Croatia's Prime Minister and Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) leader Andrej Plenkovic said on Friday that the HDZ was committed to the modern sovereignism and that the present-day sovereignism meant the construction of Peljesac Bridge to connect the southernmost Croatia with the mainland.

Addressing a ceremony held to mark the 33rd anniversary of the establishment of the HDZ party in Zagreb, Plenkovic said that the priorities of the present-day sovereignty differed from the sovereignty’s priorities some 30 years ago, and in this context he underscored the forthcoming inauguration of Peljesac Bridge on 26 July that will connect the southernmost Croatia with the rest of the country.

The present-day priorities mean making efforts to join the euro area, he said recalling that the European Union’s finance ministers endorsed Croatia’s admission to the euro zone on 1 January 2023.

Also the modern sovereignty is proved by Croatia’s admission to the Schengen area next year, and the investment in the procurement of multipurpose fighter jets and the highest investments in the Croatian defence system against a backdrop of the security threats, he said.

Commenting on the role of the state in times of crises, Plenkovic recalled the challenges his cabinet has so far dealt with: the case of the Agrokor company, the service of huge debts of Croatian shipyards, the coronavirus pandemic, two devastating quakes in northern and central Croatia in 2020 and the crisis caused by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

We are here, jobs have been retained, we have a positive economic growth and we have an investment grade. We no longer have excessive budget deficit, we have exited from excessive macroeconomic imbalances. The authorities stand behind 700,000 workers in the private sector and their salaries, and has helped over 120,000 companies to survive the crisis, Plenkovic said.

Plenkovic said that the HDZ party is homogeneous today and keeps high approval ratings in comparison to similar parties in central and eastern Europe that were founded at a watershed era when the Berlin Wal fell, the Communist systems were removed and when a wave of democracy spread over eastern Europe.