ZAGREB, November 21, 2019 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Thursday addressed striking education sector unions after their silent protest, calling for a compromise and for ending the strike for the good of children.

"It is in my interest for children to go to school and for us not to fall behind schedule, not just with regard to making-up time but with regard to the holidays and graduation examinations as well. We have to act responsibly. I appeal above all to teachers, principals, parents and children - it is not good to not go to school. If we want to move forward, we have to learn and in order to learn, teachers have to do their job," Plenković told reporters in front of Government House.

Asked if he was surprised by the reaction of the unions who after he addressed them raised a banner in front of his face without saying a word, Plenković said that that was democratic and that he did not see any problem in that.

He said that the dialogue with the unions would continue in an effort to find a solution and repeated what the government had done and offered so far so that employees in primary and secondary schools could be guaranteed a 20% higher wage during the term of his government.

"With regard to indices, seeing that this applies to a large number of people - a total of 90,000 people in primary and secondary education - the volume of funds that is required is higher. We said - let's conduct an analysis of (job complexity) indices to see what the complexity of each job is worth," Plenković claimed, adding that the issue of indices would be resolved after the analysis but that that did not mean the government did not want dialogue.

Asked whether the issue of indices should have been dealt with earlier and not at the end of his term, Plenković said that there were several layers to that story and that the substance was a higher wage.

"The issue of dignity, which I understand, has existed for almost twenty years or so. The unions know how many changes to indices have occurred. That is the accumulated responsibility of not just this government but of all the governments so far," he said.

The essence of his message, he said, "is that we should consider everything with a fresh view and see how much that is really worth. "The most important thing that I appeal for is compromise."

Asked to comment on the fact that it appears that the unions will not back down, Plenković said that there is no other way than to talk.

Asked to comment on a recent statement by Education Minister Blaženka Divjak that she would not participate in the "power games" between the prime minister and unions, he said that they had not had time these past few days to talk.

"The matter of the fact is that anyone in charge of a portfolio wants things to be better in that portfolio. That is logical and I understand every minister. It is also important to know that the government has to be a team, it has to have a single line. If you have a line that is not acting united, then that's awkward," he said, adding that he would talk with Divjak about that.

More news about the strike can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, November 21, 2019 - Defence Minister Damir Krstičević on Thursday said that he was sorry because of a scandal involving an arms smuggler flown aboard a helicopter by the Zadar's Zemunik air force base three instructor pilots who have been in the meantime suspended and announced sanctions for all responsible persons.

"I'm sorry. Something that isn't normal has been done. A probe will disclose who is responsible and the Croatian Army will punish all those in the line of command, including those who failed to act responsibly in this case," Krstičević said.

Krstičević apologised on behalf of the Croatian Army over the scandal which was broken by the Nova TV commercial broadcaster on Wednesday evening.

The TV reported that three airforce instructor pilots had been suspended and were under investigation because they transported a civilian disguised in a pilot's uniform and who is suspected of smuggling arms in an airforce helicopter.

Krstičević said that "every violation has a name and surname," and the Croatian Army has zero tolerance to conduct in contravention to military standards.

He added that he was informed of the incident two weeks ago however, he did not wish to divulge this information to the public to avoid influencing the investigation with his actions.

"The investigation is still ongoing. After becoming aware (of the incident) I ordered the commander to submit a report about the entire case. I have convened a task force to analyse the entire situation by 2 December and to recommend measures that need to be taken to deal with incidents of this nature," he said.

President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces has been informed of the situation. Her office has said that the president expects that all the relevant facts are promptly determined in that case and that all illegal actions be appropriately penalised.

More news about Croatian Army can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, November 21, 2019 - Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a private American research university, is coming to Croatia where next spring it will organise education for about 100 applicants about innovation and entrepreneurship, the Jutarnji List daily reported on Thursday.

Presenting its programme for Croatia, called called Bootcamp, MIT says on its website that "with a rising digital sector and a plethora of ‘smart’ companies, Croatia is poised to become a new innovation playground for large and small economies alike."

"In January 2020, Croatia will take the presidency of the European Union for the following six months. During this time, addressing upskilling, reskilling, digital entrepreneurship, innovation, and knowledge transfer will be a focal point of Croatian officials. Emphasis on the global competitiveness of individuals and companies, particularly in the ICT and digital sector, is a driving force behind the Croatian start-up ecosystem and at the heart of the intersection of business, education, and creative talents," says this university, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Throughout the program, the participants "will learn and practice a variety of new skills related to entrepreneurship and innovation."

They will learn directly from MIT instructors, coaches, and guest speakers as well as through their experience in project teams.

