Minister Ružić in Serbia: €500,000 earmarked for social projects supporting Croats in Serbia

Croatian Minister of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy Alen Ružić visited Subotica, where he met with Jasna Vojnić, president of the Croatian National Council in the Republic of Serbia, as well as representatives of the Croatian community and its institutions and organizations.

The meeting was attended by representatives including Lazar Cvijin, Karolina Bašić, Marin Piuković, Petar Duić and Josipa Dević-Nona, along with Velimir Pleša, Consul General of the Republic of Croatia in Subotica.

First social welfare programme for Croats in Serbia

The Ministry's initiatives supporting Croats in Serbia will be implemented in 2027 in cooperation with the Croatian National Council and the Cro-Fond Foundation for the Development of the Croatian Community.

The programme aims to contribute to the social and demographic revitalization of areas where Croats live by investing in the construction, renovation, reconstruction and equipping of facilities such as nurseries, kindergartens and homes for older and vulnerable people. It will also support the development of social services.

The Croatian state budget for 2027 provides €500,000 for these activities.

“I would particularly like to thank President Vojnić and her colleagues for their dedicated work for the benefit of the 39,000 Croats living throughout Serbia. Borders do not determine people's sense of belonging or their connections. That is why the Republic of Croatia, in accordance with its Constitution, looks after its citizens regardless of where they live,” Ružić said.

He added that Croatia's tradition of cooperation with its citizens in Serbia would continue, saying that stronger links and deeper integration into local communities could further strengthen relations between the two countries.

Croatia supports Croats in Serbia through a range of programmes

Ružić said Croatia was supporting the Croatian community in Serbia through a range of projects designed to address concrete needs and strengthen the community's long-term sustainability.

“This includes specific assistance programmes, for example providing heating fuel and medical equipment, as well as the Zaželi programme,” he said.

Under the Zaželi programme, people who face greater barriers to employment—most often women—are employed to provide assistance to older and vulnerable people, people with disabilities and families with other specific needs.

Vojnić: Social security is essential to comprehensive community care

Jasna Vojnić said the new programme opens up social security as a new area of support for the Croatian community in Serbia.

“In recent years, we have made major advances in education, culture, infrastructure, agriculture and institutional development. Today, we are opening another important area without which there can be no comprehensive care for our community: the social security of our people,” Vojnić said.

According to data she presented, 39,107 people identified as Croats in Serbia's most recent census. Over the past 11 years, however, the community has lost almost one-third of its members.

The average age of members of the Croatian community is 51.2 years. Another challenge is the number of older people living alone in smaller communities, often far from sources of assistance.

Register of social needs

The Croatian National Council has therefore begun compiling a register of the social needs of the Croatian community, with the work being carried out by the Cro-Fond Foundation.

According to the data collected so far, 80 percent of identified needs relate to heating fuel, food and medical treatment. Another 35 percent concern home extensions and repairs, while 25 percent relate to other needs, including children's extracurricular activities and school supplies.

A public call for applications is expected to be announced once the technical and administrative preparations have been completed, which Vojnić said should happen in the coming days.

Applicants will, among other requirements, have to demonstrate their involvement in the Croatian community and their affiliation with the Croatian people.

“One part is certainly about helping those in need and those who are looking for a way into employment. The other is about strengthening our community as a whole,” Vojnić said.

From agricultural support to social entrepreneurship

The meeting also addressed the possibility of expanding existing support programmes for Croatian farmers in Vojvodina and Bačka with a new development component.

The aim is to explore ways of connecting producers of high-quality fruit, vegetables and other food products with social welfare institutions in Croatia and gradually develop a pilot model of social entrepreneurship.

The proposed model would connect Croatian farmers in Vojvodina with social welfare institutions and people participating in occupational therapy programmes.

Under the concept, financially supported agricultural production by Croatian farmers in Vojvodina could be linked to the processing of some of their products at Croatian institutions through professionally supervised and safety-regulated occupational therapy activities.

The finished products could then be used within the social welfare system, while also being developed as distinctive gastronomic products and part of Croatia's range of official protocol gifts.

Models such as those used by institutions that combine rehabilitation, food production and the everyday lives of their users through their own farms and occupational activities were cited as potential examples, including the Lobor-grad facility.

The goal, officials said, would extend beyond financial sustainability to creating a chain in which investment in Croatian farmers also generates social value for people using social welfare services.

Separate programme planned for Croats from Vojvodina living in Croatia

The meeting also addressed the situation of people of Vojvodina Croatian origin who now live in Croatia. Representatives of this group had previously met with officials at the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy.

Work is currently underway on a specific measure for this group. It will be developed as a separate programme and will not form part of the planned call for social welfare projects supporting Croats living in Serbia.

The participants also highlighted the long-standing contribution of Zvonko Milas, State Secretary at the Central State Office for Croats Abroad, and his continued involvement in developing projects for the Croatian community in Serbia.

They stressed the importance of maintaining the Croatian government's policy of supporting Croats living outside Croatia, from infrastructure and education to the economy and culture—and, increasingly, social policy.

From Subotica to Ruma: First of seven Croatian Community Centres opens

At the conclusion of his visit to Subotica and his meetings with representatives of the Croatian community, Minister Ružić travelled to Ruma, where he is due to attend the opening of the first of seven new Croatian Community Centres under the “Build a Mill Where the Water Flows” project.

The opening in Ruma marks the beginning of the project to expand a network of modern facilities for the Croatian community beyond its centre in Subotica and into the towns and communities where Croats live.

The centres are intended to bring cultural, educational and social activities closer to the community while providing permanent spaces for gathering, community work and the preservation of Croatian identity.