March 26, 2023 - Looking for a job in Croatia? A new weekly feature on TCN, in partnership with leading job site agency, Posao.hr, who present a selection of weekly job listings.

How hard is it to find a job in Croatia, and what is on offer?

We spoke to Ines Bokan, director of leading jobs site Posao.hr, who kindly took the time for this excellent interview overview.  

This week's top 10 jobs from Posao.hr:

posao.hr is hiring a person in the position sales consultant (m/f). Place of work Zagreb. We offer the possibility of earning a salary bonus. Send complete applications via link by March 27^th.

Jet2.com Limited is hiring a person in the position of Customer Service Agent (m/f). Place of work Dubrovnik. They offer a competitive salary as well as fully paid training and progression opportunities, along with one-to-ones and coaching. Send complete applications via link by April 12th.

AA Euro Croatia d.o.o. is looking for a QA/QC Manager (m/f) in Zagreb. They offer a competitive salary depending on qualifications and an opportunity to work with a skilled team of professionals. Apply by April 10th via link.

Strabag BRVZ d.o.o. is hiring a person in the position of Senior Backend Developer (m/f/d) in Zagreb. If you are interested in a job, apply by April 12th via link.

AGV Group Malta is looking for a Nurse (m/f) and a Personal assistant (m/f) in Malta. Candidate must have good knowledge of the Italian language. Apply by April 21st via link.

Adecco Hrvatska is looking for an HR Manager (m/f) in Zagreb. They offer an opportunity for further learning and professional development. Send complete applications via link by March 29th.

Hotech Balkan is looking for a Customer Support Specialist (m/f) for remote work. They offer market-competitive compensation and benefits with flexible working arrangements. Apply by April 2nd via link.

CCPORTER Sp. z o.o. is hiring a person in the position of Sales Trainer with Croatian and English (m/f) for work from home. They offer attractive remuneration and an opportunity to develop coaching skills. If you are interested in a job, apply by April 21st via link.

Endress+Hauser is looking for a Regional Business Development Manager (m/f) in Zagreb. They offer a stimulating and dynamic work environment, travel allowance, payment of special awards (Easter, Christmas, and children's awards), and other benefits. Apply by March 27th via link.

Intuita Consulting / Intuita Europe d.o.o. is looking for a Full Stack Development Technical Leader (m/f) in Šibenik. The employer offers flexible and remote working, incredible learning opportunities, and a friendly team that provides mutual support. Send complete applications via link by March 28th.

Salzburg AG is looking for a SOC Security Analyst / Specialist (m/f) in Salzburg, Austria. They offer an attractive salary, flexible working hours, flat hierarchies and modern workspaces, and other benefits. If you are interested in a job, apply by March 31st via link.

For more career options and job listings, visit posao.hr.

These weekly job listings will appear in the weekly TCN newsletter - you can subscribe here.

****

What is it like to live in Croatia? An expat for 20 years, you can follow my series, 20 Ways Croatia Changed Me in 20 Years, starting at the beginning - Business and Dalmatia.

Follow Paul Bradbury on LinkedIn.

Croatia, a Survival Kit for Foreigners is now available on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.

March 25, 2023 - Croatia opened the EURO 2024 qualifiers with a draw against Wales after a last-minute goal leveled the score to 1-1.

The Croatia national team open the EURO 2024 qualifiers at Poljud Stadium on Saturday against Wales. It was Croatia's first appearance after the magnificent bronze medal result at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The great atmosphere at Poljud before the match was led by Tomislav Bralić and Klapa Intrade, who sang their biggest hits to warm up the fans. All fans were also greeted at their seats with a commemorative Croatia scarf displaying the motifs of the already widely known Vatreni jerseys in white or blue variants. Poljud was sold out for tonight's match with 33,474 in attendance. 

Croatia was in an almost unchanged lineup compared to Qatar. After the World Cup, Dejan Lovren said goodbye to the national team, and Bruno Petković did not play today due to an injury. 

Three days after Wales, Croatia will visit Turkey to continue their qualifications for the 2024 European Championship. 

