June 4,  2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as the Ryanair Zagreb-Sofia flight is the airline's 15th route to the capital city network.

Avio Radar reports that Europe's largest low-cost airline has announced a new route from Zagreb to Sofia. The line will run twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays from August 3, with a Boeing 737-800 aircraft from a base in Sofia. It will be the 15th new Ryanair line from Zagreb and the first direct line between Croatia and Bulgaria.

Ryanair Sales and Marketing Manager for Central, Eastern Europe, and the Balkans, Olga Pawlonka, said:

"As vaccination programs continue in the coming months, and the summer season is just around the corner, we are pleased to announce this new route from Zagreb to Sofia that will be in traffic twice a week from August as part of our Croatian 2021 summer flight schedule.

Bearing in mind that restrictions change regularly due to COVID-19, customers can now book flights for a well-deserved vacation, knowing that if they need to postpone or change the travel date, they can do so by the end of December twice without a change fee."

The Irish low-cost airline landed at Zagreb Airport for the first time on Wednesday, June 2. The first arrival was on line number FR4982 from Charleroi Airport near Brussels. This line will be in traffic twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays, and from September 3, it will be intensified by the third flight a week, on Fridays. On the first flight was a Boeing 737-800 aircraft with registration number EI-EVP with 67 passengers arriving. There were 40 passengers on the return.

Ryanair announced a base in Zagreb with 12 new lines. Two more were added later. From June 17, traffic will start on the line from the base at Bergamo Airport near Milan with four flights a week, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Traffic from the base in Zagreb will start on July 23, with the first departure from Zagreb on the line to Gothenburg. On the same day, the plan is to start traffic on the routes to Rome ("Ciampino" airport) and London ("Stansted" airport). Other 9 lines to: Paris (Beuvais Airport), Dortmund, Dusseldorf (Niederrhein-Weeze Airport), Frankfurt (Hahn Airport), Karlsruhe, Memmingen, Malmö, Oslo (Sandefjord-Torp Airport) ") and Podgorica are scheduled for September 1. 

Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 4 June 2021 - Addressing the press after the ceremony of the transfer of powers in Zagreb's city administration on Friday morning, the new mayor Tomislav Tomašević, said that a state of affairs in the city's finances was not good, however, there were solutions that would be discussed in greater detail.

Tomašević, who was presented with two-thousand-odd-page reports on the 2020 budget execution and preliminary figures on this year's budget by the former acting mayor Jelena Pavičić Vukičević, said that the overall financial picture was not good.

He, however, stopped short of giving more information about the debt of the City of Zagreb, explaining that it would not provide a comprehensive picture.

He admitted that the managing the finances would be one of the biggest challenges of the new authorities, however, they were optimistic as they could find solutions to that situation.

Tomašević, who was accompanied by the new deputy mayors, Danijela Dolenec and Luka Korleat, during the ceremony of the transfer of powers, described their meeting with Pavičić Vukičević and her associates as open and constructive.

Tomašević said that the new city assembly would hold the founding meeting on 17 June.

Tomašević's Green-Left bloc won the 40% of the vote for the 47-seat assembly, and will have 23 seats, which means that it is short of one seat for the majority.

The Croatian Democratic Union  (HDZ) won 11.3% of the vote in the 16 May local elections, and is thus entitled to six seats. The other three parties: the Homeland Movement (DP) led by Miroslav Škoro, the Labour and Solidarity Party and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) won five seats each.

Green-Left, SDP negotiating programme cooperation and political functions in Assembly

Tomašević today confirmed that his Left-Green bloc was conducting the negotiations with the SDP on the cooperation through programmes as well as on political functions in the assembly.

"When we reach agreement, we will present it to the public," he said.

Tomašević said he expected that a meeting with Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and the post-quake reconstruction fund's head, Damir Vanđelić, would soon be appointed.

Deputy Mayor Luka Korlaet, an architect, told the news conference that he perceived his role "as a facilitator of the post-quake reconstruction of Zagreb", and announced his first meeting with Vanđelić and the head of the city's office for construction.

For more on politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated politics page

 June 7, 2021 - Despite the pandemic, there have been a lot of new initiatives from tourism in Zagreb and the surrounding area in the last 12 months. Meet one of the driving forces behind this - Zagreb County Tourist Board Director, Ivana Alilovic.

1.One of the most interesting new tourism initiatives in 2020 was the launch of the AroundZagreb.hr, which brought the tourism offer of the city and the county together for the first time. Tell us a little about the project, how it started and the results so far. 

The promotion of Zagreb and its surroundings is a project that was planned over 10 months before its release, and we successfully implemented the campaign. This is the first time that our two tourist boards are cooperating in partnership and we are happy that we have created a real destination campaign and that we are working together to promote our capital and its surroundings. The joint cooperation was created as a result of mutual trust and partnership, and with our first cooperation and complementarity we show that even in these extraordinary conditions there is always the possibility to create great projects, because tourism knows no borders.

The friendship between Zagreb and Zagreb County is expressed in these extraordinary circumstances, mutually confirming mutual trust and partnership, which resulted in the destination campaign "Close to the city, close to the heart". In preparation, we followed the trends in the travel market and then we launched a joint campaign in three foreign languages: English, German, Slovenian and, of course, Croatian.

