Croatian news – Croatia, the War, and the Future

Setting Right Croatian War Veterans’ Rights

January 20, 2016 by inavukic 16 Comments

From right: Retired General Zeljko Glasnovic
and Retired Colonel Mijo Crnoja
In front of veterans’ protest tent
Zagreb Croatia
Photo: hdz.hr

If the Croatian Prime Minister designate, Tihomir Oreskovic, accepts the HDZ/Croatian Democratic Union nomination for the new Minister of Veterans Affairs the Croatian war veterans would, after several years of degradation by the leftist political winds finally reap their deserved rewards.

Friday 22 January 2016 is widely touted as the date when the composition of Croatia’s new government will be revealed. Prime Minister designate, Tihomir Oreskovic, has been working closely with the elected conservative HDZ and Most/Bridge coalition parliamentarians since he was appointed the PM designate less than a month ago.
All eyes it seems – in Croatia and abroad – are turned to this as expectations of miracles that will save the country from the economic abyss, a bottomless black hole since foreign debt has reached 90% of GDP – are hot and seething with restless anticipation.

Retired Colonel Mijo Crnoja
Photo: hdz.hr

According to Croatia’s news portal Jutarnji List, Retired Colonel Mijo Crnoja has accepted the HDZ nomination for the minister of veterans affairs portfolio. Colonel Crnoja was put forward as candidate for the post by Croatia veterans who say that through Crnoja the dignity of Croatian soldiers/veterans will be restored. Fortunately, there are very few countries in the world that have treated their war veterans as poorly as the Croatian Social Democrat, leftist, Zoran Milanovic’s government and former communist presidents Stjepan Mesic and Ivo Josipovic have. The former Yugoslav communists of Croatia had done everything in their power to degrade, defame and destroy the spirit and might of Croatia’s brave war veterans of 1990’s to whom Croatia owes its freedom to an overwhelming extent. All that may well be behind us with when the new government sets sail forward in a week or so.

Crnoja’s whole life’s and war path have been dedicated to the fight for a just and free Croatia and to the protection of Croatian veterans’ dignity, says HDZ portal.
Reportedly there’s a new program developed, headed by HDZ’s Zeljko Dilber (head of HDZ’s committee for veterans). Reportedly the program includes the compilation of a “register of traitors of national interests” which may well be perceived as a step within a lustration process that would rid Croatian pivotal public service and administration and authorities of those who had worked in high positions within the communist Yugoslavia secret services and allied operations of power.

And what else is in the document called “The work program for the Veterans of the Croatian Homeland War“?

The 29 points within the program also include “prosecution of war criminals from the aggressor army, stronger representation of the Homeland War in the school curricula and textbooks, and the establishment of permanent co-operation and support of veterans’ associations.” The program points also refer to the plan for the “Constitutional law to protect the honour and dignity of the Croatian Homeland War veterans,” and that the “achievements of Croatian soldiers who went into the War will worthily be marked via anniversaries with co-financing of the memorials and to provide support for publishing on topics from the war“.

In the chapter titled “Ensuring lasting and full care for Croatian war veterans and their families“, which has eight points, there is the provision that “all the rights of Croatian defenders are to be regulated by one law which will be incorporated into the Constitution.” The program then states that the “veterans of the HVO (Croatian Defense Council) are a part of a single and indivisible Croatian defense corps – Croatian Army, and that their status will permanently be resolved“. The program stipulates that “Croatian war veterans will receive a patriotic or war supplement, and that they will never be brought into the situation of having to fight for their social rights,” and that “ war invalids will have priority in the use of public health services.” Furthermore, the program states that the withdrawn pension rights will be reinstated in accordance with the economic and financial recovery in the country… all that the program will “take care of housing through implementation of favourable measures such as affordable unit purchase price, tenancy protection, rights of first refusal, and subsidised housing.”
With regards to including the Croatian veterans into the sociopolitical and public life the program aims to include the veterans in all the institutions and authorities in the Republic of Croatia (Parliament, Government, ministries, diplomacy, secret services, office of president …); inclusion of veterans in vigorous employment programs and re-training where necessary or desired.

Affordable and subsidised loans to Croatian defenders entrepreneurs and business owners who employ Croatian defenders; Support for projects to businesses that employ Croatian defenders; start-up assistance for entrepreneurs veterans (favorable lease office space, require professional assistance and advice, technical assistance, professional training or retraining and available sources of financing in the years of new business start-up cycles); The use of EU funds – expert working groups (veterans, war veterans’ children), apply to programs for the Croatian defenders.
In reality, this program largely reflects the demands of the veteran protesters that had camped in a tent for more than a year in front of the ministry of veterans affairs.