Lineups

CROATIA: Livaković - Juranović, Šutalo, Gvardiol, Sosa - Modrić, Kovačić, Brozović - Kramarić, Livaja, Perišić

WALES: Ward - Roberts, Mepham, Rodon, Williams - Ampadu, Wilson, Ramse, Morrell - Moore, James

Match report 

Croatia had its first attack and shot on goal at 2:33. Gvardiol found Modric alone just outside the box. Luka's shot was saved by the keeper and resulted in Croatia's first corner kick. 

Another chance for Croatia in the 6th minute. Perisic crossed into the box for Livaja which deflected off the Wales keeper. It was another corner for Croatia. Five minutes later Juranovic launched a ball into the penalty area, but no Croatia player was there in time. 

Kova and Krama had a great attack three minutes later. Krama found Perisic on the left, but the ball had too much speed. 

Wales had their first corner in the 14th minute. Kramaric nailed a rocket at the Wales keeper a minute after that which went out for Croatia's third corner. 

Croatia possessed well and gave Wales little chance to control the game. Croatia was the first to every ball.  

Perisic has an excellent attempt in the 24th minute but shot wide of the goal. But Perisic had the best chance two minutes later when a powerful strike found the back of the net. Unfortunately, the ref called a foul on the attack, and the game remained 0-0. 

It didn't take long for Croatia to take the lead after that. In the 28th minute, Kramaric magically moved through the Wales defense and shot at the right post for 1-0 Croatia! 

Juranovic was shown a yellow card in the 30th minute. 

Luka's volley attempt in the 35th minute went just wide of the goal. Sosa tried shooting right-footed two minutes later but weakly shot at the keeper. Croatia was wholly dominating this game.

Wales was given a dangerous free kick in the 43rd minute. Kramaric selfishly shot over the post in the 45th minute when Perisic was alone in the box. The game ended 0-0 at the half.  

There were no changes to start the second half. 

A brilliant chance for Croatia in the 49th saw Kova alone in front of the keeper with an open goal but shot over. 

Livaja was subbed off in the 52nd minute with an injury. Petar Musa came on in his place for his first official debut for the national team.

Sosa played Perisic in the box in the 55th minute, but he shot at the keeper. Wales had the best chance of the match in the 60th minute. James was left alone in the box but fortunately missed the goal. 

Wales made its first 3 subs in the. 63rd minute. 

A brilliant attack from Croatia up the left wing in the 65th minute. Sosa played Perisic who found Musa. Musa's shot went wide of the goal. 

Wales made their fourth sub in the 70th minute. 

Vlasic and Pasalic were subbed on for Kramaric and Kovacic in the 75th minute. 

Croatia continued to dominate in the second half even though Wales had a few chances. Croatia had back-to-back corners in the 77th minute and even hit the post five minutes later! 

Three minutes of stoppage time were added. 

Unfortunately, seconds after Modric was subbed off, Croatia's defense fell asleep, and Broadhead equalized for 1-1. 

The match ended 1-1. 

Croatia plays Turkey next away in Bursa on March 28.  

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

March the 24th, 2023 - The American company Jabil is constructing a large centre in Eastern Croatia, more specifically in Osijek, where it will employ 1500 people.

As 24sata/Martina Vidaic writes, one of the world's largest providers of production solutions, the American company Jabil Inc., recently announced the construction of a new large center of excellence for production in the Croatian city of Osijek.

The completion of the construction of the production facility is scheduled for the beginning of 2024, and the brand new centre is expected to quickly become a key driver of the local economy, creating more than 1,500 new jobs for skilled workers. When the new centre of excellence for production starts operating, the American company Jabil will become one of the largest employers in all of Slavonia, and provide the local community with opportunities for both growth and development - the company's press release states.

The American company Jabil was founded back in 1966 across the pond over in the USA, and currently has more than 250,000 employees working a hundred different locations in 30 countries, and they've now actively started looking for workers in and around Osijek. On their website Osijek Hiring - Jabil explains in detail who they are looking for and what they can offer them.

''Business expansion is a strategic decision that is in line with Jabil's focus on long-term trends and growth in the areas of renewable energy, electric vehicles, healthcare, the 5G network and the Cloud. The new facility will be the very heart of Jabil's ongoing commitment to innovation, sustainability and providing comprehensive manufacturing solutions to its customers,'' said Gerald "JJ" Creadon, Jabil's Executive Vice President of Operations.

