with them in the EU and are building a better future together,” said Milanović in Knin.

It was the beginning of a 16-month campaign in which Zoran Milanović decided to tackle the stigma of (Croatian) leftists and present himself as a self-aware national leader. A social democrat who respects Tuđman, frequently mentions Croatia and condemns chauvinism then became his election-winning formula.

He also hired PR expert Alex Braun and his government achieved positive economic results in 2015. However, Milanović narrowly lost the parliamentary elections, remained at the helm of the SDP and defeated his old rival, Zlatko Komadin, in party elections.

Withdrawal from Politics After 2016 Defeat

After the fall of Prime Minister Tim Orešković’s short-lived administration in late 2016, Milanović led the People's Coalition into the elections, but lost, and then announced that he was withdrawing from politics.

In November 2016, he founded EuroAlba Advisory. Earlier this year, the media reported that the company's total 2018 revenue was 744,970 HRK (99,700 EUR), about a 20 percent increase from a 2017 reported revenue of 625,000 HRK (83,600 EUR).

Milanović lost his father Stipe and his younger brother Krešimir, who died after a short illness, during his election campaign late last year.

Follow our Politics page to stay updated on the new Croatian presidency and upcoming 2020 parliamentary elections.

January 4, 2020 - The Snow Queen Trophy returns to Sljeme in Zagreb on January 4 and 5, 2020. The women's World Cup alpine skiing race is scheduled on Saturday and the men's on Sunday.

HRT reports that the first to go down the track is Slovak skier Petra Vlhova, who took the first start number at the draw held at the Ice Park at King Tomislav Square in Zagreb. Vlhova took second place at Sljeme twice, in 2017 and last year. This season, she was second in the World Cup slalom twice, in Killington in early December and Lienz five days ago.

Switzerland's Michelle Gisin will start second and Katharina Liensberger of Austria will start third. The Snow Queen title defender, the four-time Sljeme winner and best female skier of today, American Mikaela Shiffrin, received starting number seven in the draw.

Croatian representatives Leona Popovic and Ida Stimac received high starting numbers - Popovic will start 71 and Stimac 73.

Croatian skier, 22-year-old Leona Popovic achieved 26th place and the first slalom points in her career five days ago in Lienz, Austria. 

“At this race, I surprised myself and am very pleased with the result, which is a confirmation of my work. During the ride, I couldn't gauge how well I was going, but in the end, I realized that these were great rides. The first slalom points of the season are here and I hope to achieve good rides on Sljeme,” said Popovic, who will be making her third appearance at the Snow Queen.

Ida Stimac will participate for the second time.

“I am back after recovering from an ACL injury and for me, this is an important race. A difficult period is behind me, but I feel good and after two years, I am in great shape, which gives me every reason to be happy. I look forward to tomorrow's race, in which I expect to show my best skiing, my best rides from training, and hope that I will ski well and be satisfied. The course is great, well prepared, which is important for all starting numbers,” said Stimac, who has already tallied a few podiums at FIS races this season.

On Sunday, six Croatian male skiers, Istok Rodes, Matej Vidovic, Elias Kolega, Filip Zubcic, Samuel Kolega and Leon Nikic, will participate in the men's race.

Istok Rodes, Elias Kolega and Matej Vidovic will try to repeat the great results from last year's race when all three finished in the top 20.

“After last year's seventh place on Sljeme, I do not feel much pressure. We trained for three days in Italy and before that on the Red Slope. I'm in excellent shape and it's up to me to show my two best rides on Sunday. If I can do that, I'm sure the result will be very good. I put the biggest pressure on myself and I think that's good, I handle it well and it motivates me to be as good as possible. We have six more races in January, I will go from race to race and I will do my best and believe that great results will come then,” said Istok Rodes, who finished 14th in the World Cup slalom race in Levi this season and 25th in Val d'Isere.

Elias Kolega, who placed 19th in Levi and 15th in Val d'Isere, will also perform at the Snow Queen.

“I have been training on Sljeme for years and I find that the biggest challenge is the length of the course, as the competitors can lose concentration, which is why at the back of the course, mistakes that decide the race happen. I am feeling good, I prepared for the Red Slope for a week before the race, and for the last couple of days, I’ve been riding the upper part of the course. I am satisfied with the preparation and I believe that I will prove to be at my best,” commented Elias Kolega.

Matej Vidovic finished 15th on Sljeme last year and announced this year's race with high expectations.