At a time when the health situation is under the magnifying glass everywhere in the world, when it is important to adhere to new rules of social behavior, when we want to return to the basics - family, friends, nature and closest business partners, business and tourist travel trends are changing. This is exactly how the new offer of Zagreb and its surroundings began, which focuses on staying in nature, green city oases and staying outdoors in general, with an emphasis on health, safety and sustainability.

(Photo credit Robert Klaric)

"Around Zagreb" brings numerous ideas for inspiring trips, creative examples of how to spend, for example, three days in Zagreb and its surroundings, the most interesting gastronomic recommendations and a list of cultural and entertainment events to truly get to know the Croatian capital and the beautiful green ring that surrounds it.

The platform is continuously updated with new materials and suggestions and for now the feedback is excellent.

2. You have not been in the job that long, but one can already notice a lot more energy in the Zagreb county promotion, including some rather surprising tourism products not promoted before. Truffle hunting close to Zagreb Airport? Really?!? Tell us more. 

Yes, that is true. We started to work actively to promote gastro branding ‘Turopolje and Zagreb County’, although Istria is synonymous for truffles, black truffles can be found in Turopolje and Žumberak area. It is important to point out that in May 2020 we started promoting a new attraction ‘black truffle hunting’ in ‘Turopoljski lug’ and offered visitors a new and innovative tourist product, for which there is a growing interest and interest of tourists. We have also established a value chain of the catering offer in a short period of time, we have started with the promotion and innovative approach to the development of the gastronomic offer with truffles in combination with the autochthonous cuisine of the Zagreb County.

The fact that there are black truffles in Turopolje is a great potential for our destination. We made a promo video about truffle hunting and you can also taste them in local restaurants.

It is necessary to connect value chains, to create new tourist products in the destination, only in these new times we can be an attractive destination for all of us.

The emphasis is on sustainable, green and above all safe tourism in the green ring of Zagreb. First of all, discover the undiscovered from today, take home the unforgettable memory of truffle hunting.

‘Croatian Forests’ and the Zagreb County Tourist Board signed an Agreement on Business Cooperation for the Purpose of Promoting truffle and truffle-related tourism.

The agreement was signed with the aim of joint cooperation in promoting truffle growing, research and development of the Center for Mushroom Research, as well as publishing and branding truffle growing in the forest area of Zagreb County.

It is necessary to develop the awareness of the local population and partners, and cooperation with ‘Croatian Forests’ gives us a flywheel because it is necessary to define the market and have support in the use of the forest area of Zagreb County, which is managed by ‘Croatian Forests’ for the purpose of developing the project "truffle hunting" and similar projects or events for the purpose of promoting truffle farming. I believe that we are on the right path for truffles to become a brand and a motive for coming to Zagreb County.

(Photo credit Sveta Nedjelja Tourist Board)

3. How hard is it to attract tourists in the city to come and discover the county, and what are your main strategies to entice them?

Since the beginning of the crisis, I emphasize that special focus and demand will be on continental and rural tourism. But just as continental destinations, despite all the challenges, need to impose and position themselves. This is exactly what we did with the platform and the "Odmor nikad bliže" campaign. The goal is, of course, to position the entire Zagreb green ring towards Zagreb as much as possible as an ideal weekend destination close to the city bustle. Judging by all the market research and data from the eVisitor system, it can be seen that we have hit the niche well with our campaign. We wanted to position ourselves and send a message that guests in our county can stay in a green, rural and protected environment. And all just half an hour from Zagreb. At the moment when everything stopped, it was necessary to react and position ourselves, so we decided to start the campaign and we did not hesitate in that segment, it turned out to be a complete success. We need to keep up with innovative trends such as the digital revolution, ever-higher environmental standards and the sustainable development of local communities. It is necessary the development of eno-gastronomy, cultural tourism which is promoted as one of the motives for coming to the destination. I emphasize that authenticity, security and nature are the key trends in tourism.

(Zagreb County Tourist Board Director Ivana Alilovic, left, has been tirelessly promoting the authentic local products on offer in the region)

4. I was certainly surprised at the wealth of tourism options just outside the city, all of which can be enjoyed during a day trip. Give us a little flavour of what awaits with five of your most recommended things to see and do. 

I would definitely first suggest a visit to our web platform “Odmor nikad bliže”/ “Vacation in Zagreb County “which aims to inform readers about tourist products of Zagreb County such as wine roads, holiday homes, gastronomic offers and micro destinations that are located in the county and tell the reader that the holiday was never closer.

I always recommend going to Samobor, with its preserved old town and numerous cultural sights, is a lure for excursionists not only because of its charm but also because of the beautiful green surroundings. Mountains and hills, vineyards, forests, streams, picturesque villages, old forts, caves, irresistible local food and a fine drop - all this awaits you in a geographically small, but crowded area near Zagreb, which is our flagship of tourism.

Between Samobor and Zagreb is Sveta Nedelja, which is deservedly on the list of the most visited destinations. We suggest a tour of the lakes Rakitje, Orešje, Kerestinec and Strmec. It is your choice whether to indulge in fishing, recreation or just enjoying the preserved nature, in the company of many birds that like to gather here. Along Lake Kerestinec, the view will surely attract you to the neglected medieval castle of Erdödy, the scene of a turbulent history. A return to the 21st century offers a tourist tour of the world-famous electric car factory Rimac Automobili, which sends its innovations to the world from the Holy Sunday plant.