They are also planning to open a factory for the production of medical prosthetic parts, microchips and motherboards for the automotive industry, which means a strong business momentum for that entire region.

''Recruitment of the workforce for the new centre of excellence for production in Osijek has already begun and will continue throughout 2023. Management and engineering positions are currently open, as well as a number of positions in operations, supply chain, finance and human resources. Our company is focused on the future and boasts a diverse portfolio of industrial operations. We'd like everyone interested to contact us, regardless of whether they have recently graduated or have years of work experience behind them,'' stated Robin Forster, the senior director of regional human resources at Jabil.

For more, check out our news and business sections.

March the 24th, 2023 - This week in Croatian politics, we've had ongoing issues with post-earthquake reconstruction, more arguing between Plenkovic and Milanovic, and former President Ivo Josipovic thinks its time for the Constitutional Court to get involved.

Zagreb mayor Tomislav Tomasevic has openly discussed his relationship with Andrej Plenkovic, saying that "of course there is some tension..."

Tomislav Tomasevic recently appeared as a guest on Dnevnik N1, where he discussed, among other things such as the post-earthquake reconstruction process, his relationship with the prime minister. In his words, there are tensions, but the pair still need to work together.

"We have to work together, and we need to cooperate because of EU funds, I guess it is in everyone's interest that this money is spent. I think that so far, we've managed to cooperate in a good way, and yes, of course there are conflicts, one concrete example is the increase in water prices. Several dozen cities raised their water prices without any hype about it,'' Tomasevic said.

When it comes to Zagreb, he says they don't have a single affair to discuss.

"A new tram line is being built for the first time after 20 years, new buses and trams are here, some order has been introduced on the street terraces... Before that, not a single new tram had been bought for 17 years, we have trams running in this city that are even older than me,'' remarked the Zagreb mayor.

The European Commission is set to get a much more detailed insight into what's going on with Croatia's post-earthquake reconstruction process

I don't know about you, but I personally didn't think anyone would still be saying the words ''post-earthquake reconstruction process'' three entire years after the Zagreb earthquake of March 2020, and well over two years since the Petrinja earthquake struck in December of that same year. Alas, things move slowly in the world of Croatian politics, and we are still uttering those words. The European Commission is going to be getting a detailed look into precisely what's going on. 

Today, the European Commission will be informed of the review of the state of Croatian post-earthquake reconstruction, which is being financed from the EU Solidarity Fund, as well as Croatia's view of costs across all of its ministries.

This meeting was announced by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Construction, Branko Bacic, who, on the occasion of the third anniversary of the Zagreb earthquake (March the 22nd), assessed that the aforementioned segment of Croatian post-earthquake reconstruction is being implemented in full as planned, so this gives some hope that the money will be spent within the prescribed deadline.

You can read more by clicking here.

Has the much talked about Jarun bridge project been kicked into the long grass?

A large project which would have connected the western part of the capital city to Novi Zagreb appears to have stalled completely, with Tomasevic saying that he'd much rather strengthen the city's already existing bridges in case of another earthquake than build another. That all sounds alright, but there are people stuck in limbo because of this decision. People with properties situated along the route that would lead to the would-be bridge can't do anything to repair or reconstruct their houses which were damaged during 2020's earthquake. This issue affects 150 houses situated along this route which are awaiting demolition, but owing to only some things having been formally agreed upon and legalised by the state and other items having been simply disregarded, the situation sits stagnant. Experts say that the Jarun bridge is a classic example of the violation of various laws that ultimately put the City of Zagreb into a deeply unfavourable situation.

You can read more on that by clicking here.

Plenkovic claims that foreign leaders are set to come to Zagreb but none of them want to meet with President Zoran Milanovic

The trolling, mud slinging and arguments between Plenkovic and Milanovic have become somewhat iconic at this point. The pair were even depicted as part of the Rijeka carnival process this year. Endlessly taking swipes at each other, these two powerful figures in the world of Croatian politics can never resist a chance to throw each other under the bus.

