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O izdanju:
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CONTENT
introductory epistle
A Plate-full of Frenchisms
fortnightly news
The Economy
Of General Interest
fortnightly feature
A Twilight of the Idols
financial
Croatian National Bank Releases Another 6.3 Billion Kuna for Economic Stimulus
Germany-Croatia Trade Relations
industry profile
Tourism - Can Croatia Offer More Than the Sea and the Sun?
legal & regulatory
Public Administration Reform on the Eve of Accession
real estate
Croatian Real Estate - Reform or Ineptitude?
fortnightly interview
The Month of Francophonie
editorial
Ivo Pogorelić Sets the Mind in Motion – Lisinski Is an Architectural Masterpiece
social pages
Roses Once a Year Are Fine
entertainment
St. Patrick’s in ZG
to do list
The Spring Kicks Off Francophone
introductory epistle
A Plate-full of Frenchisms
Here we are, an English language newspaper, putting out this edition in the middle of the month of...Francophonie. Even we feel compelled to put a stop to this hegemony of the English language, but there’s no fighting against the lingua franca of the 21st century. English as lingua franca? Yes, paradoxes, especially the linguistic ones, tend to preponderate nowadays. Be that as it may, we hope our French- and English-speaking readers alike will appreciate our review of the many events and activities taking place in Croatia in celebration of all things French – or shall we say Francophone.
The “langue” of this rag may not correspond to the season, but here I’ll pause to recall the words of that most infamous of Frenchmen, Napoleon Bonaparte: “A journalist is a grumbler, a censurer, a giver of advice, a regent of sovereigns, a tutor of nations. Four hostile newspapers are more to be feared than a thousand bayonets.” We at CR are not to be feared, really, and we shan’t presume to occupy the (labour-intensive) post of tutor to the Croatian nation, but grumbles and censures abound in these pages. With the protests continuing and even picking up momentum, we certainly have our excuse. A few days ago I was told by a prominent member of the diplomatic corps that we newspapermen (and newspaperwomen) have stumbled upon a goldmine in these protests. Something major to write about. I promptly disagreed. Yes, the protests are a potent source of the stuff editorial journalism is made of, but there is always something scandalous and/or sensational going on in this country: generals on the run, or major EU pressure, or a wave of violent crime, or some election, or a corruption scandal, or a former prime minister arrested, or left wing invective, or right wing invective, and so forth. We hope, however, to match our griping with appropriate causes for optimism: the state of the economy may be deplorable (consistently so), but, as Miss Riksheim explains, a recent move on the part of the Croatian National Bank is certainly a step in the right direction. The figures concerning the number of women in the workplace and the gender pay-gap are still disheartening, even though we’ve just marked the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day; nevertheless we laud the women (and men) out to change these statistics. The Croatian public sector is in desperate need of ongoing reform; credit is due to the many institutions and experts lending a hand in the process of developing accountable civil servants in this bureaucratic land. If the old English proverb that it takes at least three generations to make a gentleman is true, then it shouldn’t surprise that it should take us more than 20 years to make an efficient civil service. We should rather aim for the 50 year marker, and hope for some good fortune in the process.
Censure and gripe though we may (should we fear bayonets? or tear gas?), we cannot complain at the truly excellent submissions contained in this edition of CR. Many thanks is owed to professor Ivanković for his eloquent architectural musings on the Lisinski Concert Hall; to the gentlemen from King Sturge for a truly comprehensive overview of the Croatian real estate market; to, yet again, Martina Hatlak of the National Competiveness Council for her insight, this time, into the slippery and, as far as Croatia is concerned, cosmically important department of tourism.
Lastly, though anti-government protests continue here in Croatia and there is terribly concerning civil unrest in Libya, it doesn’t get any worse than the suffering presently experienced by the Japanese nation, facing the devastation of earthquake and tsunami and, potentially worst of all, nuclear reactor. Our thoughts are with Japan and all those affected, and we urge concerned readers here to share generously in the relief efforts. All donations made to the Croatian Red Cross for this cause will be forwarded to the Japanese Red Cross directly.
Bon courage to us all, and bon chance to the leading Croatian political options. Or shall we say bon voyage? Soon, we hope... With the spring already here, we cannot help but hope.
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O časopisu:
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Croatia: a Fortnight in Review (CR) is the first publication of its kind in Croatia: a twice monthly national English language newspaper for all those seeking high-level analysis of contemporary business, legal, political and cultural affairs and events in Croatia. The editorial office is well-rounded and, of course, international, and draws on the extensive experience of a composite of full-time professionals and outsourced experts.
News in all its insightful and banal forms is everywhere nowadays, but no newspaper should be solely about the news; the task of every self-respecting broadsheet is to provide and create meaningful context. This, simply, is our mission.
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