“For the last three days, Istok and I have been preparing in Italy, where we have had excellent conditions. Before that, we also rode the whole track on Sljeme and I am satisfied with the preparations. I'm ready, my health serves me well, and my goal is to achieve my two best rides on Sljeme. There is always a different feeling of skiing on home soil, and for me, the most important thing is to reach my maximum and ski the best I can,” said Vidovic, who was 20th in Val d'Isere.

Filip Zubcic has competed at the Snow Queen four times, and this season he finished 16th in Levi.

“I opened this season of slalom racing well, as I imagined. I am currently starting with high starting numbers, and my goal was to get the best starting position possible. I am skiing well and feel ready to race. I am at a satisfactory level for the giant slalom and slalom this season, and I'm particularly happy to be able to combine two great slalom races. I hope that I will be in the best shape in January because there are many races ahead of us and it is important to secure new points,” said Zubcic, who finished two giant slalom races among the top 10 skiers and showed good form in all technical disciplines.

On Sunday, Samuel Kolega will make his third appearance on Sljeme.

“For me, the season started great and with no injuries. I started the first part of the season the best so far, I’ve been great in FIS races, and in the World Ski and European Cup I am still trying to get better results. On Sljeme, I want to show my best skiing from training and have the best possible race,” emphasized Samuel, who announced his performance on Sljeme with a great first place in the FIS slalom race in Ladurns, Italy.

This will be the second Sljeme appearance for the young Leon Nikic.

“Preparations were a problem for me; that is, I had a minor injury that caused me to pause for six weeks. After the injury, I continued to ski great and I expect to finish the race on Sljeme successfully and prove that I can be counted on seriously,” said Nikic.

The women's slalom race is scheduled for Saturday. The start of the first run will be at 1 pm and the second at 4:15 pm. The men's slalom will be held on Sunday starting at 2:15 pm and the second at 5:40 pm. 

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

Croatian Railways is building 400 kilometers of high-speed track and trains on several key routes will be running at speeds of up to 160 km/h within 10 years. The average speed of a current Croatian train is only 58.2 km/h! Only Serbia, Bosnia and Montenegro have railway systems worse than ours.

However, December has proven to be the month of railways when it comes to major projects in this area of Croatian infrastructure, according to Krešimir Žabec/Jutarnji List on December 30, 2019. For years, there have been reports of billions of euros coming to Croatia to upgrade our catastrophic rail network.

Map of Current and Upcoming Croatian Railways High-Speed Projects | Croatian Railways

Average Speed of Current Croatian Train: 58.2 km/h

The state of railway infrastructure in Croatia is perhaps best illustrated by the indicator of 58.2 kilometers per hour, which is the average speed of trains running in Croatia. Only Serbia, Bosnia and Montenegro have railway systems worse than ours. But until recently, promises of a brighter future for Croatian Railways have sounded like the dreams of politicians which never produced any visible results. However, a turnaround began to take hold this past month.

First New Railway Line in 50 Years Launched in December 2019

First, after 50 years, a new railway line was launched in Croatia: from Gradec to Sveti Ivan Žabno. Then, in Vukovar, a contract was signed with the Spanish company Comsa to upgrade and electrify the Vinkovci - Vukovar railway. Eight years after its launch; the Turkish company Cengiz was selected as contractor for the Križevci - Koprivnica - Hungarian Border section of the project. And a 321 million EUR contract was finally signed to build the Lowland Railway section of Hrvatski Leskovac to Karlovac, which is being co-financed by the European Union.

Three Billion EUR Investment in Croatian Railways

Croatia, the European Union and the World Bank are expected to invest more than 3 billion EUR in designing, renovating and upgrading Croatian railway infrastructure over the next ten years. There are 18 projects in different stages of progress, of which only the Gradec - Sv. Ivan Žabno line has been finished.

Overview of the 250-Kilometer Lowland Railway Project

The international Mediterranean railway corridor connects Rijeka with the Baltic. The Croatian part of this corridor is divided into a section from Zagreb to Rijeka, known as the Lowland Railway, and the section from Zagreb to Botovo (the Hungarian border). It is a 250-kilometer railway line, and only 22 kilometers, from Zagreb to Dugo Selo, are currently two-lane and have been electrified. The estimated value of the modernization and construction of this route is approximately 2.6 billion EUR, and that tab does not include the cost of modernizing the Zagreb hub.

The other sections of this route are in different stages of completion. Work on the 38.2-kilometer Dugo Selo – Križevci section is underway and running about two years behind schedule.

The contract for co-financing and a tender for a contractor have been signed for the section from Hrvatski Leskovac to Karlovac.

