Croatian President Zoran Milanović attended a special session of the Municipal Council of the town of Sveta Nedelja.
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He extended congratulations on the occasion of Municipal Day, telling residents of the community to be ambitious and productive, to play by the rules and fight for what is theirs.
“Fight for your rights because without justice and the fight for justice, there is nothing, there is no life. It is even more important that you understand what your rights are and that you fight for them, that you resist those who oppress you,†said President Milanović.
“Nothing happens overnight. It has always come down to the result of the labour of good and hardworking people, but also good governance, because without good governance, good authority, smart, honest and focused people there is nothing,†said President Milanović, recalling what Sveta Nedelja looked like thirty years ago.
"Sveta Nedelja was an industrialized area of craftspeople where there were a lot of small production plants and private businesses whose earnings were significant for that period. The infrastructure was lagging behind and there were still rural elements,†he said.
President Milanović also reflected on present-day Croatia, saying that nine years after Croatia’s accession to the European Union, it is necessary to draw the line and ask whether accession was beneficial to Croatia. “It will benefit us to the extent to which you fight for all the money at our disposal, which we are not using to the extent we should,†the President emphasized.
“Every euro that is not used without an explanation is a missed opportunity,†added President Milanović, reminding that membership in the European Union costs money.
“What are you doing there? Are you there so rules can be imposed on you on how to live? We agreed to that, but at the same time we should take the equivalent in the maximum amount possible. Because membership in the European Union costs money! It not only costs money, it also costs pride and self-respect and sovereignty,†the President pointed out.
“Do good work, fight for every euro! Every euro that falls out of your hand and slips through your fingers, that didn’t have to, is lost and hard to make up for. The price we are paying for that is not small and therefore we have to get something out of it for ourselves,†concluded President Milanović. ■