Croatia

President Prime Minister	Zoran Milanović (Social Democratic Party, since 19 February 2020) Andrej Plenković (Croatian Democratic Union, since October 2016)
Population	4,076,246 (2019)
Size	56,594 km² (21,851 sq. miles)
MEPs	12 (Joined the EU in 2013)
Next presidential election Next legislative election	2024 2020
Presidency of the Council	January-June 2020
Last meeting with Boris Johnson	None held to date
Brexit priorities	Croatia has a long standing relationship with the UK, which pushed the EU’s enlargement agenda for countries in the region to join. Croatia’s main priority will be in the area of security and defence. As the UK has a strong military power and a big voice in NATO, it is important for Croatia to keep the UK engaged with the EU’s foreign security and defense policy, particularly in the face of Russian and Turkish aggression. Following Croatia’s accession in 2013, approximately 150.000 people left the country, though many went to Ireland and not the UK, indicating that, as opposed to most other Eastern European countries, citizens’ rights do not top Croatia’s Brexit agenda. However, as of 1 July 2018, Croatian workers are able to work freely in the UK. Transitional restrictions on access of workers from Croatia to the UK’s labour market are currently in place. The Croatian Government will therefore keep an eye on what the negotiations will mean for the free movement of workers. In terms of trade, the President has said she hopes more UK companies and investors will do business in Croatia in future.
What Prime Minister Plenković said on Brexit	“That Croatia will suffer the least consequences of United Kingdom’s departure from the EU has been shown by both our analyses and analyses done by the European Commission. That is mostly so because we are the youngest EU member.” “In any case, I maintain that the referendum was a huge mistake. Britons allowed manipulators, those who speak untruths, like Nigel Farage and the likes, to contaminate public space and convince most Britons that it is better to leave than to stay, and they had a very good status and many benefits. It was a big mistake and it will negatively affect Britain the most.” “It’s a referendum that should have never taken place.” “The Union without Great Britain, a permanent UN Security Council member, a nuclear power, a champion of free trade, a key country globally, is not the same anymore”
Croatia’s priorities	HDZ and the centre-right Most (“Bridge”) party formed a coalition following parliamentary elections in 2016, however this alliance collapsed after Most supported the opposition in a no-confidence vote against Finance Minister Zdravko Marić on 4 May 2018. Marić narrowly survived the motion, prompting Most leader Bozo Petrov to resign as parliament speaker. In a bid to avoid snap elections, the Parliament elected HDZ’s Gordan Jandroković as speaker on 5 May. The HDZ party has now struck a deal with the liberal Croatian People’s Party (HNS), who will run the ministries construction and education. Four out of nine of its parliamentarians reject the coalition. Tax reform, social dialogue and the budget are the Government’s main priorities. The country has to manage high public debt at about 85 percent of GDP and unemployment of 13 percent. In term of foreign policy, Croatia would like to see Bosnia and Herzegovina move closer to Europe. The migration crisis has put huge pressure on the country as well.