Retired Colonel Mijo Crnoja (left)
Retired General Zeljko Glasnovic (right)
speaking in veterans’ protest tent
Zagreb, Croatia
Photo: hdz.hr

In summary, the program that will lift Croatian veterans’ dignity and pin due value to the Croatian Homeland War and independence under the leadership of Mijo Crnoja is as follows:

• Publication of the register the aggressors against Croatia
• Publication of the register of the traitors of national interests Croatia
• Publication of the register of illegally performed privatisations
• Lustration at all levels
• Stronger representation of the Homeland War in the school curricula and textbooks
• Defenders will receive a patriotic or war supplement to their income
• Consistent application of legislation on the benefits of hiring veterans and children of killed, detained or missing in state owned companies
• The inclusion of veterans in all the institutions and authorities in the Republic of Croatia
• Favourable measures/conditions for housing
• Favorable and subsidised loans to veterans entrepreneurs and business owners who hire veterans.

There’s a consensus among Croatian veterans and retired war defense force officers, which says: “The economic state our country finds itself in is unacceptable for the participants of the Homeland War. Something has to change strongly and decisively in Croatia.”

Yes indeed, yes indeed. Ina Vukic, Prof. (Zgb); B.A., M.A.Ps. (Syd)

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Croatia, Croatia news, Croatian Democratic Union, Croatian news, Croatian War Veterans, HDZ, Mijo Crnoja, Tihomir Oreskovic, war veterans, Zeljko Dilber, Zeljko Glasnovic

Croatia: A Unique Greeting Of New Year

January 3, 2016 by inavukic 47 Comments

Collage of photos of
New Year Parties In Croatia
Top photo: Fuzine
Photo: Nel Pavletic/Pixsell

Fuzine is a beautiful town in Gorski Kotar, Croatia, located 730m above sea-level where the mountains meet the sea, up and inland of northern coast towards Rijeka. Picturesque mountains surround Fuzine, and so do the centuries-old evergreen forests and the beauty of its Bajer and Lepenica lakes.
Summer refreshment can be found fishing or sailing on the lakes. Attractive hiking, cycling and mountaineering routes are marked; you can go horseback riding and ride in carriages or tour the landscape on a tourist train. “Summer in Fuzine” is a traditional event, and the Old Year Send-Off/Greeting of the New Year, which takes place in the open every 31st December at noon exactly, is also famous and attracts an increasing number of visitors from all over the world.

Partying at Fuzine Croatia

Well actually, I think the people of Fuzine have found the perfect way to celebrate the New Year because, there, the celebrations include everyone: the old, the young, the children, the pets… What better way to greet the New Year than to be with everyone you love and live with as well as voisitors and revellers from elsewhere. This year Fuzine has ushered in the New Year exactly at Noon on New Year’s Eve for the 17th time. Each year more and more people come from outside Fuzine to take part in this unique community event; some 15 thousand guests/tourists came to Fuzine this year to witness this unique and most jolly event and that is a very high number given that the population of Fuzine and its surrounding villages is only about 1600. But what beautifully spirited 1600 it is! The New Year’s party on the town’s streets and square, of course, goes on till several hours after midnight New Year’s Day but by then the children have well participated in it and so have family pets. This year’s New Year’s party in Fuzine offered the purchase of yellow balloons for charitable fundraising purposes and on which New Year’s messages and resolutions were then written. Following are some photographs from Fuzine’s New Year’s party at Noon on New Year’s Eve 2015. Enjoy while clicking on images to enlarge. Ina Vukic, Prof. (Zgb);B.A., M.A.Ps. (Syd)

Cheer at Fuzine Croatia
Ushering in 2016
at Noon December 31
Photo: Nel Pavletic/Pixsell

Fuzine Croatia
Ushering in New Year 2016
at Noon 31 DEcember 2015
Photo: Screenshot euronews

Pets and all at
Fuzine Croatia New Year’s Party
Photo: Ne; Pavletic/Pixsell

Many wishes for New Year
Fuzine Croatia
New Year’s Eve December 2015
Photo: Nel Pavletic/Pixsell

Happy New Year
From Fuzine Croatia

Fuzine Croatia
Can’t wait for 2016 to kick in

Noon on New Year’s Eve
at Fuzine Croatia
ushering in 2016

Fuzine Croatia
wishes for New Year 2016
on NY Eve
Photo: Nel Pavlekovic/Pixsell

Unique New Year’s Party
Happens in Fuzine Croatia
every year at Noon on 31 December

Fuzine Croatia New Year’s Eve
31 December 2015

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Croatia, Croatia news, Croatian news, euronews, Fuzine, Gorski Kotar, New Year Party Fuzine Croatia, news for Croatia

Croatian Knowhow Vital Role In Saving Venice

November 22, 2015 by inavukic 23 Comments

Steel barriers/floodgates
ready for shipment from
Croatia to Venice Italy
Photo: Brodosplit

Italian city of Venice is under serious threat due to the rise in sea level and sinking of land at an alarming rate. The MOSE project will protect the Venetian Lagoon from being submerged by the Adriatic Sea and protect the famous city of Venice and the neighbouring areas from flooding. MOSE, the Italian word for Moses, is an acronym for Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico, which means Experimental Electromechanical Module. The name aptly alludes to the story of Moses parting the Red Sea.