Among the most visited destinations in Zagreb County is Ivanić-Grad, known for the gastronomic festival Bučijada or wine festival Škrletovo, a pleasure for the taste buds, and not far from the center is the unique Naftalan, a spa built on the only European source of medicinal oil, which also offers excellent wellness services.

Traditionally, the most visited destination is located in Turopolje, a quiet, mostly lowland rural area with an abundance of untouched nature, rich cultural heritage and an interesting past. Its center is Velika Gorica, the largest city in Zagreb County, and the best starting point for research.

At the foot of Plešivica is the town of Jastrebarsko, and on the Plešivica hills you will often see hawks in the air, which were bred for hunting in the Middle Ages and the town was named after them. A place with a long history for hundreds of years, it is the natural center of this area and the starting point for excursions around the area and one of our most visited destinations.

(Photo credit Tibor Grujic Marivo)

5. You also ran a great campaign before Christmas on buying local authentic products. Tell us a little about that, and which products were a hit?

We had a campaign called “Christmas magic in your home” with which we wanted to raise awareness of the importance of buying local products at this time of pandemic. Each destination has its own authentic story and its own local products and souvenirs. Zagreb County is rich in craftsmen. It is full of hardworking people who turn the natural resources of their homeland into unique, local products. One of the goals of the Zagreb County Tourist Board is to raise the world about the importance of buying from local producers and helping producers in branding and promoting products that we can be proud of.

The dedicated work of small craftsmen, artists and manufactories from our area should be especially emphasized because these products deserve all the attention. Combining traditional and modern, their creativity refreshes the heritage and enriches the entire offer of their region. I think this year hit were fabulous 'strukli with truffles' and the Zagreb County truffle praline.

We are very proud of the intangible cultural heritage of Zagreb County. The most popular dessert, ‘Samoborska kremšnita’, is now legally protected as an autochthonous Samobor - Croatian brand.

Also, autochthonous gastronomic product of the Zagreb County ‘Rudarska greblica’ has been approved a protected designation of geographical origin at the European level. With this label, ‘Rudarska greblica’ becomes the 29th Croatian product with a protected name in the European Union and the first protected gastronomic product in the Zagreb County.

This is a great compliment to the originality and preservation of our tradition, especially when today we have the first recognition for the ‘Rudarska greblica’ to which the European Union has established intellectual property rights. The Zagreb area has contributed to the Croatian and, as of today, European list of protected geographical indications, which emphasizes the relationship between a particular geographical region and product name, where the special quality, reputation or other characteristics of the product can mainly be attributed to its geographical origin.

6. The pandemic is hanging over everything. How do you even prepare for a tourist season with such uncertainty? What kind of season are you expecting?

In these difficult, uncertain and challenging times it is hard to anticipate results and expectations but what we know for sure is that the main criteria will be the epidemiological situation. So, the success of the tourist season and tourist results is subordinated to the epidemiological situation.

The trend of staying in nature and turning to rural areas will continue this year as well. People's habits have changed and staying in nature, excursions and escape from mass tourism will surely mark this year as well. We can say that the results of surveys conducted by some sales platforms in tourism are now the most relevant for assessing and planning activities in the tourism sector. According to indicators, from 60 to almost 80% of guests are ready to go on vacation this year as soon as the epidemiological situation with Covid-19 allows. So, there is still an unquenchable hunger for travel. A stronger opening is to be expected only in the 2nd quarter of 2021, which strengthens our assessment of the reorientation of our activities to domestic tourism. The trend is to stay in nature, excursions and escapes will surely mark this year as well. Zagreb County will remain the most attractive weekend destination and I am sure that this year we will record increased interest in our destinations in the ‘Zagreb Green Ring’. The emphasis will be on safety and hygiene, new markets, and purpose travel and going to near destinations. Zagreb County will remain the most attractive weekend destination and we will certainly record increased interest in all destinations of the ‘Zagreb Green Ring’ this year as well.

In March 2021 Zagreb County announced a million-worthy competition for grant support to entrepreneurs in tourism. Grants are awarded for the renovation and equipping of accommodation units and the development and improvement of additional facilities such as swimming pools, wellness and other recreational, sports and entertainment facilities. The pandemic will pass, tourists will come again and that is why we support entrepreneurs to add value to their accommodation facilities.

(Photo credit Ivanic Grad Tourist Board)

7. Where do you see the potential for tourism growth for Zagreb county?

This ‘new time’ requires a personalized, honest and thorough approach to the guest, who wants to experience the local community in an authentic way based on experience. The focus is on a new meaning in sustainable coexistence with local communities, nature, culture and history of these areas. Since our destinations abound in many additional facilities from wine roads, cultural routes, untouched nature of Žumberak which offers you detoxification from the hustle and bustle of the capital, intangible cultural heritage with the stamp of Europe you can taste, truffle hunting, castles, promenades, educational trails… We are yet a year-round and attractive destination. The trend of interest in holiday homes on the continent is constantly growing. We definitely need to raise the quality of accommodation because there is a great demand for holiday homes in rural accommodation and that is why this tender is a complete success because we will raise the quality and strengthen the content and very soon, we will have concrete progress.

We are aware of the potential that our destination has. For example, we have a strong scene with domestic distilleries engaged in the artisanal production of gin, which is in a big positive trend with craft breweries. Also, special attention is needed to health tourism as one of the fastest growing tourist products, given that in Ivanić-Grad there is a “Special Hospital Naftalan” where work was done on the reconstruction and extension. With cycling and bike trails, a green story and all of the above, we can conclude that we have great potential, which we must turn into quality resources.

