The only reason to be in the EU is EU funding, but as the era of EU funding comes to an end, Croatia must find its own place in the sun, President Zoran Milanovic said on Monday at a special session of the Vela Luka Municipal Council on the island of Korcula.

“One should be tough and, if necessary, selfish, not mean and nasty, and one should be aware that the time of EU funding is coming to an end and that Croatia must find its own place in the sun,” the president said at the session, which was held on the occasion of the Day of the Municipality and the day of its patron saint, St Joseph, and urged local councillors to make the most of the available EU funds, as they are the sole purpose of belonging to the EU.

“These funds are the only reason we are in the EU. I do not see a community of people there. A community of values, yes. We are a democracy, we have our own rules and customs, and we should not delude ourselves that it will be a community and a nation, because it will not be,” he said.

“You should be loyal, resilient and fair, but the means are the only thing that makes a difference,” he said.

He called on Croatia to make better use of EU funds, citing the examples of Portugal and Greece, where no new factories were built after 10-15 years of EU funding, but “you patch, embellish and decorate. That’s great, but it does not achieve anything.”

“Once the EU money is no longer available, we must not remain at 70% of the EU average (for development), as was the case in Portugal and Greece,” he said.