The Croatian partner in this programme is the Zagreb-based Algebra.

MIT describes Algebra as "the largest private education institution in Croatia, enrolling more than 15,000 students in undergraduate, graduate, MBA programs, adult education, lifelong learning, junior programs, and professional certification courses."

More science news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

Electricity from the sun: an initial investment of HRK 35,000 (4700 EUR) will pay for itself within six to eight years! The benefits of investing in a solar power plant on the roof of a single-family home in Croatia are up to 75 percent lowered electricity costs and will protect the buyer from rising market prices.

As Dubravko Grakalić/GlasIstre reports on November 19, 2019; alternative energy is becoming less and less of an alternative, and more commonplace for our households and small businesses. Croatia's two largest electricity companies, HEP and RWE, have begun offering to install solar power plants on rooftops of single-family homes or businesses so that Croatian citizens and residents can generate electricity for their own needs. Interested households can easily arrange with their respective electric providers to become energy self-sufficient.

Simplified Procedure in Croatia

Due its geographical location and number of hours of sunshine a year, Croatia offers considerable potential for harnessing solar energy, experts say, and emphasize that less than one percent of all electricity is currently produced from photovoltaic systems. In early 2019, with the adoption of the Renewable Energy and High-Efficiency Cogeneration Act; self-supply electricity is now regulated by legal norms and the process has been greatly simplified. This legislation has paved the way for Croatian households to make the most of the sun's energy for their own benefit and makes the use of solar power plants more accessible to everyone.

- The simplified procedure for issuing energy approvals enables citizens to become self-suppliers by having their own solar power plant installed, which will meet most of their electricity needs; even up to 75 percent. This offer applies primarily to households and small businesses within the tourism, hospitality and trade sectors, says Zoran Miliša, CEO of RWE Energija Croatia.

Setting up a solar power plant does not pollute the environment. And it produces electricity from sunlight, a renewable energy source, which is a safe and low-risk investment, according to the companies offering solar power plant installation to customers.

The benefit of investing in solar power plant on the roof of a single-family-home is up to 75 percent lower electricity costs and will protect the buyer from rising market prices. The repayment period is estimated at six to eight years. RWE Energija's solar power plant installation offer includes a 25-year warranty and 10 years of insurance. Customers can expect to have their power plants installed within 90 days and the installation itself takes up to two business days.

The solar consultants at RWE Energija handle the necessary documentation and provide advice on choosing an optimal solution for every roof. And clearly there is an increase in the value of rental space for tourists who prefer environmentally friendly accommodations and are willing to pay a higher price for them, they say at RWE. They also offer solar calculator on their website so that prospective customers can see for themselves how much they will save with a solar power plant.

RWE Solar Calculator

After entering the real estate location and electricity consumption on an annual basis, the RWE solar calculator calculates the savings for every prospective customer. The calculator also accounts for the estimated power capacity of the power plant, the targeted amount of electricity, and the minimum roof area needed to install the solar panels. And it calculates the estimated repayment time. The minimum recommended annual consumption for the higher tariff is 2500 kWh. Then, the orientation of the roof, type of construction and the productivity of a solar power plant are assessed onsite. A perfect example is a family house on the coast with a north-south roof orientation. They calculate the available roof surface and consider that a power plant of 3 kWp requires about 18 square meters of roof. A 5 kWp power plant requires approximately 28 square meters of roof. The average power plant has a capacity of 3 kWp and is priced from HRK 35,000 (4700 EUR), which RWE Energija allows customers to repay over 36 installments.

Legalizing the power plant isn’t necessary since a mandatory part of the supporting documentation is proof that the building is legal (i.e. a building permit). As a solar power plant connects to a metered site, it is assumed that any building that has a meter is already legal, they explain at RWE energija. RWE will purchase any excess electricity produced by a solar power plant, but that is not currently a profitable venture for most home electricity producers.

HEP Upcoming Offer

HEP (Hrvatska elektroprivreda) will also offer two similar services to its customers very soon. HEP ESCO, a HEP company that offers various energy services, in collaboration with HEP Supply, will launch a HEPI Solar project designed for customers interested in erecting a solar power plant on their roof to cover their personal electricity consumption.

HEP will offer solar power plants from 4 to 10 kWp according to the ESCO model. This means that the company will independently finance the installation of such a power plant and maintain it for the ten years. The power plants will be paid for by the surplus electricity the plant produces, which will then be supplied to the grid. Signing three contracts is the only the legal prerequisite. The power plant will become the property of building owner after the contract period expires, HEP explained.

