President Milanović: The Croatian state right has never been interrupted, nor have its symbols been destroyed
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović participated today in Čakovec in the commemoration of January 9th – the Day of the Unification of Međimurje with the motherland, Croatia. On this day, at a large public assembly held on Franciscan Square in Čakovec, around ten thousand people from Međimurje unanimously decided on 9 January 1919 to secede from Hungary and join their homeland, Croatia.
In his address, President Milanović described the event as significant but also complex, emphasizing that Međimurje is a unique Croatian region with a distinctive status and a particular history of its union with Croatia.
“For me, the most important date in the history of Međimurje is not the one we commemorate today, but the day when King Ferdinand entrusted this town and province to the Zrinskis, the Bribir princes, and the Šubić family to govern. These were Dalmatian families, people from the south who, through the wars against the Ottomans, earned great favour and played a crucial role in shaping the Croatian identity of this region, which is both Slavic and Kajkavian,” said President Milanović.
“Croatia has largely grounded its statehood and aspirations on historical rights to a state, rather than on blood, soil, or genetic origin. It is based on the continuous state right, which has never been interrupted, even after alliances with the Hungarians and the Habsburg crown. It is always and only the right of Croatian princes and kings, a right that has never ceased, whose symbols, marks, and institutions were never suppressed or destroyed,” the President emphasized.
He further recalled that at the time of the unification of Međimurje with Croatia, it was an international entity that represented the most opportune solution for Croats, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, where almost all Croats lived. “It was a tool in a particular historical period that ultimately led to the Croatian state we have today. A hundred years ago, things were different, and in that context, Međimurje was destined to become part of the future Croatia,” President Milanović concluded, asserting that “Međimurje has always had its Croatian identity here.”
Today, Čakovec marks one of the most important dates in the history of Međimurje – the Day of the Unification of Međimurje with the motherland, Croatia. On this day, the people of Međimurje demonstrated their awareness of their origins, their right to their native language, and their connection to the Croatian people. In 2019, the Croatian Parliament declared January 9th a memorial day.
In addition to President Milanović, the commemorative ceremony, featuring a musical programme titled “An Evening of Međimurje Identity,” was attended by Prof. Ivan Pranjić, Vice President of the Matica Hrvatska Branch in Čakovec; Ljerka Cividini, Mayor of Čakovec; Matija Posavec, Prefect of Međimurje County; and Dražen Srpak, Mayor of Mursko Središće and delegate of the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament.
President Milanović was accompanied by the Adviser to the President of the Republic for Local and Regional Self-Government Relations Nikša Peronja.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Filip Glas