Croatian cities have structurally progressed and demographically regressed since the country's entry to the European Union, it was said at a panel debate which brought together the mayors of several cities in Zagreb earlier this week.

By launching the project “Building Europe with local councillors” in 2022, the European Commission has started promoting European values and policies at the local level.

The project covers 17 cities in Croatia, and the mayors of Dubrovnik, Pula, Karlovac, and Vrgorac commented on the project’s achievements and their cities’ progress since Croatia’s EU entry at the event, organised by the Representative Office of the European Commission at the Croatian Journalists’ Association.

Karlovac Mayor Damir Mandic said that EU funds “are not bad, but we should be able to make progress also without relying on them”, admitting that the restoration of Karlovac’s 16th century fortification Zvijezda (Star) would not have been possible without money from EU funds.

As for what Croatia contributes to Europe, Mandic said that it was mostly highly educated people and that efforts should be made to keep them in Croatia.

Vrgorac has structurally progressed with the opening of new kindergartens and construction of transport infrastructure and an industrial zone, but it has regressed in terms of demography, said Mayor Mile Herceg.

Residents of smaller cities should be enabled to live like those in big cities and they should be involved, through workshops, in discussions on locally important topics, he said.

A project for the prevention of institutionalisation, worth €100 million, has enabled the city to provide financial support to persons above the age of 65 and adults with disabilities, Herceg said.

Dubrovnik profited most from Schengen, euro zone entry

Speaking of the local projects implemented with the help of EU funds over the past ten years, Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Frankovic cited the construction of Peljesac Bridge, the upgrading of Dubrovnik Airport, the construction of new schools and kindergartens and the construction of a water treatment facility ensuring drinking water for local residents throughout the year.

He stressed that a large portion of the local population until recently depended on water tanker lorries for water supply three months in the year due to the poor quality of water in the city, noting that participation in the EU project had made citizens more aware of their belonging to the EU.

The city has also been making efforts to become a desirable destination for digital nomads, he said.

“I believe that Dubrovnik has profited the most from Croatia’s entry to the Schengen and euro areas,” Frankovic said.

“Pula aims to preserve the local identity in addition to adopting European values,” Pula Mayor Filip Zoricic said, noting that the residents of Istria already have a European way of thinking because of their close ties with neighbouring Italy and Slovenia.

He cited the green transition and raising awareness of a sense of belonging to the Mediterranean as important goals of the city administration.

The panel debate was concluded by Marko Boko of the Representative Office of the European Commission, who presented the new election platform Zajednoza.eu, which provides information about the 2024 European election.