It is of great importance to us to unite Zagreb County tourist boards for the purpose of networking, intensive cooperation and joint action of Zagreb County tourist boards and relevant stakeholders with the aim of intensive promotion of the ‘Zagreb Green Ring’ region and existing tourist products and programs. Our goal is certainly integrated quality management of the Zagreb County tourist destination product, which will reduce the gap between the level of quality that tourists expect and the level of quality that the destination is able to provide and deliver, improving the quality and content of Zagreb County tourism product, increasing tourist satisfaction and tourist spending in Zagreb County and the benefits for entrepreneurship in tourism. 

Also, Zagreb County Tourist Board is the organizer of the photo competition for the selection of the most beautiful photographs of the Zagreb County, called "Photo Zagreb County". The purpose of the competition is to show the cultural and historical sights and traditions of Zagreb County, a story or experience from one of the events, active vacation in nature or rural areas, which will further promote the visit and research of Zagreb County.

Our vision is to create the identity of the destination, and in order to realize that vision, the process must be alive for all visitors and tourists who come to the destination. With our photo competition we want to see a unique experience, based on the feeling and experience of the destination, and through the lens of each of us to highlight the unique attributes of a particular destination with what makes it different from the others, authentic. In this way, we want to influence the preservation and promotion of identity and tradition and the image of the destination in general.

8. And finally, tell us about your favorite place and favorite thing to do in Zagreb county? 

The whole county is attractive as a tourist destination, each part of it has its own peculiarities and similaritie. Since we are located in the wine-growing region of 'Bregovita Hrvatska', it is certainly a great pleasure to visit our valuable winemakers. Check-out coopers collection Golub family, which is designed as a permanent exhibition at the ground floor of the old house.

Feel the spirit of old times and visit Mlinareva Iža, the original miller's house where the miller's family once lived. The sacral heritage consists of numerous churches and chapels of the Jaska region that attract the attention of every passer-by. Jastrebarsko is an ideal destination for lovers of active tourism and nature. Explore every corner by bike, on foot or by air because there are many opportunities: bike trails and routes (Jaska Bike), hiking, horseback riding, orienteering, motocross, and for those looking for adrenaline - paragliding from Japetić or Plešivica.

I would definitely recommend tasting local products in Zagreb County.

In a relatively short period of time, three good news came from Samobor, after the ‘Rudarska greblica’, Samobor kremšnita’ and the ‘Samobor češnofka’ became a protected product. Protection at national level is an important first step towards gaining the status it deserves on the European gastronomic map. The diligent hands of the people of this region write the history of taste, and it is up to us to taste them and experience this original story with all our senses.

To learn more about the magic of Zagreb beyond the city, visit the Zagreb County Tourist Board website. 

June 3, 2021 - With climate change bringing trouble to the coast, coastal hazard monitoring is a must. Meet the new method developed by a research team led by a scientist from Ruđer Bošković Institute (IRB).

Individuals from the scientific Ruđer Bošković Institute (IRB) in Zagreb continue to catch the attention of internationally established scientific journals, such as Marine Science ranked in the top 10% of magazines for the issues of sea and water biology.

This time, IRB's dr. Cléa Denamiel led an international research team that presented an innovative concept of warning on coastal hazards with stochastic methods.
Authors at Standford.edu in a pdf presentation are presenting stochastic methods as methods that involve random variables. They gave an example of multiple arrows flying towards a rock from multiple directions. When they hit the rock, arrows are positioned randomly.

„Nevertheless, you can still use their positions to estimate the location of the target“, explained Standford.edu presentation.

So, the presentation further elaborated that „like using randomly-positioned arrows to estimate the position of a target, stochastic methods have the goal of gaining information out of randomness“.

„To put it simply, current systems of warning are based on numerical methods that require advanced informatical resources, living a huge carbon dioxide print on the environment, while with the suggested appliance of stochastic methods to optimize forecast of coastal hazards and greatly reduce the need for informatics resources while taking elements of coincidence into account“, explained IRB in its official press release.

This is very important as coastal areas are under the increasing influence of climate hazards, particularly sea-level rise. IRB states that its predicted hazards related to sea level directly impact around 630 million people around the world by 2100.

The new method of warning and quantifying data on coastal hazards presented by dr. Denamiel and her team is innovative as all current systems for such monitoring are much more complexed as they are based on numerical models from kilometer to the meter of clearance.“The suggested approach would require fewer resources while keeping or even improving forecasts and assessments of coastal hazards“, concluded, dr. Ivica Vilibić from IRB.

Learn more about Croatian inventions & discoveries: from Tesla to Rimac on our TC page.

For more about science in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 2 June 2021 - TAP Air Portugal, the state-owned flag carrier airline of Portugal, started operating direct flights between Zagreb and Lisbon on Wednesday, Zagreb Airport reported upon the reintroduction of this direct flight service.

The flights from Zagreb to Lisbon are scheduled three times a week, at 13.25 hours on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, while the flights from Lisbon to Zagreb are at 8 a.m. and arrive in Zagreb shortly afternoon.

Arik De of TAP Air Portugal said on Wednesday that this also strengthened the position of Lisbon as an air transport hub between Europe and America and Africa.