In this case, however, Plenkovic has a point in the eyes of most when he says that Milanovic's often rather strange comments about the Russia-Ukraine war are simply not in line with Croatia's official position and that he is sending a very wrong message out to the rest of Europe and indeed the world with many of the statements he makes.

His politically damaging statements in regard to Russia and Ukraine have seen political figures from abroad question Croatia's official position, ask how he is ''being allowed to say such things'', and even had Russian media claiming Milanovic supports their country's disgraceful actions. A poor image for Croatia indeed, especially after the absolutely praiseworthy approach it has towards Ukrainian refugees and Ukraine's unfortunately all too familiar struggles.

Plenkovic went more deeply into the above during a recent official visit to Istria, where after initially emphasising everything the government has done so far, he once again referred to the strained relationship his government (HDZ) has with Zoran Milanovic (SDP), and why they refuse to cooperate with him. He enumerated the cases of him blocking the government's proposals for the appointment of various officials and representatives and said:

"This is just to make the general public aware of where the problem is and where the issues stand. Milanovic's views are completely opposite to the natural position of Croatia,'' he said bluntly, before touching on the beginning of Russian aggression against Ukraine back in February 2022, when Milanovic refused a meeting of the National Security Council.

"If there was a moment when we should have met because of serious security threats, that was the moment. After that came his distancing from Croatia's position and his repeating of pro-Russian positions that are completely contrary to what the stance of Croatia is as a European country, a country that is neither neutral nor non-aligned. We have diametrically different views," he said, as N1 reported.

He pointed out that foreign officials don't want to meet with or cooperate with Milanovic, who has isolated himself with his strange statements and views.

"To make you aware, the Spanish Prime Minister was here recently, he didn't meet with him, the Danish Prime Minister was also here as well, she didn't meet with him either, the President of the Canadian Senate came and he didn't meet with him, the Deputy Prime Minister of Italy was here and he did not meet with him. Do you understand what messages our allies and partners are sending him? They're saying; we hear what you've been saying for a year and we don't want anything to do with it,'' Plenkovic said.

Former president Ivo Josipovic says that Plenkovic and Milanovic are the only ones responsible for their poor relationship

Former Croatian president Ivo Josipovic was a recent guest of N1 Studio live, and during that appearance he commented on the constant conflict between President Milanovic and Prime Minister Plenkovic, as well as the elections that are coming next year.

"Both of them are responsible for their poor relationship and I'm sorry that it's happening," Josipovic said in regard to the constant arguing and insults being thrown around between the president and the prime minister. He says that he used to talk to Milanovic from time to time, but not about things going on in the sphere of Croatian politics.

"It's dangerous in a way even if there was a completely regular situation, and this isn't a normal situation [referencing the war in Ukraine]. This conflict creates a bad political climate and damages Croatia's international reputation, as well as the view of Croatian politics here at home,'' he added.

The war in Ukraine has implications for Croatia's immediate neighbourhood and our security, and it isn't a good situation when the two leading statesmen don't talk,'' warned the former president, reminding that both have responsibility for the functioning of the entire political system.

"I have the experience of being in a mandate with a government of the opposite political orientation as well. Did you ever hear such conversations between me and Jadranka Kosor? There was no idyll between me and Milanovic either, but it's important that everyone sticks to their political competence," said Josipovic, who believes that the Constitutional Court could declare this entire situation unconstitutional and force the president and prime minister to sit down and talk properly.

The situation with Croatia not moving quickly enough to absorb the EU cash given to it continues to be a burden

"Over the next 100 days, we must spend 403 million euros. A large number of projects are being implemented in the areas affected by the Zagreb and Petrinja earthquakes, and this gives us hope that we will be able to use this money. The works are now in full swing, the construction sites are filled with workers, and we keep receiving requests for reimbursement of funds daily", it was said by Spatial Planning Minister Branko Bacic.

As most people who have dealt with anything even remotely administrative here, Croatia tends to move at a snail's pace, and those of us who are better acquainted with this had our heads in our hands from the very day the earthquake struck. Of course, what Bacic is saying isn't good enough for most, and the University of Zagreb's rector claims that what Bacic has stated is simply not in line with previous forecasts. 

You can read more by clicking here.

For more on Croatian politics, make sure to keep up with our dedicated section and follow our Week in Croatian Politics articles which are published every Friday.

