February 20, 2020 -  The fifth Adria Business Network, organized by entrepreneurs Željka Barišić and Kristina Krstinić, will be held on March 4, 2020, at 6 pm at the FORUM Zagreb Convention Center.

To lead the first part of the event, the guest lecturer is a new generation fitness trainer and owner of the brand BE FIT - Marko Loncar. We are aware of how much work and daily stress can affect our diet, lifestyle, and thus our health. Keeping top form and avoiding potential burnout is a challenge for us all. 

Thus, at this Adria Business Network event, participants will learn what is required for proper nutrition and superior health in the business world.  Marko is a columnist for Men's Health and Vecernji List and an ambassador for many companies. He has lectured at numerous seminars and workshops at major conferences in the region, schools, and companies. He is a longtime author and guest in numerous media. He is also an influencer with over 80,000 followers on Facebook and Instagram. Marko’s lectures are always packed to the brim.

The second part of the event follows with the one-minute pitch presentations of all present. 

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

Seating is limited and you can secure your spot on time by registering here.

The general sponsors are Bagatin Clinic and FORUM Zagreb Convention Center.

Adria Business Network is conceived as a networking event for business people in Croatia and the region, creating business opportunities and encouraging continuing education. Through the event, participants are offered the chance to find new clients and enter into lucrative business deals.

The event is organized in such a way that the guest lecturer speaks for 30 minutes, followed by a pitch (i.e., personal presentation) by the event participants, which is 60 seconds per person, and up to 60 minutes in total. This is followed by time for socializing and networking, where guests can enjoy the perks of attractive sponsors. The guest speaker selection is always in line with the latest market trends.

The brains behind the event are Željka Barišić and Kristina Krstinić. 

Adria Business Network takes place every month and lasts 3 hours. You can learn more about Adria Business Network here.

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

February 20, 2020 - Croatia will open its first game of the Olympic Qualifying Basketball Tournament in Split against Brazil, and play its second game a day later against Tunisia.

FIBA has announced the schedule and times for the final basketball qualifiers for the Olympic Games, which will be played in Croatia, Canada, Lithuania and Serbia from June 23 to 28. 

Croatia will thus play its first game in Group B on June 24 at 8 pm against Brazil, and the second game on June 25 against Tunisia at 8 pm. Germany, Russia and Mexico will play in Group a. If Croatia makes it to the semifinals, they will play against the national teams in Group A on the weekend of June 27.

The qualifiers are played in four different tournaments, each with six participants, and only the winners of the tournament will qualify for the Olympics. Argentina, Australia, France, Iran, Nigeria, Spain, the United States and Japan have already qualified for the 2020 Olympics.

In addition to Split, other cities hosting the qualifying tournament are Belgrade, Kaunas and Victoria. A total of 24 nations will compete in the tournaments, with only tournament winners going to the Olympics.

"The tournament in Split is one big event and promotion not only for basketball but for the whole of Croatia. We hope for a good atmosphere and once again thank the Government of the Republic of Croatia, the City of Split and Split-Dalmatia County. We hope that the team will be complete and that everyone will be healthy and we can look forward to the Olympic Games. We are about to begin qualifying for the European Championships that await us in 2021. On Friday, we play against Sweden, after which we play with the Netherlands. These two games are extremely important for us. After that, we expect the HT Premier League championship finals, and then we are preparing for this tournament.”

All fans looking to cheer on Croatia in Split can purchase tickets from February 26 through system.hr.

“The Split tournament is, in my opinion, the most important event in Croatian sport in 2020, and the importance and weight are in the opponents, system and organization. FIBA has risen to a higher level of quality since EuroBasket in 2015. We recognized this tournament as a top event that has the opportunity to be played in Croatia. I want to take this opportunity to thank the Prime Minister and the Government of the Republic of Croatia for recognizing this. What awaits us in Split is the ultimate spectacle for all sports fans, especially basketball. Until the tournament, we will work on the animation and promotion of basketball and take this opportunity to raise basketball to another level,” said the Secretary-General of the Croatian Basketball Federation, Josip Vranković.

Qualifying for the Olympic Games and representing their country is a dream of all athletes, which guarantees that exciting basketball awaits us in Split. The Croatia national team will have a slight advantage as they will have support from the Split stands.

‘’I hope we can show a good game in front of our home crowd on Friday and win. We expect that the Drazen Petrovic hall will be packed to the last place and that together with our fans, we will have a positive atmosphere before this last Euro qualifier against the Netherlands and before the Olympic tournament in Split in June.

When we finish these games, we will start preparing for the Split tournament, talk to all the players to get ready for the summer,” said Croatian basketball team coach Veljko Mrsic.

