ZAGREB, January 21, 2020 - A total of HRK 3.1 million could be set aside from the state budget to compensate for campaign-related expenses of the top three of the eleven candidates in the recent presidential election - Zoran Milanović (SDP), Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović (HDZ) and Miroslav Škoro (independent).

Milanović can expect 1.2 million kuna for his campaigning in both rounds of the election while Grabar-Kitarović 1.08 million kuna and Škoro could receive a total of 827,000 kuna for his electioneering in the first round of the campaign.

If the State Electoral Commission (DIP) does not find anything contentious in their finances during the campaign, the three candidates can expect a refund by mid March.

According to a government decision, those candidates who won at least 10% of the vote in the first round of the presidential election are eligible for compensation of their electioneering costs and the top three of the eleven candidates that ran in the first round on 22 December thus qualify for compensation.

Milanović, the winner of the first round, is entitled to a million kuna plus 200,000 kuna, as a fifth of a million kuna for his victory of the second round.

The amount of compensation for the other two candidates – Grabar-Kitarović and Škoro – is in proportion with the number of ballots they won.

That amount is then increased by 20% for those candidates who make it to the second round which means that in the end Milanović is eligible for 1.20 million kuna and Grabar-Kitarović for 1.08 million kuna.

Milanović and Grabar-Kitarović have to submit a financial report of how much they actually spent on electioneering by February 4.

The other nine candidates who did not enter the second round are required to submit their financial reports to DIP by midnight Tuesday. So far two candidates have already submitted their reports: Mislav Kolakušić (independent) and Katarina Peović who was supported by the Workers' Front (RF) and Socialist Labour Party (SRP).

Kolakušić reported that he spent a mere 24 kuna of his own money for his campaign.

Peović reported that she ended in the green by about 15,000 kuna. She received a total of 120,000 kuna, of which 94,000 kuna was from the two parties supporting her candidacy and an additional 26,000 kuna from private donors while she spent 104,000 kuna on electioneering.

The majority of her costs went for advertising on social media networks (30,000 kuna), radio ads (24,500 kuna) and official trips (12,500 kuna).

How much the remaining seven candidates, Nedjeljko Babić (HSSKSC), Anto Đapić (RiGHT)), Ivan Pernar (SIP) and independent candidates Dario Juričan, Dean Kovač, Dalija Orešković and Miroslav Škoro spent on their campaigns will be made known on Wednesday.

More news about presidential elections can be found in the Politics section.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Bernard Ivezic writes on the 21st of January, 2020, the European Union (EU) wants to ban the use of facial recognition technology within five years, but in spite of that, the Croatian Ministry of the Interior (MUP) has announced a tender for the adoption of such technology so that it can profile all citizens of Split in a mere two minutes and all citizens of Zagreb in just ten minutes.

Alphabet, the company that earns the most revenue from the use of artificial intelligence in online advertising and develops some of the most widespread AI technologies in the world, including those built into Android mobile phones, has called on the US and the EU to regulate AI and bring it into line properly. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai posted a comment in the Financial Times (FT) stating that it is not questionable whether AI should be regulated, and that the question rests solely on how to approach it.

"Companies like ours can not only develop new, promising technologies and let the market decide how they will be used, it's fundamental for us to ensure that the technologies we've developed are used for good and are accessible to everyone," Pichai wrote.

The United States and the European Union are already preparing artificial intelligence regulations. While the US proposes a soft approach, the EU is considering totalling banning the use of AI-based face recognition technology within the next five years to help the bloc's extensive legislature keep up with the advances and applications of such technology.

The EU took that route after China demonstrated that facial recognition technology, paired with access to all cameras in China's public and private space, could be used not only to search for criminals but also to fully track the movements and behaviour of its citizens, which is a gross invasion of privacy.

In one of the richest EU member states, the United Kingdom, a regulator has launched an investigation against a developer called Argent over the use of facial recognition technology on cameras in London's King's Cross, also known as St. Pancras from which the Eurostar train departs for both Paris and Brussels.