Yavuz Aytis of the Zagreb Airport (MZLZ) said that he was glad that this Lisbon-Zagreb direct service was restored after a five-year suspension.

During his recent visit to Portugal, Croatia's Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman announced the restoration of this service as one of the steps that would facilitate cooperation between the two countries.

In 2019, 65,570 Portuguese visitors traveled to Croatia, and in 2020, their number fell to 7,122  due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the data provided by the Croatian National Tourist Board.

 Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

June 2nd, 2021 - This week, Zagreb got its own gin park in Rougemarin Park! 

As Journal.hr reports, after winning over many visitors with a great chef’s offer, a new hit spot in the city, Rougemarin Park, from this week brings a whole new menu and new treats for all gin lovers. An extremely aromatic drink, which was initially used as a medicine and sold in pharmacies, is today one of the most popular drinks combined with refreshing tonics and numerous spices. In anticipation of World Gin Day, Rougemarin hosts the Gin Park, an offer and menu of drinks and food designed based on the characteristics and ingredients of famous gins.

As the basis of gin are pines with the addition of spices, all visitors will be able to enjoy gins that differ in flavors, aromas, and spices, and will be presented by top gin connoisseurs such as Marko Benković, who creates drinks with completely new and refreshing flavors. Gin is usually drunk in combination with tonics and spices, which leaves countless creative possibilities. Chef Marin Medak in Gin Park has designed a special offer of specialties that go well with many gin combinations.

With each combination, you will choose foods that will further enhance the flavors and raise the entire gastronomic experience to a new level of enjoyment with special aromas, spices, and flavors. Spices play a special role in the story of gin. If you have ever wondered what specialties go with this aromatic drink, in Rougemarin Park, you will find an offer created especially for this occasion: beef skewer sprinkled with a mixture of spices made of coriander, pine, chili, and lemon zest, served on a salad of bulgur, cucumber, and tomato.

Rougemarin Park | Rougemarin Park Facebook

Pulled pork also comes in a new edition spiced with lime zest, cardamom, fennel seeds, cayenne pepper, and coriander seeds, and a great snack with your favorite gin is samosa stuffed with beef with carrots, ginger, lemongrass, pine nuts, and curry with peanut sauce and miso paste. 

In Gin Park, until June 10, the flavors, aromas, and combinations of your favorite summer drink will be celebrated, and special gin-based cocktails will also be on offer. In the atmosphere of a beautiful park, arranged to enjoy long warm days and evenings outdoors, this will be a real spring festival of flavors. Gin Park also offers the inevitable Rougemarin classics prepared in a modern street variant.

A detailed schedule and program of events are available on the official Rougemarin Park website. Working hours are from 3 pm to 11 pm on weekdays and on Saturdays from 11 am to 11 pm, and on Sundays from 11 am to 8 pm.

For more, follow our lifestyle section. 

To find out more information about Zagreb, CLICK HERE. 

June 1, 2021 - With the new Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević soon coming to the office, Sandra Benčić of the green-left platform Mozemo! (We Can!) spoke to Index.hr about the first moves of the new administration.

Following intense post-first round campaigns in Zagreb for the second round of local elections, Tomislav Tomašević is the new mayor of Zagreb. Additionally, Tomašević's green-left coalition Mozemo! earned 23 seats in the City's assembly, and if the previously announced support of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) that has five, Mozemo! will have the majority in the assembly. 

The new mayor is expected to take his seat by the end of this week, and as Index.hr reports, Sandra Benčić, the Mozemo! MP says that ZG Holding chief and directors can be removed from their position immediately.

However, first and foremost, the earthquake damages seem to be taking the lead.

„The most urgent thing is to prepare documentation for the reconstructions of kindergartens, schools, and institutions in the city ownership that were damaged in the earthquake. We have to do that as fast as possible because the deadline to pull money from the EU Solidarity Fund is June 2022. I'm afraid there will be a fiasco regarding how much will the State pull from the fund, but we can only take the money for estates in the city property, and the damaged kindergartens and schools are our priority“, told Benčić for Index.hr

She added that they plan to start an Office for Zagreb Reconstruction and establish mobile teams which will help citizens to fill in documentation and requests for the reconstruction of damaged homes.

Regarding the statement about the fiasco with the State pulling money from Solidarity Fund, the conflict with the government was sparked yesterday when PM Andrej Plenković talked to the press regarding Tomašević's victory. He said he didn't congratulate Tomašević yet, but he will and that he expects good cooperation.

„I see that Mozemo! is paraphrasing my message from 2016 when I said that we are changing Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) so we can change Croatia. They say they are changing Zagreb to change Croatia. Clearly, they have something against this Croatia“, said Plenković, sparking controversy.

And Benčić is not the one to remain silent on such statements.

„Yes, we do have something against this kind of HDZ and evening HDZ with the State. They are not the State but an interest group that trapped our country. We want to see the country returns to all its citizens and that, of course, hurts them to the level that the prime minister allows himself these kinds of statements which, if they weren't malice, would be at minimal, unsmart“, said Benčić.

With the biggest number of votes in the history of mayoral elections in Zagreb, Benčić continues they are ready to justify this trust, and they start with work immediately.