The Tokyo Olympics will be held from July 24 to August 9. The Croatia basketball team has qualified for the Olympic Games four times, with the highest success being the silver medal in 1992. At the last Rio Olympics, Croatia took 5th place. The tournament in Split is an opportunity for all basketball lovers and fans to accompany their national teams on the road to the Olympics, but also to enjoy top-notch basketball. In addition to Split, other host cities are Belgrade, Kaunas and Victoria. A total of 24 teams will compete in the tournaments, with only the tournament winners going to the Olympics.

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

Throughout the first nine months of 2019, the Crikvenica Jadran hotel company's accommodation revenue increased by eighteen percent when compared to the same period in 2018.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Suzana Varosanec writes on the 20th of February, 2020, after having concluded a long-term loan agreement in December in the amount of 13.4 million euros for financing investments, the Crikvenica Jadran hotel company is continuing its already started business expansion.

Based on several lease agreements they have concluded, the company has just transferred its leased accommodation capacities in several hotels located in Novi Vinodolski, Baška Voda and Umag. They announced this through the Zagreb Stock Exchange, adding that through the handover, the Crikvenica Jadran hotel company had increased its accommodation capacity by as many as 403 units.

As such, the Crikvenica Jadran hotel company will now enter two more hotels in Novi Vinodolski, namely Hotel Lišanj, with a capacity of 168 accommodation units and the Hotel Horizont, with a capacity of 60 accommodation units. Their business is also expanding through the lease of the Noemia Hotel in Baška Voda with a capacity of 63 units, and the Garden Palace Resort Bella Natura in Umag, with a capacity of 112 units - apartments.

The lease agreement for Hotel Lišanj and Hotel Horizont, as has been said, was concluded for a period of three years, starting from the day of conclusion or the handover of the hotel. The lease agreement for the Noemia Hotel has been concluded for a period of fifteen years, beginning from the date of the start of the lease on the 1st of April, 2020.

According to the latest indicators, in the period from January to September 2019, the Crikvenica Jadran hotel company achieved impressive total operating revenues in the amount of 101.3 million kuna, which is 22 percent more than in the same period last year.

During the first nine months of 2019, accommodation revenue increased by 18 percent when compared to the same period back in 2018, with particular emphasis placed on revenue growth in August when all newly renovated facilities were operational and marked an increase in accommodation revenue of 37 percent.

In the first three quarters of 2019, rental income increased by 51 percent when compared to the previous year, and revenue growth was largely the result of a new investment cycle, which, along with increasing competitiveness, ie, improving the quality of facilities and services, made it possible to increase prices.

Make sure to follow our dedicated business page for more.

ZAGREB, February 20, 2020 - An informal initiative of associations and individuals Survivor2020 on Thursday observed the World Day of Social Justice staging a protest rally in Saint Mark's Square in Zagreb to raise awareness about disabled people's disadvantageous status.

The protesters also called on the government to adopt a National Strategy for Civil Society Development as soon as possible.

Senada Halilčević of the Association for Self-Advocacy warned about the social deprivation of disabled people, condemned to a life of poverty, about poorly implemented deinstitutionalisation and about the practice of encouraging adult foster care, which does not exist anywhere in Europe but in Croatia.

"Manipulations of property owned by people under guardianship is another way of deepening the poverty of people who are already in a disadvantaged position," Halilčević underscored at the demonstration "Survivor2020 - Day of Social Justice in Croatia".

Nikola Tadić of the Croatian Autism Association said that parents of children with disabilities who were members of associations were exhausted as they were the only ones providing information and social services.

The initiative Survivor2020 called on the government to support the proposal by the European Parliament and vote for an increase in the budget of the Rights and Values programme, which amounts to 1.83 billion euro for the entire European Union.

The initiative Survivor2020 is supported by 30 organisations and associations, such as the Centre for Peace Studies, the Centre for Women's Studies, the Rainbow Families association, the Forum for Freedom in Education, the GONG election monitoring NGO, the civic initiative "Let's help children with disabilities", the Croatian Youth Network, the Roda (Parents in Action) association and the Green Action.

More politics news can be found in the dedicated section.

ZAGREB, February 20, 2020 - The parliamentary Credentials and Privileges Commission (MIP) on Thursday unanimously additionally stripped former minister Lovro Kuščević of immunity at the request of the Office of the Chief State Prosecutor (DORH), which has decided to expand its investigation into him.

The decision paves the way for the USKOK anti-corruption office to launch criminal proceedings against Kuščević on the suspicion that he committed the crimes of taking a bribe, abuse of position and authority, incitement to abuse of trust in business activities, and incitement to causing a business to go bankrupt, MIP chairman Žarko Tušek explained.

