Holiday greetings from state leaders

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović, the Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković and the Prime Minister Andrej Plenković sent Christmas greetings to the citizens of the Republic of Croatia, as well as to those outside the homeland.

We carry the greeting from the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović in its entirety:

Dear fellow citizens,

the most joyous time of the year is upon us, and that is why, first of all, I wish a Merry Christmas to everyone in our homeland, as well as to all our compatriots outside of Croatia, and especially to the Croats in nearby Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In the past few days, staying among Croatian emigrants in faraway Chile, I became convinced that for Croats in every part of the world, Christmas is not just a holiday, but a joyful family gathering, a celebration of hope and faith in kindness, peace and togetherness.

The year we will be saying goodbye to soon - was not easy. The world around us, unfortunately, has been filled with new war conflicts and challenges that affect each of us, whether we like it or not. It seems like there is never a break from the bad news. Calling for peace and an end to the conflict, asking for an end to the suffering and hardships of the people in Ukraine, is the least we must do.

Our people know very well what it means to live in conflict and in difficult times. That is why this Christmas we must be especially grateful to a small number of brave people, veterans, who brought peace and security to Croatia. And it is up to us to preserve and maintain the peace and security in which we live today in Croatia at any cost. It is a great responsibility of all those who put Croatia and its people first.

On the eve of this Christmas, we are also faced with new economic concerns, which just yesterday seemed like a distant past. Due to inflation and rising prices, it is becoming more and more difficult for many families to secure the dignity and standard that we have come to expect in recent years. I know it is not easy to fulfill every holiday wish of your son or granddaughter, partner or dear friend.

Many of you still haven't solved housing issues so long after the unfortunate earthquakes that hit Zagreb and its surroundings, and then Banija. There is no more room for promises, the institutions responsible for reconstruction must start taking care of people permanently.

The Croatian successes we hear about - entry into the Eurozone and the Schengen area - cannot cover the problems and concerns of the Croatian people. No matter how futile it sometimes seems, let's not give up on looking for solutions to the problems that bother us and limit our progress.

If we as a society and people were gathered in common strength as we were at the end of this year - in cheering on our great football team - I really don't know where we would end up. Let's carry that fiery charge into next year!

I wish all Christian believers a Merry Christmas. And from the bottom of my heart, I wish everyone in Croatia happy holidays. Spend them in the circle of family and close ones, with hope and faith in the goodness of others.

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year, said President Milanović's greeting.

Jandroković: The world needs a message of victory of light over darkness

The Croatian Parliament Speaker, Gordan Jandroković, sent a Christmas greeting to Croatian men and women and Croats in the homeland and the world, and emphasized that the world, which continues to become increasingly complicated, needs a message of the victory of light over darkness, which is the birth of the Son of God.

The feast of Christ's birth is a feast of faith, love, peace and hope, a time of joy that should be generously shared with your families, neighbors and all people of good will. At the same time, the Christmas period is an opportunity to review one's own values, actions and achievements, wrote Jandroković.

He pointed out that this year Croatia can really look back with satisfaction on the planned strategic goals, which it managed to achieve - entry into the Eurozone and the Schengen area.

And at the end of the year, in which our national territory was completely connected by the Pelješac bridge, we received a somewhat unexpected pre-Christmas sports gift: the world football bronze medal, he added.

Nevertheless, he wrote, the feelings with which we welcome this Christmas are undoubtedly mixed. Because after numerous trials in previous years, from devastating earthquakes to the global pandemic of COVID-19, since February we are witnessing the return of war to the European continent.

This Christmas Eve marks the end of ten full months that the Ukrainian people have been living through the horrors of war. Their difficult fate, as rarely seen in today's Europe, evokes memories of the pain and sacrifices made in the fight for our own freedom and independence. It reminds us that we must not take it for granted, nor close our eyes to destruction and human suffering, anywhere in the world, he emphasized.

Making us aware of the need to be grateful for what we have, this Christmas, he emphasized, calls us to stronger solidarity with all those who suffer.

Because the fact that we welcome the holiday of Christ's birth in Croatia in the warmth of our homes and in the arms of our families is a true blessing, denied to many these days. The world, which continues to become increasingly complex, truly needs the message of the victory of light over darkness, which the birth of the Son of God carries within it. Croatian society also needs stronger mutual understanding, tolerance and togetherness, and more constructive work of all its stakeholders for the common good. Therefore, let faith, love, peace and hope fill the hearts of people throughout our homeland during these holidays, so that in the next year, in a more intense mutual dialogue and with more optimism, we will be ready for new positive steps forward, said Jandroković.

On behalf of Croatian Parliament and personally, I wish all citizens of the Republic of Croatia, as well as Croatian women and men in the diaspora, a merry and blessed Christmas and a successful 2023!, wrote Jandroković.

Plenković: We continue to work for the betterment and prosperity of the homeland

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković sent a Christmas greeting to Croatian citizens at home and abroad.

Christmas brings us hope, joy and love and empowers us to create unity and mutual understanding. Guided by the principle of Christian solidarity, we especially help those who need it the most.

In addition to the numerous trials that we had in the last year, we did everything to preserve the standard of our fellow citizens, to preserve social cohesion and prevent social fracture, and to contribute to the further economic growth and development of our homeland. We will continue to do this, supporting the further growth of wages, pensions, social benefits and employment in Croatia.

Achieving the strategic goal of membership in the euro area and the Schengen area positions Croatia in the very core of the European Union, but more importantly, it brings numerous advantages that will be felt most by Croatian citizens and our economy.

Aware that there is still a lot of work and challenges ahead, we continue to work for the betterment and prosperity of our homeland. We also place special emphasis on demographic revitalization in all policies.

Dear fellow citizens, I wish you to spend the Christmas holidays in peace and joy with your family and loved ones and that the Christmas message of hope brings you plenty of peace and health.

On behalf of the Government and personally, I wish you a happy and blessed Christmas, reads Prime Minister Plenković's greeting.

Source: HRT