The investigation came about after the media found out that Argent was recording and profiling tens of thousands of citizens on a daily basis, and entirely without their knowledge. This is a particularly sensitive issue in London, which has the most cameras in public spaces in all of Europe, more than half a million of them, already used by police to prevent crime and search for criminals.

MUP appears unaffected by the negativity surrounding such technology, and recently MUP announced a tender worth 2.8 million kuna through which it seeks out facial recognition software that would enable it to identify the faces of 3000 citizens in mere seconds.

Pichai is naturally concerned that the US and the EU have started to regulate AI in different directions. All major companies, including Alphabet's Google, then Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook and Apple are developing their own AI technology offers and are already offering it to some extent or another here in Croatia as cloud services.

For more on MUP, follow our dedicated lifestyle page.

ZAGREB, January 21, 2020 - The Croatian non-profit association called "Životna linija" (Lifeline) on Monday marked Blue Monday, a day believed to be the most depressing day of the year, to warn that around 200,000 people in Croatia suffer from depression and are more at risk of suicide than the rest of the population.

The members of the association distributed chocolates and leaflets in Zagreb's central Ban Josip Jelačić Square under the slogan "Let's make the most depressing day of the year better." The leaflets warn that on average two people commit suicide in Croatia every day, which is around 700 people per year.

The president of the association, Tin Pongrac, pointed out that people suffering from depression were largely at risk of suicide. "Sometimes even just one kind word can mean the difference between life and death," he said.

According to World Health Organisation estimates, around 200,000 people suffer from depression in Croatia, but Pongrac thinks this is a conservative estimate. He thinks that as many as half a million people suffer from some form of depression.

Underscoring that depression is the second most serious problem in the Croatian public healthcare sector, he called on institutions to address the issue, which is becoming an increasingly great burden on the national health system.

He added that depression could be treated successfully. His association advocates a combination of antidepressants and psychotherapy. "The system prescribes antidepressants, but it should also provide patients with psychotherapy," he said.

More health news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, January 21, 2020 - The Croatian Journalists Association (HND) said on Monday that it had walked out of a Culture Ministry task force in charge of drawing up a new law on electronic media because the ministry did not include any of the HND's proposals in the document.

The HND says that it had submitted a document with its proposals to the ministry on August 26, 2019 after on July 26 working material for the future law was made available to it.

The association says that it wants to remind the public of this fact in light of Culture Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek's repeated statements about the HND "stating falsely that its proposals were not accepted. Those that could be accepted were accepted."

"Statements like this one are designed to create the impression that the HND left the ministry's task force without a real reason. That is why we are repeating: The Culture Ministry did not accept any of the HND's proposals to the working text of the Electronic Media Act, including one on the need to depoliticise the Electronic Media Council. The HND joined the task force responsibly, in good faith and with the best of intentions, expecting that we share the same goal of upgrading the media in Croatia and their democratic function," HND president Hrvoje Zovko said on behalf of the HND Executive Board.

HND representatives said that they had joined the task force bearing in mind the HND's mission to protect journalism as a public good, protect the public interest and promote the public's right to fair, correct and complete information.

"Aware of this role of ours in society, we will join in public consultation on the electronic media bill, the minister doesn't need to remind us of that," Zovko said.

More news about the status of journalists in Croatia can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, January 21, 2020 - Beers produced by craft- and microbreweries are getting more and more popular in Croatia, and currently some 80 breweries of this kind are aspiring to increase their market share from the current 2%-3% to 10% in the coming years.

The head of the Croatian association of craft and microbreweries, Krešo Marić, has told Hina that the average Croatian beer lover can recognise a difference between craft beers and lagers, and in this context he says that it is like comparing prosciutto to processed meat.

In Croatia, the annual beer consumption is 83 litres per capita, and the ranking is topped by the Czech Republic where the average annual consumption is 143 litres per capita.

The amount of beer production in Croatia is 3.4 million hectolitres annually, which puts the country on the 22nd place in the European Union.

The brewing and consumption of craft beer in the total production and consumption in Croatia is between 2% and 3%, according to Marić.