„We are going with the financial revision of City's administration, restructuring City offices. We will do it step by step and connect offices while ensuring that functions and services need to deliver to the citizens. It should be noted that Zagreb used to have fewer offices, 17 until 2000 and then offices start to grow exponentially, only to put politically suited people to positions and raise their payments“, explained Benčić.

 And the new Mayor Tomislav Tomašević also gave an interview on Monday. As Jutarnji List reported, Tomašević also talked about his plans to improve Zagreb and fulfill his promises, particularly with so many earned votes.

„This big trust is also a big responsibility. Citizens can expect that we will lead by example from the start. The city administration and authority will be based on three things: decency, modesty, and being at the citizen's service.

He also added that Mozemo! is considering filing a lawsuit against Miroslav Škoro for the filthy instigating campaign, as Tomašević and many other public figures described it.

„I wouldn't like this to happen to anyone anymore on any other elections in Croatia, regardless are we talking about a candidate from the right, left or center," commented Tomašević.

Although no direct link can be proved at the moment, Škoro's rhetoric could've been the fuel for the attacker that set fire to the Mozemo! election headquarters at Zagreb Contemporary Museum on the election night saying to the gathered that „they are communists“ and how he will „kill them all“, on which T-portal reported. 

The elections are over, but will Zagreb continue to celebrate in such a majority as it did on election night? This is something only Tomašević on his new function can answer in the following months and years.

Learn more about Zagreb on our TC page.

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

June 1, 2021 - Zagreb Digital Nomad Week & Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador Project kick off on June 21. A look at some of the content and speakers, starting with Kristina Grbavac from KPMG on everyone's favourite subject - tax. 

These are early days in Croatia's digital nomad tourism journey. It is less than a year since a Dutch entrepreneur sent an open letter to the Croatian Prime Minister, requesting that the introduction of a digital nomad visa for Croatia.  

Since then, a lot has happened. Both the Foreigners Act and the tax code were amended, and the visa (actually a permit) came into force on January 1, 2021, with the first successful applicant getting her permit some 3 weeks later. (Meet Melissa Paul, Owner of Croatia's First Digital Nomad Visa). The online application form was launched on March 1, and there have been several other milestones to note as well. The Digtal Nomad Association Croatia was formed by Jan de Jong, that Dutch entrepreneur, Tanja Polegubic, and Karmela Tancabel. 

The first digital nomad conference in Croatia was held last October in Dubrovnik, and it was followed by the world's first Digital Nomad-in-Residence program (also in Dubrovnik), which has already been copied by a destination in Spain. 

The next significant milestone will start in the Croatian capital later this month, with Zagreb Digital Nomad Week 2021 (ZDNW) & Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador Project beginning at Canopy by Hilton on June 21. Apart from bringing together nomads both physically and virtually, ZDNW will also look at some of the biggest issues and unknowns in the Croatian digital nomad story. 

The week will consist of 7 days and 7 themes - cyber security, online presence, career advice, tax + finance, wellbeing, explore Zagreb, and the future of work.

Te full programme will be published shortly, and you can find the latest version on the Saltwater Nomads website - this is where it will be updated. 

Thursday, June 24, is dedicated to tax and finance, with a key session led by Kristina Grbavac from KPMG. Kristina and KPMG have been enthusiastic supporters of the whole digital nomad initiative, and they are working closely with and supporting the Digital Nomad Association, as well as participating in both Dubrovnik projects above. She has also been kind enough to write a couple of great articles about digital nomads and tax for TCN.

While bearers of the digital nomad permit do not have to pay income tax in Croatia for the duration of their stay, the tax issue is a lot more complicated than that. For a start, not all nomads will be here on a permit (EU/EEA citizens, those on a less than 90-day stay, for example). And income tax is just one type of tax that faces us. 

In an attempt to add a little clarity to the thorny issues of taxation and digital nomads, Kristina has kindly agreed to host an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session on tax and digital nomads. We will shortly be publishing details on how to submit questions in advance. 

For the latest information on ZDNW - and to apply to be a Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador - follow the latest version of the programme here. 

You can contact Kristina about KPMG services here.

For the latest news and features regarding digital nomads in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

May the 31st, 2021 - Zagreb has a new mayor and a major political shift has taken place in numerous places across the country which were former HDZ strongholds. With the results finally in after the second round, just what does brand new Zagreb mayor Tomasevic from Mozemo! (We Can!) promise to do for the capital's residents?

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the new Zagreb mayor Tomasevic said last night that he expects the official handover to take place at the end of the week and that the first meetings are expected as early as today.

"I'm going to proudly lead this city to a better future and I will be the mayor for all of its citizens, both those for whom I was the choice and those for whom I wasn't the choice. I believe that all of the citizens of this city, regardless of how they voted and whether they went to the polls at all, want better living conditions in their neighbourhoods, more accessible kindergartens, better healthcare services, more care homes, better public transport, better bike paths, more green areas, they want this city to finally give a bit of perspective to young people,'' said the new Zagreb mayor Tomasevic when giving his winning speech.

Tomasevic and his party Mozemo! announced that they'd reduce the existing 27 city offices, and thus the head offices, down to about 15. This of course also requires a vote in the Assembly. However, the late Milan Bandic's top people will not be easily replaced - the contracts for 11 of them will cease to be valid by the end of the year, but some of them have contracts for another three years and Zagreb mayor Tomasevic cannot dismiss them, even if he fully cancels their positions in the city's offices.

