President Milanović Attends Special Session of Zadar County Assembly
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović attended today a special session of the Zadar County Assembly held on the occasion of Zadar County Day.
President Milanović’s address at the special session focused on investment projects and on the absorption of EU funds in Zadar County. “When we talk about such projects, the only thing that interests me is how much was on the table, how much was offered and how much we took. I am only interested in how much was given and how much we have achieved. If we were offered 100 and we took 100, we would be hard-working, but that has never been done. If we took 50, we are weak and this would not justify our EU membership. We are not in the EU to be boastful, but to provide security, peace, stability, predictability, a full pocket, a fat wallet filled with money for our country, our children, for those who come after us, for whom we live, work and produce, because without that there is nothing – no freedom, no independence, no armaments. We were the ones who realized this most clearly,” said President Milanović.
The President of the Republic said he sees that in Zadar people are working, progress is being made, jobs are being created, people are not unemployed. In his address, President Milanović also commented on Croatia’s position in Europe. “We cannot pretend that everyone in Europe today thinks the same and that there is a single, linear value system, for that would be a mistake. Europe is different within itself. It is up to us to look after ourselves. This does not mean that you are preparing to harm others, that you are digging a pit for them; it means that you are self-oriented and that you are oriented towards money from the EU, which is the only deep justification and rationale for our presence in the union. The Croatian task, therefore, is to use every euro that we receive from the EU, to have as few unused funds as possible. We are a small nation of 4 million people that is spread out, like silver dust, over this part of Southeast and Central Europe by some geo-political miracle,” said President Milanović, concluding that Croatia does not need division to be sowed, “but we also cannot treat society as a monolith in which everyone thinks the same, because if everyone thought in the same way it would mean that one person thinks for all, and that is not good.”
Apart from President Milanović, also speaking and extending congratulations at the special session held on Zadar County Day were the President of the Zadar County Assembly Zoran Šikić, Zadar County Prefect Božidar Longin, State Secretary at the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds and envoy of the Croatian Prime Minister Šime Erlić, and Member of the Croatian Parliament and envoy of the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament Grozdana Perić. Awards and recognitions were presented to this year’s laureates at the special session.
Adviser to the President of the Republic for Human Rights and Civil Society Melita Mulić was alongside President Milanović.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Dario Andrišek