Since 2013 when the first craft- and microbreweries appeared in the country, at least 400 jobs have been created in that segment, Marić says.

Craft brewing enhances reputation of the whole beer sector, and therefore some of the big breweries have started producing types of craft beers recently, he added.

Marić said that, for instance, in Italy, over the last ten years the number of craft breweries has increased to about 1,000 and in Slovenia to more than 130.

Some other protagonists in small brewing sector in Croatia believe that the market in Croatia is becoming more and more "mature" for craft beers, however, the expansion on the market is likely to slow down in comparison to the growth rate in the recent years.

In 2018, over 39 billion litres of beer containing alcohol were produced in the European Union (EU). The EU’s beer production was equivalent to around 76 litres per inhabitant, according to figures provided by the EU statistical office Eurostat.

In addition, in 2018 the EU produced over 1 billion litres of beer which contained less than 0.5% alcohol or had no alcohol content at all.

More news about the beer industry can be found in the Business section.

January 21, 2020 - After Petra Martic moved to the second round on Monday and Borna Coric was surprisingly knocked out in the first, three more Croatian representatives took to the courts on Tuesday - Marin Cilic, Donna Vekic and Ivo Karlovic.

Marin Cilic had a convincing performance in the first round of this year's Australian Open, defeating the recent finalist of the ATP tournament in Doha, Frenchman Corentin Moutet (ATP—70) - 6:3, 6:2, 6:4.

Cilic won the first set after a break in the sixth game, and in the second set, he took Moutet’s serve in the first and fifth games. Cilic, however, had a bit more work in the third set, though in the fifth game, a decisive break gave him the victory, in which he recorded nine aces with a first-serve percentage of 62 percent.

His next opponent is the 21st tennis player in the world, Frenchman Benoit Paire. They have played on five occasions so far, and Marin has recorded four wins. 

Cruise mode ?@cilic_marin keeps his #AO2020 hopes alive with a 6-3 6-2 6-4 first round win over Moutet#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/d0DU4CX7kc

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 21, 2020

Donna Vekic will also play in the second round of the Australian Open for the fifth time in her career. Namely, the 23-year-old Osijek native and 19th-seed of the tournament was too strong for former best tennis player in the world, Russian Maria Sharapova (WTA-145) - 6:3, 6:4. 

Donna had no problems in the first set and quickly went to 5:1 to resolve any doubts. However, in the second set, Sharapova played much better, and after a break in the fourth game, later led 4:1. 

Donna then kicked into gear and, with five consecutive games, reached her first success against Sharapova. Sharapova previously celebrated at the 2018 Roland Garros tournament. 

On her way to victory, Donna recorded three aces with a first-serve percentage of 52 percent, and used all four break-points on her opponent’s serve. In the second round, Vekic will play the winner of Cornet - Niculescu.

Under the watchful eye of mum and dad, @DonnaVekic gets the W.

"It's really great to have them around and my whole team is the best" ?#AO2020 | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/GqZ6NbuNfM

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 21, 2020

Ivo Karlovic (ATP-124th), who will turn 41 next month, also advanced to the second round of the first Australian Open, beating Canadian Vasek Pospisil in the first round 7:6 (4), 6:4, 7:5 after two hours and two minutes of play.

Source: HTS

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

January 21, 2020 -  Beginning 2020 in a big way - introducing the Break Time franchise!

A new year calls for new beginnings, and one famous nautical jewelry brand in Croatia is wasting no time with their New Year’s resolution.

After celebrating the fourth anniversary of their first shop, with a collection of shops from Dubrovnik to Istria (Porec and Rovinj), and Zagreb since then, Break Time is turning a new leaf. 

“During these four years, we have also constantly received requests for distribution not just from Croatian shops, but also from literally everywhere in the world, from Dubai to Costa Rica. Since all Break Time products were handmade by my partner - our brand artisan, Leonard Copoiu, we very rarely agreed to have a presence in third-party stores.

During this time, we have constantly improved on our products, innovated and added new collections, while - at the same time - learning more and more about managing a growing retail business, what works and what doesn't, how to improve and how to meet and exceed customers' expectations. 

