Croatian President said Friday that she has prepared demographic measures.

“The measures are ready, we will agree on their presentation and I would like it to be a synergy and in cooperation with the Government. If not, then I will present them on my own,” said President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, not going into detail about the measures.

The “Vecernji list” daily had unofficially learned the measures that the President will present. One of them is to resolve the issue of fixed-term contracts which affects the youth, the most. The youth are thus unable to plan a family due to their uncertain employment status. Croatia is at the top of the EU when it comes to the number of workers employed on fixed-term contracts. It is no wonder that the biggest number of youth who wish to leave the country are based in Slavonija, where fixed-term contracts are mostly used.

According to Vecernji list, the President could suggest a special package of measures aimed at youth and families in rural and less developed regions, including tax and housing allowances and other benefits. In addition, the state has to take into account the level of development of the country, and that the youth in the underdeveloped areas should have access to quality kindergartens, schools, doctors and other necessary infrastructures. Croatia is an example of an unevenly developed state and, if people leave some areas completely, it will mean that any future development will be prevented there and that will be considered a lost space.

Currently, the state does not care about the existential security of young families that are becoming unemployed due to a crisis, thus one of the measures could also be that the state helps these families financially through social funds until they find employment again. The youth housing issue should be integrated into social programs. But co-financing youth housing for those who do not have a roof over their heads must be much more favourable in the rural and underdeveloped areas.

It should also be taken into account that the Croatian society is a heterogeneous society and that demographic measures should be adjusted to all the levels of the society, both those with higher and lower wages.

All the measures to be presented by the President cannot be implemented without a budget balance and the support of the ruling parties for the declarative care for the demographic issues. Despite the fact that the leaders of the ruling parties are saying that it is easy to criticize their work on solving this issue, the fact is that the previous measures were generally cosmetic.

The President surely knows this thanks to the experts she consulted and she is well aware of which key problems should be addressed to stop the emigration and increase the number of newborn children.

Measures that could stop the emigration:

Solve the issue of fixed-term contracts,

We are at the top of the EU by the share of workers, especially the youth, who are employed on fixed-term contracts that prevent them from planning a family

Measures for rural areas

A package of measures, from tax to housing allowances and other benefits for youth and families in underdeveloped regions

Positive discrimination against mothers

This measure was introduced by a number of Western countries that positively discriminate against employed mothers with small children  

Helping Homeless People

The state needs to provide financial assistance to young families who lost their jobs until they can find a new one