Croatian Driving Regulations to Change: Digital Licenses, Zero Alcohol
March the 13th, 2023 - New Croatian driving regulations set to come into force in line with those being implemented across the entire EU will alter some things for road users. Here's what is set to happen.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the European Union (EU) should become the first bloc of countries in the world to introduce a digital driver's license. All this due to the digitisation process that we're all undergoing and have been for quite some time now. This will also serve as a truly unique database that would help the police with their work.
''Your driving licenses would be on your phone or other digital device, and you'll still be able to request a physical driving license if you prefer having that,'' said Adina Valean, Commissioner for Transport of the European Commission (EC).
The younger generation could then enter into a probationary period of sorts after passing their driving test. A rule of zero tolerance for alcohol would also be introduced, because although statistics have improved in Croatia, across the European Union drivers under the age of 30 are still involved in two out of five fatal crashes in which alcohol is typically involved.
''I don't think anything in particular will change. Things will look the same as they have before, with the exception that people won't be allowed to drive under the influence of any alcohol whatsoever and they'll have to adhere to the same speed limits as before. Other than that, I don't think there will be any big changes as far as young drivers are concerned,'' Krunoslav Antonic, a driving instructor of category A and B, said in conversation with HRT.
However, according to the new proposal, the rules on fines will be changed for all drivers as part of the new Croatian driving regulations. Police within the whole of the EU will be able to access and see the databases of drivers in any EU member state. Until now, all police officers working in the European Union have been able to see if you have been fined for speeding or driving under the influence of alcohol, and the European Commission is now planning to expand this.
As such, in addition to the aforementioned offenses, every police officer will also be able to see if you do one of the following in any EU member state:
1. Failure to maintain sufficient distance between vehicles
2. Dangerous overtaking
3. Dangerous parking
4. Crossing over one or more solid lines
5. Driving in the wrong direction
Changes are also coming to the revocation process for driving licenses. If you commit a serious traffic violation anywhere in the EU, you could lose your driving license, and then you would no longer be able to get it at home or in any other EU member state.
''For example, when the German police determine a certain offense and find out the perpetrator, and that person is no longer available in Germany to contact, they will use certain data through cooperation with the Croatian police and in that way, a sanction will be imposed, and if necessary, that individual's driving license will be confiscated,'' said Sinan Alispahic, an assistant general secretary at HAK (Hrvatski autoklub)
Experts agree - we won't have to wait long for the implementation of these new Croatian driving regulations, as the European Union has set itself a big task to bring these plans to fruition by 2025.
For more, check out our news section.
Croatian Returnee Buys Hotel to Provide Free Holidays for His Employees
March the 13th, 2023 - One Croatian returnee from America has invested a huge sum of money into a hotel which will be used for free holidays for the employees of his three Sisak-based companies.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Croatian returnee Darko Matt Sertic is breathing life back into an area in which the massif of Velebit plunges down into the sea. Jablanac, a place in which around fifty people live without a local school or a shop, but which does have a post office, a church, is home to a hotel like no other in Croatia. This hotel's guests, believe it or not, stay there for free.
Darko decided on making such a move way even before he bought it, and he had spent literal years looking for a facility where the workers from his three Sisak companies could come and spend their holidays without having to pay one single cent, tportal writes.
"I do it out of pure selfishness, if you like. If you want a good and prosperous company with happy employees, you have to provide them with some basic things - paid travel expenses, hot meals, and you can even throw in a nice holiday, too. You have to help them out with what is affecting their family budget a little more. That's how you keep hold of them. In addition, you'll attract new, smarter people than you to come and work for you. Then you can step aside a little and say - great, less obligations for me,'' 66-year-old Croatian returnee Sertic explained.
He bought the Ablana Hotel with its 26 rooms two years ago. It was built back during the second half of the 90s and was operational as a normal hotel until 2010, when it was left at the mercy of vandals and the cruel hands of time. It sadly turned into an abandoned, ghost hotel, joining a series of abandoned tourist facilities dotted along the Croatian coast that are decaying in silence as the years pass and the elements take their toll.
