Croatia responds quickly to energy crisis, says PM Plenković

Croatia has been the first country to respond to the energy crisis caused by the war in the Middle East, aiming to secure energy supply and affordability for both citizens and businesses, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Wednesday in Zagreb.

“Our political philosophy is a market economy with a social element, not state interventionism. But we cannot ignore what is happening,” Plenković said, referring to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for oil tankers in the region.

Speaking to party colleagues at an HDZ event in Zagreb, Plenković described ten years of government as “an endless cycle of crisis management.” He added that other world leaders at a recent nuclear summit in Paris asked how Croatia had managed to respond so quickly.

“We learned our lessons, we had the tools ready,” he said.

On Monday, the government reintroduced a retail price cap on fuel, a measure it had previously used during the energy crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Plenković also highlighted Croatia’s economic progress since joining the European Union, noting that the country’s development level rose from 62% of the EU average at accession to 78% last year, surpassing several member states that joined much earlier.

“This shows that Croatia is making the most of available development opportunities, mainly through EU cohesion funds, which will continue to be available,” he said. “The European Commission has proposed the largest seven-year budget so far, from which Croatia is negotiating significant funding.”