In September 2019 Kuščević was stripped of immunity to allow criminal proceedings to be launched against him for two crimes of abuse of position and authority, however, as DORH has expanded the investigation, parliament was once again requested to strip Kuščević of immunity.

During his term as the mayor of Nerežišća on Brač island, Kuščević initiated amendment of the municipality's physical plan and repurposed his barn into a house as well as unlawfully enabled his brother-in-law to buy a government-subsidised flat.

USKOK has now extended the probe to include Kuščević's spouse and a business man from Split.

According to media reports, USKOK suspects Kuščević of not only rezoning land but of illegally gaining HRK 1.4 million and defrauding the state budget of about 300,000 kuna.

He is also charged with taking a bribe and the charge also refers to his brother-in-law Ivica Žuvić and businessman Ante Marinović.

USKOK believes that a plot of land on Brač island, registered as belonging to Žuvić, is actually owned by Kuščević and that Kuščević received it as a bribe from Marinović.

More corruption news can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, February 20, 2020 - Science and Education Minister Blaženka Divjak said on Thursday that she did not have "anything particularly good to say" about Jadranka Žarković, whom President Zoran Milanović chose to be his advisor on education, and that it would be better to wait for Žarković's first moves.

"If I don't have anything good to say about people, I rather wait for them to make their first moves," Divjak told reporters in Brussels, where she attended a meeting of the Council of the EU on education.

Milanovic has confirmed that Žarković, a psychologist and former head of the Education and Teacher Training Agency, will be his advisor on education, dismissing media reports that as the head of the Education and Teacher Training Agency, she used to send teachers and children to lectures organised by "In the Name of Family" association and the association of retired generals.

Žarković was appointed head of the Education and Teacher Training Agency during Milanović's term as prime minister in 2015, when Vedran Mornar was Science and Education Minister.

She was chosen among as many as 12 candidates, and the media reported at the time that the selection procedure was shrouded in secrecy.

The media also questioned her decision, made at the start of her term, to abolish an award for the most successful Croatian students participating in national and international competitions.

Žarković taught psychology for a long time at one of Zagreb's high schools, which was attended by one of Milanović's two sons.

More news about Zoran Milanović can be found in the Politics section.

Attorney Boško Županović has submitted a criminal complaint against Croatian diva Josipa Lisac for performing and intoning the national anthem of Croatia in a derogatory way during the inauguration of President Zoran Milanovic on February 18, 2020.

Criminal Complaint Filed at Zagreb State Attorney’s Office

Yesterday Županović submitted his complaint against the beloved diva and gay icon to the Criminal Division of the Zagreb County State's Attorney's Office for the criminal offense referred to in Article 349 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to the reputation of Croatia.

His criminal complaint against Josipa Lisac is translated below in its entirety:

Pursuant to Article 204, Page 1 of the Criminal Procedure Code, I submit a:

Criminal Complaint

Against: Josipa Lisac from Zagreb, born 02/14/1950, residing in Zagreb.

It is requested that the suspect's other personal information be accessed through research within the operational records of Croatia MUP.

For: Committing a criminal offense referred to in Article 349 of the Criminal Code.

On the date of February 18, 2020; during the inauguration of the President of the Republic of Croatia, she (Josipa Lisac) publicly performed and intoned the national anthem of the Republic of Croatia, in a mocking and derogatory manner, thereby fulfilling all the essential components of the criminal section pertaining to the violation of the reputation of the Republic of Croatia, which is described in more detail in Article 349 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Croatia.

Explanation

In performing her intonation of the national anthem, the suspect used mocking articulations and tonalities which, despite her peculiar musical oeuvre and expression, were not socially acceptable. And as a person whose native language is Croatian, she had to know that this form of intonation in the Croatian language and culture is always used in forms of public mockery or disparaging imitation of someone’s statement, recitation or musical or compositional expression.

I believe that no citizen, whether it is a music artist or anyone else, has the right, tonally, vocally, or through gestures; to manifestly diminish the gravity, seriousness and significance of the intonation of the national anthem or the textual and musical structure of the national anthem. I maintain that any artistic penetration into the composition, text and musical structure of the national anthem is prohibited. Such a modification or personalization may be tolerated for other musical expressions, with the consent of the author but not with national anthems. The way in which the suspect did so during her intonation is absolutely mocking and disparaging. Therefore, I believe that the suspicion of the alleged criminal offense arose from the same.

In terms of evidence, I propose a recording of the public intonation of the national anthem, which was performed in the office of the President of the Republic of Croatia, during the inauguration of the President on February 18, 2020.