"The hotel was in a terrible state, I was simply blown away. It was overgrown with weeds and wild animals lived in it, and the rooms were toilets for the people swimming on the nearby beach. It was just awful! But in America they teach you that even that "awful" can be turned into something good. Everything can be fixed, except the location. When something is in an excellent location, then it makes sense for you to work hard on it,'' explained Sertic.
He learned his priceless American entrepreneurial wisdom during the last 40 years he spent living and working across the pond. As a young man, Sertic moved away from his native Sisak to the USA in the mid-80s. He got a job in Silicon Valley and founded Applied Ceramics back in 1994. Its main business is the production of components for the chip industry, and its clients are the world's largest manufacturers, such as Intel, Samsung, Philips and Taiwan's TSMC, just to name a few.
He opened a plant in Sisak back in 2008, in the institute building of the former Zeljezara (ironworks). Three years after that, he started the international culinary academy Kul In, and in 2014, Pisak, the first business incubator in all of Croatia created based on a private initiative. This doggedly determined Croatian returnee did not stop there, either, and in 2018, he started the production of solar modules in his company Sunceco.
Here in Croatia, Sertic employs around 200 people. With them in mind, as well as is desire to provide internships for the participants of his culinary school during the summer, he started looking for a hotel or resort by the sea, and that's how this extremely generous idea came to be.
For more, check out our dedicated news section.
TCN New York Correspondent Srecko Mavrek Gains Recognition
March the 12th, 2023 - TCN New York correspondent Srecko Mavrek, a man born in Varazdin who has spent his time living, studying and working around the world, gains recognition for his promotion of Croatian culture abroad.
Last week in Bad Homburg, Germany, the winners of the 17th Vecernjak’s selection of the most popular Croats in the diaspora were announced in the categories of sport, music, acting and showbiz for the 2023 Vecernjakova Domovnica Award. This year’s “Vecernji list” newspaper awards ceremony was also held under the sponsorship of the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and the Croatian Heritage Foundation.
Srecko Mavrek, TCN correspondent from New York and one of the hosts of Croatian Radio New York "Voice of Free Croatia", also received special recognition.
Srecko Mavrek was born in Varaždin in 1969, and his origin is from Ivanec. He studied in Zagreb, Pecs, Graz and New York, and was one of the prominent student leaders at the University of Zagreb, where he was elected to the presidency of the Student Union and served as a representative for the social-humanistic-theological field in the university senate.
Before leaving for the USA, he worked as a researcher and lecturer at the University of Udine in Italy, the Karl-Franz University of Graz in Austria, the University of Augsburg in Germany and the University of Pécs in Hungary. He currently works as a swimming and physical education teacher for the New York City Department of Education.
He is also an adjunct lecturer at Hostos Community College, the City University of New York. As an internationally recognised expert in education, he was the official representative of the Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education at the United Nations Department for Global Communications.
He received several prestigious professional awards and recognitions, such as the 2016 President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition Community Leadership Award. Mavrek sings tenor in the well-known New York klapa Astoria, which became famous by performing the American national anthem at the Croatian Heritage Night in Madison Square Garden on January 11, 2019. In Science of Music, he composes folk and world music and plays various instruments. He is also a correspondent for the Croatian Information Agency (HIA).
Srecko Mavrek is a highly respected Croatian lobbyist and promoter of Croatian national heritage and culture in America and around the world. For this reason, last Sunday he received one more recognition from the American-Croatian Congress at a ceremony held at the famous Dubrovnik restaurant in New Rochelle, New York, owned by Zeljko Tomic from the island of Lopud.
The ceremony was preceded by the premiere of the HRT documentary "Ana Mljecka", which promotes Croatia, the island of Mljet and the Mljet National Park around the world, and is dedicated to the traditional way of life on the Adriatic and the Croatian islands, showing the cultural heritage of the island through the biographical story of Ana Strazicic Rodriguez, a well-known Croatian expatriate who has been living and working in America for decades.
During his speech at the award ceremony, Srecko Mavrek thanked the entire American-Croatian Congress, which recognised his contribution to the Croatian community in New York, and he also said that it was a really great honor for him personally to be among other award winners such as Jere Kursar, Zvonko Crnogorac and all others who for many years have been contributing to the promotion and reputation of Croatia and the Croatian community in New York and New Jersey with their voluntary and humanitarian work.
