President Milanović: We must constantly discuss what is good and what is not good in the European Union
“What is good and what is not good in the European Union, what membership has brought us, what it has taken away from us and will continue to take away from us, without us even thinking about it – we need to think about that. Everyone involved in public affairs, and for whom the interests of the Croatian state, people and citizens matter, must constantly weigh these issues. We must continually reflect on who makes decisions, on whose behalf, and how those decisions affect us. Important decisions used to be made in cities 400 kilometres away from Zagreb, and that was not good. Today, some of those decisions are made hundreds and hundreds of kilometres away, within much broader communities, and we have virtually no influence over them. And we will have even less,” said the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović in Omišalj, where he attended the ceremonial session of the Municipal Council held on the occasion of Municipality Day.
The President stressed that these issues must remain part of public debate in Croatia. “Should we talk about this, should this be said? Is what I just said true? I believe it is. Does it affect our lives, our future, your prosperity and security? Absolutely. This kind of dialogue in Croatia must never stop,” he warned.
Speaking about Omišalj and the island of Krk, President Milanović noted that “the island of Krk has flourished over the past 30 years.” “Krk was never backward – never – but it was modest and poor. Construction was taking place, but there was no money. Infrastructure was poor, this was before the bridge. Half of the island had no water supply. Everything was centralized in the town of Krk. And that genius of local self-government and ‘care for one’s own’ – something deeply ingrained in the people here, in their mentality and culture – reached its full expression through the division of the island into seven or eight local self-government units. I see the same thing on other islands, but especially here. Almost everything functions here. In saying this, I am not singling out Omišalj for special praise, but rather everyone together. Altogether, it is very well integrated. Where cooperation is needed, there is cooperation, and it is carried out very intelligently,” the President concluded.
In addition to President Milanović, the ceremonial session was addressed by Dunja Mihelec, President of the Municipal Council of the Municipality of Omišalj, Mirela Ahmetović, Head of the Municipality of Omišalj, Darijo Vasilić, Mayor of Krk, and Robert Matić, Deputy Prefect of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County.
President Milanović was accompanied by Orsat Miljenić, Head of the Office of the President of the Republic, and Nikša Peronja, Adviser to the President of the Republic for Local and Regional Self-Government Relations.
FOTO: Ured predsjednika Republike Hrvatske / Marko Beljan