During the campaign you visited Croatia. What impression did you get, what kind of mood were the people you met?
Workers and farmers, small business people and craftsmen, citizens throughout Croatia have similar worries. From working in insecure conditions, and low wages for a dignified life, through problems in accessing social and health care, disadvantages in local communal infrastructure and difficult access for money in small businesses. Furthermore, many are sincerely unhappy about the corruption that is present in Croatia at all levels, recounting the injustices they have experienced. Because of all this, many who have not yet gone to work in other EU countries are wondering if they should leave. Croatia has received almost €10.8 billion of funds and European funds for its budget period from 2014 to 2020. So far, we have used only 15 percent, and in the last few days we can see that there was a lot of irregularities and corruption in the allocation of these funds. Here lies a huge problem in the perception of the EU in Croatia. However, it is also to be recognized that in different regions there is a different mood. In the north-west of Croatia, which is long-time oriented to industry and service activities, there is greater optimism, and I can say the same for Kvarner and Dalmatia, especially in those areas that have experienced a new momentum thanks to tourism. However, citizens are becoming more and more concerned about the need for a communal infrastructure that cannot suffer so many guests. More than €1 billion is intended for the right projects of communal infrastructure and it is necessary that cities and their close municipalities work together on such large projects as they will not be able to compete for these funds. The EU offers many solutions, but our local and national level needs to use it.
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