As a respected member and journalist of the American-Croatian Congress, he also announced that after this recognition, he will become even more involved in a series of projects at the local community level and globally.
For more, check out our lifestyle section.
Do All Brits Living in the Balkans Work for MI6?
March 12, 2023 - Being a Brit in Croatia comes with its own peculiarities.
Despite being born in 1969, I am apparently responsible for the events in Bleiburg in 1945, for example.
And we are all arrogant colonialists (I also spent a lot of my time in Kenya apologising for the British colonial past before I was born).
And of course, the main topic - what the hell are Brits doing living in Croatia? There can only be one answer - they are undercover operatives for MI6. After 20 years of rumour and accusation, including the delightful claim that I am the MI6 Balkans Bureau Chief (can you imagine), tonight the truth and a little insight into whether or not all Brits living in the Balkans work for MI6.
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EHF EURO 2024 Qualifiers: Croatia and the Netherlands Draw in Osijek (25-25)
March 12, 2023 - In the fourth round of the EHF EURO 2024 qualifiers, the Croatia handball team and the Netherlands drew 25-25 in Osijek.
Croatia thus did not manage to win even in their second match against the Netherlands. Four days ago, the Cowboys lost 27-32 during Croatian coach Goran Perkovac's debut on the bench.
With a victory, Croatia would have taken an important step towards qualifying for the final tournament, which will be held in Germany from January 10 to 28 next year. The decision on who will qualify for the Euros will be known in April when the last two rounds are scheduled. Greece currently leads Croatia's group.
The quick Netherlands side created problems for the Croatian defense from the start. The visitors took a 4-1 lead, and in the 11th minute, it was 7-3. The Netherlands, led by Staffan Olsson, reached a big six-goal advantage (13-7) in the 19th minute.
Fortunately, in the last 10 minutes of the first half, Croatia picked up their intensity. On the wings of the great Osijek audience, they played much tighter in defense and more mobile in the attack. Croatia reduced the score to just one goal by halftime (14-15).
At the start of the second half, Croatia managed to equalize (15-15), and in the 42nd minute, they took the lead for the first time (20-19). Goal for goal was played, and there were nine ties! The Netherlands was the first to break away, taking a 25-23 lead in the 51st minute. But Croatia tied the score again at 25-25 with goals from Domagoj Duvnjak and Tino Lučin four minutes before the end. Croatia failed to capitalize on an attack to retake the lead.
With his eighth save, Kuzmanović gave Croatia a new chance to go ahead. Unfortunately, Lučin committed a foul in the attack, and the Netherlands got a chance to lead a minute before the end. They were not successful either. Croatia had 15 seconds left to celebrate, and while Duvnjak shot, Ravensbergen registered his 15th save.
Mateo Maraš was the top scorer for Croatia with five goals, Filip Glavaš and Tin Lučin scored four each, while Dominik Kuzmanović recorded eight saves. Dani Baijens led the Netherlands with six goals, Rutger ten Velde scored five, Kay Smits scored four, and the excellent Ravensbergen recorded 15 saves.
In the second match from this group, Greece beat Belgium 26-24.
Greece leads the standings with six goals, Croatia and the Netherlands have five points each, and Belgium is at the bottom with no points.
The top two national teams from each of the eight groups will directly qualify for the Euros, and the four best third-placed teams will also qualify for the final tournament. Winning first place in the group also brings a slightly easier draw.
The last two rounds are scheduled for April. Croatia first visits Greece on April 26, and the qualifiers will conclude on April 30 at home against Belgium.
To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
Luka Modric Donates World Cup Jersey to Turkey Earthquake Victims
March the 12th, 2023 - Legendary Croatian footballer Luka Modric says all proceeds from the sale of his no. 10 jersey, worn in the 2022 World Cup opener against Morocco, will go to the victims of the devastating February earthquakes, which have claimed more than 44,300 lives in Turkey’s southern region.
"Hello to all my Turkish friends. I just want to send you a lot of strength and prayers in these difficult moments. Stay strong, we are all with you and we are praying for you", Luka Modric said in a video message on Twitter:
‘‘Stay strong, we are all with you and we are praying for you.’’