Steel Floodgates to save
Venice Italy
Photo: water-technology.net/ adapted inavukic.com

After being successful at its tender to undertake the building of steel barriers/gates that are an important part of the very complex MOSE project, Brodosplit from the city of Split (Split Shipbuilding company) is well on the target and course to complete the building of 41 steel barriers worth 50 million Euro, reports the daily newspaper Slobodna Dalmacija. 2 barriers have been completed and are ready for delivery while 19 are in various stages of completion.
“The buyer requests high precision in the making of the steel gates and long-term anticorrosion protection. Very limited tolerances, the highest quality class and the amount of accompanying documentation make this Project much more demanding in technical-technological sense than what shipbuilding is. Brodosplit will deliver gates with dimensions 27-30 x 20 meters, 4.5-5 meters height and with weight of 300 tons.

Brodosplit Croatia
Split Shipbuilding Company Yard

Project is an integrated protection system consisting of a number of mobile gates that are capable of closing off Venetian Lagoon from the Adriatic Sea when the tide exceeds established level (110 cm) up to maximal three meters. These are mouths of Treporti, Malamocco, Chioggia and San Nicolo. For construction of steel gates for sea Mouth of San Nicolo, the tender is currently open and Brodosplit submitted its proposal.

A set-up of 78 gates designed as special reservoirs filled with air or water, is foreseen. They will lay at sea bottom when filled with water, and rise towards the surface to close the Lagoon entrances when filled with air. After air is released, they will get filled with water again and lie at the sea bottom. During these several hours, Venetian Lagoon would be closed and ships could not enter it freely.

Steel barrier for Venice, Italy
Ready at Brodosplit Croatia
Photo: brodosplit

Brodosplit is extremely proud of this Project, just as whole Croatia, because it will remain forever registered on the list of countries that participated in one of the biggest construction projects in Italian history with overall value of more than 7 billion euro and thus contributed to saving Venice from big problems caused by tide.

This project proves that Brodosplit is capable to build not only ships, but very complex and demanding steel constructions and that it can compete with majority of world shipyards with its knowledge and experience,” states on the Brodosplit/ Split Shipbuilding Co, website.

Landsat image Venice

Landsat image Venice
depicting MOSE project

The natural-colour Landsat images above show some of the MOSE engineering efforts that are visible above the water line near the Lido Inlet. The top image was acquired on June 20, 2000, by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper+ on Landsat 7. The second image, from the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8, was collected on September 4, 2013. In 2013, a curved breakwater stands just south of the inlet’s south jetty. On the lagoon side of the Lido Inlet, a new manmade island appears; it houses the buildings and plants that operate the gates, which are underwater in two arrays on either side of the island. On the north side of the inlet, a manmade harbour for small vessels includes a small lock system that allows boats to pass from the lagoon to the sea when the gates are raised.

Since the beginning of MOSE construction, five million cubic meters of sediment have been excavated from areas adjacent to the lagoon’s three inlets. The $8.8 billion dollar project has encountered some scientific, environmental, and political objections about disrupting the natural water exchange between the lagoon and Adriatic.
The Lido Inlet gates were successfully tested on October 12, 2013, and operators aim to have the MOSE system fully functional by 2016. Certainly, all indications are that Croatia’s Split Shipbuilding Company “Brodosplit” is keeping its role in the project to save Venice up-to-date and on time, having signed the contract to construct the steel floodgates with the Italian company Costruzioni Mose Arsenale, COMAR, in January 2015.
After international tender, Consortium Venezia Nuova decided that Brodosplit was the best tenderer among the strong competition and it was officially selected as builder of steel gates for the two mouths. Total project that will be executed by Brodosplit includes over 12,000t of built-in steel.

“Under threat of sea level rise, endangered architecture and numerous floods at Piazza San Marco and surrounding streets, Venice could become the dying relic. However, with Brodosplit in action there is a realistic and definite chance that this gem of culture in the Adriatic would be preserved for the centuries to come, “ Tomislav Debeljak, Brodosplit Chief Executive Officer, pointed out.
Well done, Brodosplit!

Korcula Croatia
House where Marco Polo Was Born

Croatia’s participation in saving Venice also has historically-emotional significance as several parts of the Dalmatian coast had once and for number of decades been taken over by the Republic of Venice (696 – 1797) where on the Island of Korcula, in 1254, Marco Polo was born to parents who were Venetian merchants living in the old town of Korcula for several of Marco’s early childhood years. Ina Vukic, Prof. (Zgb); B.A., M.A.Ps. (Syd)