We have realized that there is a trending and niche market for original handmade products, such as our quality nautical jewelry and also for monobrand brick-and-mortar stores offering great shopping experiences, just the two of us (me and my partner, Leonard) opening more stores is not going to be sustainable,” Break Time wrote at the beginning of the month. 

Thus, this week, Break Time nautical jewelry announced that it is ready to share their brand with the world and officially launched a franchise for all fans of sea-inspired artisan jewelry! 

“It took us five years to perfect our handcrafted nautical jewelry, to deliver great customer experiences, to gather enough retail-running knowledge, to make enough mistakes and learn from them.

We are now ready to share our brand to the world, so say hello to the Break Time Franchise!” said owners Mirela Rus and Leonard Copoiu upon announcing the big news.

So, if you’re looking for a new business opportunity that:

• Is easy to run, even if you have little experience in retail
• Has proven business results and brings waves of success - fast
• Belongs to an attractive, niche market
• Sells unique products that have taken the market by the storm

...then choose one of the available dates/times, fill in the questionnaire as accurately and in detail as you can, and get a FREE DISCOVERY CALL with the Break Time brand owners, Mirela Rus and Leonard Copoiu, to help you decide if this business is right for you.

With the big franchise news, Break Time has also announced that it will be scaling back on their shops and only maintaining the two Split stores (Trogirska 8 and Zadarska 1), where Mirela and Leonard are based. 

“This change will allow us to keep our focus on producing exquisite quality handmade nautical jewelry (of course, Leonard will continue to make part of the products himself and he will also have a team around him to help with the production, while he will still be the one supervising each and every one of the Break Time items being made) and grow our brand through like-minded entrepreneurs such as ourselves, who are looking to invest in a proven business idea and open their own franchise Break Time stores in tourist-oriented coastal towns across the world,” the owners added.

We’d say that 2020 is off to a running start for Break Time! 

To make sure you never miss a Break Time beat, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, and check out the new Break Time website here.

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

January 21, 2020 - Did you know that the City of Dubrovnik will establish a traffic congestion zone around the historic core of the city, which could ultimately affect tourists renting in the area? 

Namely, the first phase of this traffic solution will relate to tourist buses and passenger cars 8 + 1, or vans, which is expected already in the upcoming tourist season.

“The City is working on introducing a congestion zone around the City. In the first phase of the project, four cameras will be erected in the area near the public garage on Zagrebačka Street, above the Tourist School at the exit towards Ul. Druge dalmatinske brigade, one camera will be at Pile and one on Ul. branitelja Dubrovnika. These are modern, up-to-date camera systems that will be able to recognize vehicle plates as well as vehicle dimensions,” explained Djuro Šutalo.

So, what are these cameras for, anyway?

This video surveillance will facilitate the detection of vehicles that are in the traffic congestion zone outside the reserved term, or are staying longer than the allowed time at Pile or Ploče. Misdemeanor proceedings will be conducted for vehicles without a valid permit.

More specifically, only vehicles with privileged tickets will be able to pass through the area around the historic center, which are residents of the City of Dubrovnik and the neighboring municipalities.

“In 2020, we are introducing the first phase for buses and vans, and this year we will see how the system works,” said Šutalo. Whether tourists will be able to get to their apartments, for example, those renting in Ploče, is a question that worries many renters - and there is a considerable number in the area. 

At this point, Šutalo cannot answer that question.

We do know that taxi drivers can travel freely through Zagrebačka Street this year, though changes could be possible for taxis come 2021, depending on how the new system flows.

The City believes that establishing a traffic congestion zone around the historic core of the City, as well as other traffic solutions they introduce, will achieve systematic management and development of the traffic system. Above all, there will be significant relief from traffic around the historic core.

So, what will this mean for renters? 

If you’re traveling to Dubrovnik by car, whether it is with your personal vehicle or transfer service, think about booking accommodation outside the busy city center. 

Make your life even easier by booking with Solo Transfers. You can check out their rates to Dubrovnik on their website. 

Source: Dubrovacki Vjesnik

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