— TRT World (@trtworld) February 28, 2023
Croatia captain Luka Modric has donated his 2022 World Cup match-worn jersey to the February 6 earthquake victims in Türkiye, the Turkish ambassador to Zagreb said on February 28 pic.twitter.com/t8wQmIsPp5
Turkish Ambassador to Zagreb Yavuz Selim Kiran thanked Luka Modric for his show of care and solidarity,
Teşekkürler #Modric
— Yavuz Selim KIRAN (@yavuzselimkiran) February 28, 2023
Real Madrid ve Hırvatistan Milli Takımı’nın yıldız oyuncusu Luka Modriç…#Qatar2022 Dünya Kupası Gruplarındaki ilk maçında Fas’a karşı giydiği ? numaralı formasını, geliri depremzedelere bağışlanmak üzere Büyükelçiliğimize teslim etti. @lukamodric10 ? pic.twitter.com/V6YFNnsQxb
Croatian central defender Josko Gvardiol and goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic have also donated their jerseys and gloves to the earthquake victims.
For more, check our our sport section.
Sold Out Poljud Expected for Croatia - Wales EURO 2024 Qualifier
March 12, 2023 - We are less than two weeks away from the upcoming Croatia - Wales EURO 2024 qualifier at Poljud stadium. And if you haven't snagged a ticket yet, you may be out of luck.
On Friday, March 3, ticket sales began for the upcoming Croatia - Wales match as part of the qualification cycle for the 2024 European Championship in Germany.
Namely, Croatia and Wales meet on March 25 at 20:45 at Poljud Stadium in Split.
Advance tickets are on sale until March 24, with the following prices:
Central West: 30 euros
West: 25 euros
East (middle): 20 euros
East: 15 euros
North: 12 euros
While match day tickets on March 25 are as follows:
Central West: 33 euros
West: 27 euros
East (middle): 23 euros
East: 20 euros
North: 13 euros
The deadline for buying tickets online lasts until the start of the match or until all tickets are sold out, which may already be the case.
Just 13 days before the match at Poljud, the HNS ticket portal is showing no tickets available, according to Gol.hr. This is not surprising, however, as Croatia fans are still feeling the euphoria of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where the Vatreni took bronze, the third medal in their young history.
There was incredible interest among Croats for this match against Wales, and Poljud was nearly sold out two weeks before the important Euro qualifier. Poljud did not even experience this frenzy for the Nations League match against France and the 2022 World Cup qualifier against Russia.
Croatia will thus be welcomed by 30,000 fans in the electric Poljud atmosphere. Fans will come to Split from all parts of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, including many Croats living in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.
Anyone who did not manage to buy a ticket can watch the match live on TV. Should more tickets become available, don't forget to check the HNS ticket portal, where you can find detailed information on ticket sales and payment methods.
Croatia will play their second EURO 2024 qualifier on March 28 against Turkey in Bursa.
To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
Izlet hr: First Croatian School Field Trip App Launched in Split
March the 12th, 2023 - Izlet hr (izlet.hr) is the very first Croatian field trip app designed for schools and their children. Launched by the Split-based Eklata agency, this new tool will likely be a hit with schools.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, the global coronavirus pandemic contributed to the creation of the very first Croatian application for designing school trips, with which the Split agency Eklata alleviated the problem of a lack of staff and accelerated the process of selecting one-day trips for schoolchildren.
The real breakthrough of the Izlet hr application, which has been on the market since the beginning of this school year, will show itself in just a few days, because the beginning of spring is the traditional time for arranging one-day trips for schoolchildren, and by the beginning of the next school year, a version for multi-day trips, including high school graduates, will be ready.
"We've had this idea for a long time now, because we wanted to speed up and simplify the procedures for designing school trips and offers that will meet demand. As we always strive to be innovative and follow trends in our work, and we've digitised our business to a great extent, a mobile application was a natural sequence. The coronavirus pandemic gave us time to develop our product, which took us about one year, and the app has been available since last autumn.
There was also a trial period in which Izlet hr proved to be very useful and easy to use, but now schools are starting to plan school trips and as such we expect full implementation,'' said Jurica Glavina, the owner of Eklata. The web and mobile application Izlet hr is free and available to everyone, and through it, teachers, parents, and students can independently create an offer for a school trip somewhere in Croatia.
This skips the need for any lengthy communication between the agency and the user as the application is fully automated and the agency's employees are involved only at the last step.