"We;'l talk to all of those people and directors, we'll see what projects are underway, what the deadlines are. There will be a normal transition of power. We'll have about 15 city offices, and for coordination, 27 offices are way too many, that's clear,'' said Tomasevic after the first round.

He also spoke about his first moves between the two rounds of local elections.

“We can immediately restructure the city administration and establish a city office for reconstruction. Currently, 80 percent of apartment buildings haven't even submitted a request for renovation, because people are struggling with documentation, which is a failure of both the city and the state. The city has the human capacity to form an office that will help people meet the requirements, that they don't have to collect documentation by going to city and state offices, but that we do it for them and communicate with people on their own doorsteps. The first thing that will be felt immediately after the change of government will be in the city administration, which will become open, accessible and transparent,'' Zagreb's new mayor assured, giving hope to many still struggling shamefully after the March 2020 earthquake struck Zagreb.

For more, follow our dedicated politics section.

May 30, 2021 - Following the turbulent public debate of the Zagreb mayor candidates that ended with Tomislav Tomašević winning the capital of Croatia, TCN reporter Ivor Kruljac brings you the Zagreb Local Elections 2021 Analysis, concluding that Zagreb is a city open for all ideologies but in constant search of quality solutions.

It's official – Tomislav Tomašević (seen on the lead image) is the new mayor of Zagreb, the 54th in a row when you look through Zagreb's history.  

As a brand new chapter in Zagreb's local politics is turned, many are still uncertain about whether the former mayor Milan Bandić would lose or win another mandate if he hadn't suddenly and prematurely passed away earlier this year. Still, as Jelena Pavičić Vukićević, Bandić's successor joined the mayoral race and came in third place (despite being perceived as the keeper of Bandić's tradition), we could argue that is the indication that Bandić being suspected of corruption (and taken to court on several occasions) could've been the political end for him, had he lived to see the fight. But, of course, given Bandić's strong personality, that indication needs to be taken with a grain of salt, as many believe that not only would Bandić get to the second round of elections - but he'd even win them.

Former Zagreb mayor Milan Bandić, screenshot / Al Jazeera Balkans

A quick recap

In the first round, Tomislav Tomašević from the green-left platform We Can! (Mozemo!) earned a stunning 45,15 percent (147,631) votes. Not only was that twice as more than Škoro and Pavičić Vukičević combined, as N1 reported, but it was also more than with what Milan Bandić won in the second round of local elections back in 2017.

The mayoral race in Zagreb was highlighted with the question of who will succeed Milan Bandić and who will properly address all the debts and unfairly earned employment in the city administration as well as the overpricing of numerous city projects (such as the many fountains and the plagued Sljeme cable car). Additionally, there were the issues of the handling the mess of the Jakuševec junkyard, as well as handling the post-earthquake reconstruction of Zagreb's very heart. The only thing the majority of the candidates agreed to be good were the city's social policies, but they can still be improved.

However, as TCN previously reported, before even officially entering the second round, Miroslav Škoro turned the elections from practical questions of handling corruption to the age old and frankly boring ideological battle, accusing Tomašević and the We Can! (Mozemo!) platform of wanting to revive Yugoslavia.

''That's the extreme left, and it will be stopped in the second round, so help me God“, said Škoro on the night of the first election results.

Miroslav Škoro, screenshot / Domovinski Pokret

This sort of rhetoric took everyone by surprise. Dražen Lalić, a sociologist and a professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Zagreb, commented for RTL that Škoro himself is a radical candidate and that We Can! (Mozemo!) are neither extreme nor are they the radical left.

''Regardless of Škoro having a doctorate in economis, he's illiterate in the political sense; he doesn't know even the most basic terms. Extreme means outside of the system and not going to the elections. Radical actors are inside the system, and I think Škoro is radical. On the other hand, Tomašević and We Can! (Mozemo!) are very moderate in their attitudes; they're young people. There were no incidents and they are were moderate,'' said Lalić for RTL. He added that Škoro is probably aware that he had absolutely chance of winning but was still trying to reach the far-right electoral body.

24sata columnist Tomislav Klauški wrote about how Škoro's war with the perceived ''extreme left'' is quite literally the only thing in his entire programme. He concluded that such a move isn't going to work for Zagreb, which has never voted for far right options, and he also reminded that former mayor Milan Bandić, despite his many flaws, also came from the social-democratic political option.

''His filthy campaign from the first round, where his agency spread lies that Škare Ožbolt works ''for the Serbs'', where his news sites spread stories that Filipović's father is Serbian, and warned that Tomašević is a concealed right-winger, Škoro is now going further with that into the second wrong. As if Zagreb doesn't have enough problems to talk about,'' wrote Klauški on Monday after the first round.   

Dražen Lalić, screenshot / N1

Škoro then continued to push the narrative of these elections, declaring them an ideological referendum among right-wing and conservative circles. Škoro also accused We Can! (Mozemo!) of being foreign mercenaries working for famous philanthropist George Soros or wanting to revitalise Yugoslavia, and Škoro's associate Zlatko Hasanbegović stepped out into the Croatian public space calling the party a lesbian syndicate - weird indeed. Additionally, Nikola Grmoja (Most) stated for N1 that Mozemo are iPhone Soroshians, and accusations accompanied by rather odd name-calling saw a random generator on the internet designed to mock these terms by random options. Meanwhile, Tomašević continued his campaign by talking about solutions to the problems Zagreb is currently facing but occasionally making remarks on the accusations by his opponents and sometimes even throwing some accusations in Škoro's direction in return.