More information on the RWE solar plant offer and their solar calculator can be found here. Check out the HEP website regularly here for information on their upcoming solar plant offer.

For more information on clean energy in Croatia, follow our Lifestyle page.

ZAGREB, November 21, 2019 - The Islands Forum on European islands' clean energy began in Podstrana near Split on Wednesday, with Energy and Environmental Protection Minister Tomislav Ćorić saying that Croatia would push for the establishment of the Energy Union during its EU presidency.

"Alongside clean energy for islands, we also plan to focus on the continuation of the establishment and implementation of the Energy Union as well as on transitioning to clean energy, which will include activities and measures for the reduction of harmful emissions and the development of a low-carbon economy, in line with a just energy transition," Ćorić said.

He said the forum was a watershed in Croatia's preparations for the EU presidency in the first half of 2020, which include activities as part of the Smart Islands Declaration which the EU adopted in 2017. "We are trying to head towards a climate neutral and greener Europe."

Europe has over 2,000 inhabited islands which have access to different energy sources, notably renewables, but many still rely on the expensive import of fossil fuels, Coric said.

In February this year, 26 European islands officially began transitioning to clean energy with the support of the Clean Energy for EU Islands Secretariat, the organiser of the Islands Forum, he said. "We are proud that of Croatia's 1,244 islands, four are on that list - Brač, Hvar, Korčula and the Cres-Lošinj Archipelago."

More energy news can be found in the Business section.

ZAGREB, November 21, 2019 - The perspective of a country safeguarding the European Union's external borders differs from the perspective of member-states in the heart of the Schengen Area, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday in Zagreb, where she arrived for a European People's Party (EPP) congress.

During a news conference, Merkel defended Croatia against accusations that it was violating the rights of migrants.

Asked if Croatia should take over the presidency of the EU now that it was being accused of disrespect for the human rights of migrants at its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, the German chancellor said that "the European Union lives off having different perspectives".

Things appear differently from the perspective of a country that is supposed to protect the external borders and from the perspective of a country in the centre of the European region, Merkel said after her bilateral meeting with Croatian Prime Minister and HDZ leader Andrej Plenković on the margins of the EPP congress in Zagreb's Arena sports hall.

Croatia, as a young country, can bring its experiences because its memory of the accession negotiations is still fresh, unlike Germany's memory, since its accession to the EU happened long ago, Merkel explained.

Croatia has done a lot to create the preconditions for its accession to the Schengen area and the European Commission has positively assessed those efforts, she recalled.

Germany has not yet discussed Croatia's Schengen membership bid. However, Merkel said that she would draw attention to all that has been done.

During Germany's chairmanship (in the second half of 2020), this will be on the agenda, said Merkel.

In the first half of 2020 Croatia will chair the EU and after that Germany will assume the rotating presidency.

In October, the European Commission confirmed that Croatia met the technical conditions to join Schengen and it is now on the European Council to make the final decision on Croatia's admission to this passport-free area.

Plenković told the news conference that it was not realistic to expect Croatia's admission to Schengen during Zagreb's presidency over the EU.

This, however, does not mean that at the operational level of working groups the Commission's report will not be discussed, Plenković explained. He also recalled that Bulgaria and Romania have been waiting for the green light for years.

Upon its presidency, Croatia will do its best to assure its European partners that it deserves to be part of the Schengen area, he added.

During its presidency over the EU, Croatia will also address the Union's enlargement to southeast Europe.

Plenković reiterated that the negotiating framework for the accession talks with Serbia and Montenegro includes mechanisms for a suspension of the negotiations.

Merkel said that it was regrettable that Albania and North Macedonia had not opened accession negotiations recently.

In this context, she supported the Croatian government's plans.

Plenković said Germany has always been a friend of Croatia which supported Zagreb in its efforts to accomplish strategic international goals.

Germany is Croatia's main trading partner and one of the biggest investors.

Also, some 395,000 Croat expatriates live in Germany. Merkel praised them for a good coexistence with local Germans, and recalled that a rising number of German tourists visit Croatia.

She believes that bilateral economic cooperation could be boosted.

Both Merkel and Plenković agreed that topics high on the agenda of the Croatian presidency would be the next stage of negotiations on Brexit, the EU's multi-annual budget for the 2021-2027 period, including the cohesion policy, the common agricultural policy and allocations for security, climate change, investment, education and development policies.

More news about relations between Croatia and Germany can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, November 21, 2019 - The European Commission's new President Ursula von der Leyen said in Zagreb on Wednesday that nationalists and populists would not destroy the European way of life, which is also the name of one of the portfolios in the new Commission.