Until then, users can specifically enter all the necessary information about their desired excursion into the app, from the number of passengers and the desired destination to the topic of the trip and the specific content they're interested in, with an overview of service prices.
"After deciding which county you want to go to, you can choose whether the excursion will be out in nature or whether the students want to see cultural and historical sights, visit galleries and museums... You can decide on one or a combination of different content, for example, you can add lunch to the offer. You simply click or "drag&drop" your selections, enter the number of students and you'll immediately find out the price and terms of payment,'' explained Glavina.
With the very next click, an offer is requested, which the app generates independently and which arrives by email in an instant, and by clicking ''accept'', a team of tourism workers, pedagogues and educators start preparing an educational and fun school trop, so it's actually a fully tailor-made service.
Mirko Vukusic from the Split-based company Banica Trade is responsible for the creation of the application, and he took special care to create a maximally simple interface which will be attractive and easy for all generations who decide on school trips. The next step is an expanded application for excursions, which is expected this September, with the beginning of the next school year, but Glavina added that it is a product that can be modified for all other group trips. Eklata doesn't intend to offer this product to other agencies, but will instead use the application for its own services.
Izleti hr has begun work in the first year since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in which the old dynamics of organising school trips are expected to return, although this year will also be challenging due to rising prices and a lack of workers in the sector.
"During the pandemic, many agencies changed things, there are fewer bus operators, and prices have risen, and all of this will affect traffic," concluded Glavina.
For more, check out our news section.
Adults Only Croatia: New Veladrion Resort to Open in Zrnovica Bay
March the 12th, 2023 - An adults only Croatia is very much possible, and a brand new resort in gorgeous Zrnovica bay will definitely delight all of us who would prefer a relaxing break without the chorus of screaming kids in the background.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the upcoming Veladrion Resort, a five-star facility within the wider Zubak Group, will soon be opened in Zrnovica bay. It will officially start operating on April the 27th this year and represents an investment worth seven million euros, all of which was invested in the complete renovation of the Veladrion Resort.
The new resort will otherwise be the second luxurious five-star hotel from within the Zubak Group on the Croatian Adriatic coast, which will open its doors to guests exactly four years after the opening of the Ikador hotel, which is still renowned as one of the most luxurious hotels in all of the Republic of Croatia.
The Veladrion Resort will be located between the Velebit Channel and the nearby Kvarner islands, at the mouth of the Gacka River, where the river flows down into the Adriatic Sea.
This will once again be a win for the adults only Croatia tourism segment, as this previously adults-only resort was closed for years. Next month it will open to the public with five rooms and thirteen suites within a total of three villas and one special house within the pine forest, which will boast a total capacity for 41 people.
Wellness and spa rituals inspired by nature and enriched with indigenous Mediterranean herbs will also be available, and future guests will be able to enjoy the benefits of both indoor and outdoor swimming pools or on the beach in the immediate vicinity of the new adults only Croatia resort.
Activities include tennis and basketball courts, outdoor and indoor gyms, the possibility of hiking and biking in the Northern Velebit Nature Park, all the way to rafting and kayaking. The highest point of Veladrion is a private lookout point with a view of the neaeby Kvarner archipelago, not to mention the offer of boat rental. Namely, Marina Zrnovnica is located in a deep bay and offers guests a fleet of private boats, one of which is an authentic wooden boat 24 metres long. The resort will also have a restaurant whose menu is based on seasonal organic ingredients and local traditions.
The Zubak Group has already announced that more than 30 employees will work for the new Veladrion Resort.
For more, check out our news section.
All Croatian Fuel Prices to Increase Slightly Again This Tuesday
March the 12th, 2023 - Croatian fuel prices are set to increase once again this Tuesday, continuing their very up and down trajectory that we've unfortunately become used to over the past few months.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, as of Tuesday this week, all forms of Croatian fuel are set to go up in price, be it petrol, diesel, or blue diesel. All Croatian ful prices will go up by two cents, as RTL Danas/Today reports.
The price for petrol will therefore increase from the current price of 1.30 euros to 1.40 euros, with diesel going up to that exact same price, and blue diesel reaching 90 cents per litre as of Tuesday.
For more, check out our dedicated news section.