67% : 33% K.O.

This focus on actual problems Zagreb is facing and the refusal to dwell into ideological issues, along with the experience of activism for Zagreb's interests, proved to be the winning formula for Tomašević, beating Škoro with amazing 199,630 votes compared to Škoro's 106.300 votes. Not only did Tomašević beat Škoro by far, he also earned more than former mayor Milan Bandić did, and nobody has had more votes in Zagreb's mayoral elections to date. 

Škoro lost his own so-called ideological referendum, but let's imagine for a moment that he actually won. Whether Škoro (or some other analysts who believed these elections would finally prove how Zagreb looks at things with an ideological eye) likes it or not, this "referendum" neither proves that Zagreb has turned to some radical left nor does it prove the opposite. First of all, only 45.7% of people voted on the second round of these elections. That's not even half of the total number of citizens that have the right to vote in Zagreb. Secondly, the culture and overall vibe of Zagreb truly tells us that Zagreb is diverse and very much open for everybody.

Zagreb - The pioneer liberal city for every idea

One thing we can say for certain about Zagreb's philosophy, if you will, is that Zagreb is proud to be a pioneer of development and a role model for the rest of the country. To illustrate that, Zagreb was proud that they'd be the first to use telecom lines, and by the time the rest of Croatia got telephones, Zagreb already had mobile phones. Being the capital city of Croatia, and the biggest city in the country, a centre of politics, education, science, culture, and more, Zagreb attracts people from all over the country and abroad, having bloomed into a multi-cultural city whose people have various ideologies and convictions.

When you look at ideological conflict in Croatia, which sadly doesn't seem to be anywhere near its end, it is often perceived that if you're a Croatian nationalist and conservative in Istria, you'll feel quite lonely indeed. On the other hand, left leaning progressives and liberals living in Dalmatia or Slavonia, areas that are known to be quite conservative, can't wait for a chance to leave those areas.

That being said, apologetics of all ideologies head to Zagreb, and Zagreb is a place where looking straightly from an ideological view, everyone is equally happy and miserable at the same time, but overall they're in a better position than in the rest of Croatia is. Before the pandemic, you had a regular event called ''Coffee with non-believers'' hosted by various venues such as Spunk bar or No Sikiriki. The event allowed for all atheists, agnostics, or even religious people unhappy with the breach of secularity by the Catholic Church in Croatia – to find those who think like they do, meet in person, talk, and have a good time.

On the other hand, in the Veliki Tolk pub in Opatovina, you have ''Right-wingers in the Pub'' which provides the same comfort and good times for the conservative-oriented people.

Regardless of what kind of genre of music you listen to, what movies you want to see, what kind of clubs you want to go to, mainstream pop, alternative rock, electronics, jazz... Zagreb's public sphere offers something for everyone.

Zagreb does have hospitals whose doctors refuse to perform abortions, but if there is any place a woman can have her reproductive rights respected in Croatia, then that place is Zagreb. Despite several violent homophobic incidents, the relaxing atmosphere of the LGBTQ Pride picnic on Ribnjak Park, and the support coming for the parade from the windows of Zagreb's buildings show that Zagreb is a safe place, and you won't feel alone because of your sexual preferences.

How these ideologies co-exist in being equally happy and miserable at the same time was perfectly demonstrated over the last two weeks. LGBTQ flags put out for the International Day Against Transphobia were torn down by vandals on the Victims of Fascism Square. A few days later, a pro-life initiative, Hod za Život“ (Walk for life) flags displayed on Ban Jelačić Square, were also quite quickly torn down. And the culmination of that event was seen on Saturday when the pro-life Walk For Life march was met with counter-protesters from Crveni Otpor (Red Resistance), which is pro-choice. So, as we can see, these ideologies create conflict at times, but more often, it's a peaceful co-existence. Equally miserable and happy at the same time, and still in a better position than the rest of the country.

Pro-life march in Zagreb © Hod za život - Zagreb

Pro-choice protesters waiting for pro-life march in Zagreb © Faktiv

Zagreb is liberal in its nature, courtesy of the growth and development it has seen, and even in the event that a conservative or even a radical conservative ever took the mayoral position, Zagreb wouldn't lose what it is in its soul.

Those who vote in Zagreb proved that ideological disputes are irrelevant, as long as freedom is respected by the candidate, and as long as you are not a radical and have a good solution for the city's problems, you're more than welcome to try and be a mayor.

Democracy is yet to be understood

That being said, there are some issues these elections highlighted for the political culture of Zagreb. First, Zagreb citizens that don't vote need to understand that voting is very important as our democratic right to have our say in what we want in Zagreb (as in the entire country). The freedom and all of the perks of living in Zagreb that citizens enjoy or don't enjoy are the direct results of politics, and any improvements or downfall in the city will come from politics. Having your say in these dynamic events is something that shouldn't be missed.

Democracy isn't a once-every-four-year event but a continuous practice of civic participation to make sure that promises before the election don't end up forgotten after the celebration.

Tomašević has said that "Zagreb is ours" (as is the name of one of the political parties in the Mozemo! platform), and so it's important for him to be open for the city's citizens, but also for citizens to be open to communicate with the local authorities to make a better community.    

Learn more about Zagreb on our TC page.

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.