That name has elicited criticisms, notably from European Liberals and Greens. They believe it has too many associations with the protection of Europe from illegal migrants.

There is no doubt as to what the European way of life is. We will never let those nationalists and populists, which want to cause divisions and destroy the EU, hijack our European way of life, von der Leyen said at a European People's Party congress.

Our Union is based on respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy and equality. We will always defend our European way of life, she added.

The European Parliament is expected to confirm the new Commission next week and Europe's new government is expected to step into office on December 1.

Von der Leyen supported Croatia's accession to the Schengen Area, following a positive recommendation from the outgoing Juncker Commission.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hope that the European Council adopts a positive decision because I strongly believe that Croatia belongs in Schengen, there is no doubt about that, she said.

To the Western Balkan countries recently blocked on their European journey by France, von der Leyen said she stood by them.

We share the same continent, history, culture, and we are in the same political family. I assure you that we stand by you, independently of all processes. We stand by you and want you to be as close to us as possible, she said.

Talking about Brexit, she announced that, if it happened, the EU would respect Britons, notably in trade relations.

But we let them know that a country that is not in the EU can't enjoy the same rights as the member states, she said.

The EPP will have eight European commissioners, including Croatian MEP Dubravka Šuica, who will be the vice president for democracy and demography.

You will help us tackle one of the biggest challenges, how to ensure the prosperity of citizens at a time when we have an increasingly old population. You will put people at the very heart of Europe, von der Leyen told Šuica.

More news about Croatia and the EU can be found in the Politics section.

November 21, 2019 - The 5th round of the LEN Champions League was held on Tuesday and Wednesday, which featured Croatian clubs Jadran Split, Jug AO, and Mladost Zagreb.

Jadran Split played an excellent match in the 5th round of Group A against Szolnok in Hungary on Tuesday, though in the end, they lost 5:4. The Split side played with superb defense, goalkeeper Mate Anic had a memorable night, and the brilliant Zvonimir Butic scored all four goals for Jadran.

In the first quarter, only one goal was scored by the home side, and only in the 13th minute did we see the second goal, when Butic equalized for 1:1. Szolnok finished the second quarter with a 3:1 lead, and then in the third led 4:1. Butic reduced the lead to 4:2, and the Hungarian club scored once more in the last eight minutes of the match for 5:2.

Butic again reduced the result to 5:4 in less than two minutes to go. Jadran arrived in Hungary without Setka and Krapic, Pejkovic and Butic,and Zovic. 

Jug AO defeated Russian club Sintez Kazan 18:10 (7:0, 4:2, 4:3, 3:5) at home in the 5th round of Group A. Loren Fatovic was the best for Jug with five goals and Paulo Obradovic scored three. Alexei Bugaychuk was the best for Sintez with three goals.

In the remaining games of Group A,  Olympiacos celebrated at home against Spandau 13:8, and Barceloneta celebrated away against Jadran Herceg Novi 13:12.

Olympiacos has a maximum of 15 points, Jug and Barceloneta follow with 12 points each, Szolnok has nine points and Jadran Split has four points. Sintez follows with three points, Spandau 04 has two,and Jadran Herceg Novi has one.

On Wednesday in the 5th round of Group B, Mladost defeated Hannover 15:13 (4:3, 4:4, 2:3, 5:3) in Zagreb, registering their third victory in the group.

Mladost had a hard but well-deserved victory over the German squad, who recorded their fifth defeat. Hanover only led once in the match (2:1), but the result was equal eight times. The key was brilliantly opening the last quarter, in which Mladost scored three goals for 13:10. Hanover reduced the lead to 13:12, but the home side scored two goals in a row for 15:12 and confirmed the victory.

Milos Cuk was most efficient for Mladost with six goals, Alexander Brant Bowen scored three goals, and Cosmin Radu and Aljosa Kunac scored two goals each, while Ivan Marcelic had seven saves in goal. For Hanover, Aleksandar Radovic scored four goals and Darko Brguljan scored three goals.

In Bologna, Pro Recco went 13:13 against Ferencvaros, breaking their winning streak in Champions League home games, which lasted 33 games.

The last time Pro Recco, led by former Croatia coach Ratko Rudic, did not celebrate at home in Europe was six years ago when Rijeka's Primorje won 8:6.

Ferencvaros leads Group B with 13 points, Hungary's OSC is in second with 12 points, Pro Recco fell to third with 11 points, and Mladost is fourth with 10 points. They are followed by Marseille (9), Terrassa (3), Hanover (0) and Dinamo (0).

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