Two Options for Most Expensive Lowland Span: Karlovac - Škrljevo

The Hrvatski Leskovac – Karlovac section is connected to the most difficult and expensive span, running from Karlovac to Škrljevo, which is about 150 kilometers long. Construction costs could reach 1.5 billion EUR, but he total cost of will depend on whether the Northern or Southern option is selected. Kupska, the Northern option, is 150 kilometers long, of which 61 kilometers involve tunnels and bridges. Drežnička, the Southern option, is 170 kilometers long with 45 kilometers of tunnels and bridges.

It is unknown at this time whether this section will be put into concession or the European Commission will decide to co-finance the project, due to concern over utilizing Chinese capital. EU funding for Croatia is a more favorable option as it won’t impact public debt. In the event of a concession, a Chinese company would build and finance the project, backed by state guarantees of around 1.5 billion EUR. And it would be difficult for the Croatian state to allow that.

Close-Up of the Zagreb - Hrvatski Leskovac - Karlovac - Škrljevo - Rijeka - Jurdani Line | Croatian Railways

Location Permit and Plans for Škrljevo - Rijeka - Jurdani Section

A location permit has been obtained for the Škrljevo - Rijeka - Jurdani section and the main plans are being drawn, and are being co-financed by the EU with 8.5 million EUR. A final solution is currently being worked on for the Zagreb hub. According to projections, the entire Lowland Railway could be completed by 2030.

Close-Up of Railway Line Upgrades to Hungary and Serbia | Croatian Railways

Work Progressing on the Zagreb - Serbian Border Railway

Another important international route is railway from Zagreb to the border of Serbia. The sections of Vinkovci – Tovarnik – Serbian Border and Okučani – Novska have been modernized and plans reconstruction and upgrade of the Dugo Selo – Novska section are underway. The estimated price tag for work on this section is 580 million EUR. Project plans for the modernization of the Okučani - Vinkovci section are also in development.

In addition to the construction of the Dugo Selo - Križevci section, two more projects are underway. As part of the modernization and electrification of the Zaprešić - Čakovec railway, work is progressing on the Zaprešić - Zabok section.

Zagreb and Rijeka Port Hubs Undergoing Upgrades

The railway network within the greater Zagreb metropolitan area plays a crucial role in passenger transport. The value of this project, which is being carried out by the Swietelsky construction firm, is estimated at 529 million EUR, with a planned completion date of 2021.

Another important project is the reconstruction and capacity expansion of the Rijeka Brajdica freight railway station.

This project includes the complete reconstruction of the existing nine tracks and the extension of the Sušak railway tunnel to a length of 423 meters. The total value of this project is 35.6 million EUR. This project is extremely important for expanding the capacity of the Port of Rijeka.

Along with these and a few other projects in the upcoming ten years, Croatia is expected to finally upgrade its railway infrastructure. As mentioned in an earlier TCN article, these upgrades will allow train passengers to travel at speeds of 160 kilometers per hour.

Croatian Railways Project Overviews:

Here is an overview of six key railway projects; their statuses and expected dates of completion:

Dugo Selo - Križevci:

Length: 38.2 kilometers
Details: Upgrade of the existing track and construction of the second track.
Contractors: Zagreb Montaža, DIV, Dalekovod Integral
Completed: 65 percent of the financial part of the contract.
Deadline: 48 months
Cost: 196.9 million EUR

Križevci - Koprivnica - Hungarian Border:

Length: 42.6 kilometers
Details: Upgrade of the existing track and construction of the second track.
Contractors: Cengiz (Turkey)
Completed: Signing of construction contract in Spring 2020.
Deadline: 48 months
Cost: 400 million EUR

Vinkovci - Vukovar:

Length: 18.7 kilometers
Details: Track upgrade and electrification.
Contractors: Comsa
Completed: Signed construction contract.
Deadline: 24 months
Cost: 55 million EUR

Hrvatski Leskovac - Karlovac:

Length: 44 kilometers
Details: Upgrade of the existing track and construction of a second track.
Contractors: Tender in process.
Completed: EU approved co-financing with 361 million EUR.
Deadline: TBD
Cost: 450 million EUR

Zaprešić - Zabok:

Length: 23.9 kilometers
Details: Railway modernization and electrification.
Contractors: Swietelsky
Completed: In progress.
Deadline: End of 2021.
Cost: 80.8 million EUR

Rijeka Brajdica:

Length: 4 kilometers
Details: Connecting track to the container terminal of Adriatic port.
Contractors: Kolektor and Euro Asphalt
Completed: In progress.
Deadline: 45 months
Cost: 29.5 million EUR

Follow our Travel page for our continuting coverage of high-speed train track upgrades in Croatia. Train schedules, tickets, route maps and news can be accessed on the Croatian Railways site here.