Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on Sunday extended congratulations for the New Year, saying that in 2024 the government will ensure a continuation of a strong growth of GDP, wages, pensions and social allowances as well as realise numerous infrastructure projects connecting Croatia.

In his note, Plenkovic said Croatia faced “numerous challenges” in 2023, “first and foremost disruptions on the global energy market. In those circumstances, we have done everything so that as a society, all together, we could pass the crisis as painlessly as possible and to ensure the best possible social and economic position for everyone.”

He recalled the government’s aid measures for households and businesses as well as those to combat inflation and stimulate recovery and growth, saying that the average wage increased 14%, “twice as high as inflation, which protected households’ purchasing power”.

Plenkovic said that in the tenth year of its EU membership, Croatia joined the Schengen and euro areas as well as the European Stability Mechanism. “After being an economy with an emerging market for decades, Croatia officially became the 38th state in the world ranked among advanced economies.”

He also recalled that Sunday work was regulated this year and said the adoption of the first Croatian language law would be “a contribution to the nurturing of our national identity and culture.”

The prime minister said that as of 1 January the minimum wage would be increased 20%, that disability allowances would also increase, and that the number of children and families entitled to child allowance would double.

Plenkovic said investment in the military had doubled and that the first six Rafale fighter jets would arrive in Croatia in the spring, “which will considerably raise and boost Croatia’s international standing.”

He also recalled the efforts made to accelerate up post-earthquake reconstruction.

The government’s priorities will be to invest in education, digitalisation, decarbonisation and the green transition, and a demographic renewal, and it will protect national interests by further boosting Croatia’s influence in the EU, Plenkovic said.

We are working on reforms so that Croatia can make progress towards membership in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, he also noted in his New Year message.