President Milanović: When our interests are at stake, we should act responsibly and selfishly
“We are an old European people and culture, we have our memories and our material culture, and aware of this, we should act responsibly and selfishly when our interests are at stake, maintain commercial and pragmatic ties with other peoples, primarily around us. We do not have to rush where they do not ask us absolutely anything. As for grandiose ideological projects – such as a central European state – leave us out. The communities we were a part of collapsed because they were no good, because we were not asked when we should have been asked. And it is a good thing that it ended up like that. Our experience with great empires was not good, not even when we were one of two principal factors, meaning Yugoslavia. It did not work, we were not asked anything, they killed our tribunes in Belgrade”, the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović stated today at the opening of the 10th conference of professionals “nZEB 2026 – Energy Efficiency and Sustainability”.
The conference was held at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Zagreb, and was organized jointly by the Faculty of Architecture and the Cluster for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability in Buildings (nZEB). The main topics at the discussion were: development of technical requirements and solutions for sustainable buildings, new regulations on energy efficiency and safety, materials and systems for achieving the highest standards of comfort and quality, and a presentation of completed models of new and renovated buildings.
President Milanović talked about energy, i.e. the role of energy policy in today’s world where he warned that concern for the environment has turned into “an ideology of complete carbon neutrality, which is insane and unachievable”.
“Unlike the USA, Europe dreams of an unreal Arcadia where energy will be pure, where they will be cleansed of their filth and sins of the past and will arm themselves. And the fact that arming, building tanks, armour and most equipment requires enormous energy, which we pay dearly for – this is of no interest to anyone. We have to buy terribly expensive energy products that come in tankers, are poured into German power plants and energy factories and are reflected in the cost of the final product. One German tank costs 30 million euros”, the President noted.
President Milanović expressed dissatisfaction with the slow renovation of Zagreb’s buildings, both those in the Lower Town and in the newer parts. Citing the example of cities of Eastern and Central Europe, he reminded that “they have all been renovated” and he stressed Poland’s city of Krakow where “all buildings constructed in socialism have been renovated”.
“When we talk about the renovation of old buildings, we are talking about Zagreb’s Upper and Lower Towns, which are in an extremely bad state. I cannot accuse anyone for that, not the minister, not the City – because it is private property. The courtyards in Zagreb are in a catastrophic state, it is indescribable. The courtyard facades of the buildings are unfinished, without a facade, bare brick, unless a public institution has moved in. The buildings that have been renovated often have no insulation,” President Milanović warned and added, “I just want Zagreb to be beautiful”.
“We are just at the very beginning of renovation. We all have a huge job ahead of us. Without you professionals, architects, changes are not possible,” President Milanović concluded, addressing the participants of the “nZEB 2026 – Energy Efficiency and Sustainability” conference.
Alongside President Milanović was the Special Adviser to the President of the Republic for Energy and Climate, Julije Domac.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Ana Marija Katić