March 24, 2023 - The Croatia national team will open the EURO 2024 qualifiers at Poljud Stadium on Saturday against Wales.

The Croatian Football Federation made an effort to provide Croatia fans with a true football spectacle in their first appearance after the magnificent bronze medal result at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The great atmosphere at Poljud before the match will be ensured by Tomislav Bralić and Klapa Intrade, who will sing their biggest hits and announce the match at the beautiful Poljud Stadium in Split. In addition, all spectators will be greeted at their seats by a commemorative Croatia scarf displaying the motifs of the already widely known Vatreni jerseys in white or blue variants.

"For the magnificent choreography of the full stadium stands, we invite the fans to wave their scarves when the players exit the tunnel and raise them during the national anthem so that the view of the stadium is even more striking," said HNS. 

Immediately before the match, an official farewell ceremony will be organized for Dejan Lovren and Ivan Strinić, who left a deep mark on the Croatia national team. Dejan won the World Cup silver medal in Russia and the bronze medal in Qatar, and Ivan won the silver medal in Russia with Croatia. 

The Poljud Stadium doors open at 6:30 pm, and a quality offer of food and drinks will be organized around the stadium.

"There is always a fantastic atmosphere at Poljud, and we are all excited to play in Split. I am convinced that it will be the same this time. The match against Wales will be another opportunity to celebrate the bronze medal with our fans and step into a new qualification cycle with a victory. Our approach to the match against Wales will certainly be at its maximum; we are eager for new successes. We know how much these points mean to us, and we will be additionally motivated in front of our fans," said Ivan Perišić for HNS.

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

March 25, 2023 - Significant progress is happening at the Sisters of Charity Hospital in Zagreb. Artificial intelligence, with the assistance of the Micromate robotic arm placed on the CT device, enables a probe for the thermal destruction of a tumor to be precisely positioned in the body after the initial imaging.

As 24Sata writes, at the Clinical Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology of the Sisters of Charity Hospital, for the first time in Croatia, percutaneous ablation procedures and tumor biopsies were successfully performed on oncology patients using the latest robotic arm technology, it was announced at the Sisters of Charity Hospital.

Artificial intelligence, with the assistance of the Micromate robotic arm placed on the CT device, enables the probe for the thermal destruction of the tumor to be precisely positioned in the body after the initial imaging.

This represents significant help for precise navigation even to the most difficult to reach or difficult to see small tumors with a significantly lower amount of radiation for the patient, says the press release signed by the Director of Sisters of Charity Hospital, prof. Ph.D. Davor Vagić, MD. and the Clinical Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Sisters of Charity Hospital, Ph.D. Luka Novosel, subspecialist of interventional radiology.

All of the above, at the same time, speeds up the procedure itself. The aforementioned robotic arm system has been used by oncology departments around the world for three years and recently by larger oncology centers in Europe.

Recognized as a center of excellence in the minimally invasive treatment of oncology patients in this part of Europe, the Department of Interventional Radiology of Sisters of Charity Hospital was provided with this technology to test all the possibilities and advantages of this system, which is planned to be used in the future for the majority of oncology patients.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated News section.

March 25, 2023 - Every Tuesday at noon, a dozen Germans and Austrians, mostly pensioners, jump into the pool of the Visnjik Sports Center in Zadar. Under the watchful eye of a physiotherapist, of course. All of them chose Zadar or its surroundings as their second home, and many are choosing to spend their retirement in Croatia.

As HRT writes, Disciplined and punctual, as befits the Germans, they wait for everyone to gather in front of the pool. But the atmosphere is relaxed in the Mediterranean way. Some of these people have lived there for several years and have become used to the environment and lifestyle. They are full of praise for Croatia, and they are also starting to learn the language.

"Riba ribi grize rep," says Astrid from Austria, and Anja Schneider from Germany repeats.

Anja has been living in Zadar for almost two years. She can do that because she is a digital nomad. Since she worked as a waitress most of her life, she has problems with her knees, so she is happy swimming in the pool.

"I'm here on my own, but Croatia is so amazing. I don't know how long I will stay here, as long as I can", she pointed out.

