Croatia's future will rely on four key areas of development, says PM

The government held their final regular cabinet session of the year on Thursday. 

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković noted that the primary goal in 2024 is to continue protecting citizens and the economy; something he said the government had succeeded in doing following the pandemic, the earthquakes, the energy crisis and soaring inflation.

"We will strive to create an atmosphere that, based on our economic and fiscal policies, will enable further GDP growth, higher wages and pensions; while at the same time lowering inflation and the share of public debt to GDP, which will fall to 60.7 percent this year," said Plenković.

He added that the government had succeeded in turning the economy around very quickly after the pandemic.

"We also showed that the Croatian economy and our public finances are very stable and resilient," said the prime minister, underlining his government's policies.

According to the prime minister, the country's future position on the world stage in the coming decade will rely on four key areas of development.

"Our policies, along with the National Development Strategy and the Government Program, in this decade will be characterized by four key themes: demographic revitalization, decarbonization, digitization, and investment in education. Without these four elements Croatia will have no significant role in the processes taking place globally and around Europe," he concluded.

Croatia will also have a new law on tourism as of next year, which will further ensure the country's sustainable development and competitiveness.

Discussions on Thursday touched upon the three-year anniversary of the devastating earthquake that struck central Croatia in 2020.