President Milanović: Real Estate Prices are Extremely High, Beyond Acceptable and Affordable Limits
“Croatia is attractive for investment, but real estate prices are extremely high. The cost of real estate has gradually exceeded the limits of what is acceptable and affordable. The nominal growth of wages and incomes cannot keep pace with it,” the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović said at the opening of the 20th Days of the Croatian Chamber of Civil Engineers, held today in Opatija.
He explained that this situation is one of the consequences and side effects of Croatia’s membership in the European Union, which, he said, should be viewed as a matter of balance for Croatia. “I appeal, and I will continue to advocate, that we view Croatia’s membership in the EU not as an ideological project or a propaganda success, but as something that must be assessed in terms of its overall balance for Croatia – what we have gained, starting from the fundamental right to exist as a state and to be independent. What we have contributed and what we have received in return should be constantly weighed and measured. Of course, this is not a decision that can be changed every five or ten years. It is a major decision. At the same time, we should not delude ourselves into thinking that we have entered some fantastic world in which things will only keep getting better and better – not necessarily,” the President said.
Speaking about the construction sector, President Milanović said that construction is important because it represents a country’s tangible strength and reflects “the visible expression of a country and a nation in the aggregate of its national wealth – what we have, what we can market, and what possesses value.” “Construction itself is a significant indicator: everyone builds when they develop and prosper, but not everyone builds in the same way. Most build poorly. Your task, as I see it, is to ensure quality, at least as it has been until now, because the tradition of our country and its building culture is not something new. Other countries can also take pride in this – we are not unique in that respect – but what has been built in our country over the last hundred years is of high quality. Standards were quite strict, and they were respected,” President Milanović said.
Finally, President Milanović expressed satisfaction with the strong cooperation between civil engineers and the Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets, concluding:
“I wish you plenty of work, good earnings, and simple procedures – but not procedures that are too simple or too fast, because order must be maintained. Whenever you arrive somewhere – whether stepping off an airplane, crossing a border, or entering a new environment – you quickly gain a sense of where you are, what kind of people live there, and what their culture is. Two professions are crucial in this regard: architects and civil engineers. Architects, when their expertise is used, determine how something will look, while engineers and builders determine whether it will exist at all and whether there will be something to look back on when time passes.”
The Days of the Croatian Chamber of Civil Engineers are being held from 11 to 13 June under the auspices of the President of the Republic. In addition to President Milanović, speakers at the opening ceremony included Nina Dražin Lovrec, President of the Croatian Chamber of Civil Engineers; Stjepan Lakušić, Rector of the University of Zagreb; and Branko Bačić, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia and Minister of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Dario Andrišek