For the above, I propose that you conduct the necessary inquiries against the indicted suspect in the indictment.

In Opatija, February 19, 2020

Boško Županović, Magister Juris

Županović Complaint Based on Opinion, Not Musical Background

Županović told Dragan Miljaš/Dalmatinski portal on February 19, 2020 that he is a law graduate and that does not have any specific musical background by which to evaluate Josipa Lisac’s performance from a professional standpoint.

“This is my opinion. Her performance was disgusting and disdainful. Our national anthem is particularly beautiful and patriotic and sends a wonderful and clear message. No one should be allowed to manipulate our national anthem. I have nothing against Josipa Lisac or against Zoran Milanović for that matter. Let him be President to all citizens, as he announced, and let her continue her singing, which will surely continue to garner varied reactions. However, I do not believe that anyone should intone and perform the national anthem of my country in that manner."

Croatia Attorney Expected Josipa Lisac to 'Howl'

"This is especially important since it happened at a public event, the inauguration of the President of Croatia, which was covered extensively by the media. I expected her to howl, but something like this…it was a form of ridicule in the worst possible way. I was deeply ashamed of being Croatian yesterday,” Županović insisted. He revealed that he does not expect anything to come of his complaint.

"This (complaint) will likely go to some music experts, and a crow doesn’t dig out its own eyes, so I don’t believe that anyone would dare say anything against her," Županović added.

Article 349 of the Criminal Code states that anyone who publicly scoffs, despises or grossly belittles the Republic of Croatia, its flag, coat of arms or anthem will be punished by imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year.

Županović Not Seeking Media Attention, Faced Criminal Charges

"Look, I’m not seeking media attention. I did it as a lawyer and a proud citizen. I think it is just plain mockery and is not fitting of any event, let alone the inauguration of an elected Croatian president. I used my own time to write this application because I consider it to be my civic duty. I sent this criminal complaint to the institutions in charge, so they can do their job," Županović elaborated in a separate interview with Davor Tomšić/Index on February 19, 2020.

Index also reviewed Boško Županović’s background and discovered that he has faced criminal charges of his own.

In 2016, he sued an activist in Rijeka, who accused him of collecting 66 criminal charges by the age of 25. In 2009, Županović was tried for two frauds and payment of counterfeit money.

"I wouldn’t be indulging in this kind of speculation if I were you. I am not a convicted person. You know what criminal charges are. I have filed charges against Josipa Lisac so we will see. I am a non-convicted person, and these are just insinuations," he pointed out to Index.

Županović’s name is mentioned in association with ten companies, five of which are active. He claims to own the portal Liburnija.

"I have been in the real estate investment business for two decades. For the past two years I have been the sports director of a club in Koper, Slovenia,” he added.

Boško Županović and Friends | Facebook

Pictures with Brothers Mamić and Grabar-Kitarović

According to his Facebook profile, Županović doesn't always run in the company of law-abiding citizens either. He has welcomed pictures with Croatian justice fugitive Zdravko Mamić, his brother Zoran, and former Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović.

Diva Lisac After Performance: "I had to get up early. Normally, I sleep until 11:00!"

Lisac's performance gets mixed reviews from Croatian citizens.

Follow our Politics page for updates on Županović’s criminal complaint against the Croatian diva Josipa Lisac.

ZAGREB, February 20, 2020 - The government on Thursday adopted a regulation on the establishment of an office of the former president upon the end of their term and it will most likely allocate a state-owned residence in Zagreb's Visoka Street to house former President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović's office.

The office is being allocated at Grabar-Kitarović's request and it will perform expert, analytical, administrative and technical tasks required by the former president.

Apart from the right to an office, Grabar-Kitarović, also has the right to an official vehicle and driver and two office staff, and the expenses of the office will be covered from the state budget, Public Administration Minister Ivan Malenica said at the cabinet meeting.

State Assets Minister Mario Banožić said that the former president's office would most likely be a building in Visoka Street. "Most probably it will be one section of the building, covering about one hundred square metres, which can be physically separated from the rest of the residence," Banožić explained.

The government also sent a final draft bill on maternity and parental allowances to parliament.

Under the draft bill, as of April 1 the maximum allowance paid for the duration of parental leave to employed and self-employed parents would be raised from the current amount of HRK 3,991 (€537) to HRK 5,654.

The amount would be received for six months if the right is used by one parent, plus an additional two months (a total of eight months) if the right is used by both parents.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković underscored that during the term of his government those allowances had increased by HRK 3,000 in absolute numbers.

More news about Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović can be found in the Politics section.