Renate Nusser from Germany is now retired. She rented an apartment in Nin and doesn't want to return to Germany.

"I don't like Germany anymore. It's too crazy, too expensive, the weather is bad, and people are constantly under stress", said Renate Nusser.

A group of foreigners at the Zadar swimming pool every Tuesday. That was the idea of the pool receptionist Senka Marin.

"Our happy company at the pool is a group of foreigners who bought houses in Zadar or nearby and settled in our city. The pool has existed for 14 years, and our people have slowly created a pool culture; there are more and more of them, and the capacities are full. Of course, we also have our retirees who say they come to do something for themselves, and I love that, said Senka Marin.

"Well, I would say that they like to work. They have a dose of discipline. When I tell them, "we are working now," then there is no messing about; they will do it the German way. But they also like a dose of humor thrown in because, above all, the point of this is to hang out and have fun", said physiotherapist Jakov Žuga.

New members are expected to join them, and the number of hours spent in the pool will also increase.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated News section.

March 25, 2023 - Last year, a record increase in the number of overnight stays was recorded in the Pozega-Slavonia county, and the growth trend continues this year as well. New tourist apartments are being opened, and hotels built.

As Poslovni writes, the Pozega-Slavonia County is a hit among domestic and foreign guests, as confirmed by the excellent tourism results for last year. The county recorded the largest increase in the number of overnight stays, by more than 40 percent compared to the reference, in all of Croatia record 2019.

Most importantly, tourist numbers in Pozega-Slavonia County have been continuously growing. The county has for the past six years recorded double-digit growth every year, and it was chosen to host the recently held coordination of the Croatian Tourist Board with county tourist boards.

Kutjevo, the most famous wine town in Croatia, was chosen for the largest meeting of the system of tourist boards - attended by the Minister of Tourism Nikolina Brnjac, the director of the Croatian Tourist Board Kristjan Staničić, the prefect of the Pozega-Slavonia County Antonija Jozić, as well as the director of the Pozega-Slavonia County Tourist Board Maja Jakobović.

Hotels and villas are opening, the tourist offer is expanding

The great interest of tourists in the Golden Slavonia destination, which covers the entire area of Pozega-Slavonia County, has influenced investors, so some of the largest investments in tourism in the continental part of Croatia are taking place right here. For example, the construction of the Shhhuma hotel in Velika, the spa heart of Slavonia, is expected soon, and the first diffused hotel in this area, Zlatni Lug, will open in the picturesque suburbs of Pozega. Among the valuable investments are the tourist villas in Lipik, the luxurious mountain village Zvečevo na Papuk with a respectable number of villas of the highest category, the recently opened Bećarca Museum in Pleternica...

In parallel with the increase in the number of overnight stays, the number and quality of the accommodation offer is also increasing, having doubled in the last six years. Despite the fact that new accommodation facilities keep popping up, demand has continuously been higher than supply throughout Slavonia.

"Although tourism is not the primary economic goal of these regions, but an excellent addition to the quality offer, the expansion of tourist traffic will continue this year as well. In the strategic development of the destination based on the guidelines of the Sustainable Tourism Strategy of the Republic of Croatia until 2030, which focuses on green transformation and quality, we are continuing with last year's successful projects, but also launching new ones," points out Maja Jakobović, director of Pozega-Slavonia County Tourist Board.

Last year, the County Tourist Board presented an original shift in eno-gastronomy through the direct improvement of the destination's quality with the Zlatna Slavonija Eno&Gastro project, which tourism experts described as an excellent example of how to strategically develop a destination.

"And in 2023, we will continue with new challenges in the eno-gastro offer and we will not stop only at the food and drink offer. Among our new projects is the Zlatna Slavonija Outdoor, which will highlight and promote all the activities that this "hilly" part of Slavonia offers. The destination brand Zlatna Slavonija will be present through all the activities this year, and we will tie our slogan to all the sub-brands in order to complete the story", says the director of Pozega-Slavonia County Tourist Board, inviting travel lovers to explore and experience the natural beauty, cultural sights and the ultimate wine and gourmet experience of Golden Slavonia.

This Slavonian county is confirmation that systematic, multi-year and quality-oriented work definitely produces results.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Travel section.