Christmas Message of the President of the Republic of Croatia Zoran Milanović

“Dear fellow citizens in the Homeland,

Dear Croats around the world, and especially those in our neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina,

Merry Christmas to all!

In the Christian and Western tradition – to which Croatia has always belonged and still does – Christmas is rightfully considered the most joyous holiday because it means family gathering and the joy of togetherness in the warmth and peace of the home.

I hope from the bottom of my heart that it will be so today when all Christian believers, all Croatian citizens welcome and celebrate Christmas in peace and joy with by their families, their dearest ones and their friends.

The tradition of celebrating Christmas is deeply rooted among the Croatian people, regardless of where they live. They have carried that tradition with them, preserving not only the custom, but also their affiliation with a small, yet proud and strong nation.

Today, when all small nations are less and less listened to, when their voice is taken for granted even before they are asked about anything, it is even more important to protect and strengthen the awareness of that affiliation because this has proven to be crucial for the protection of our state and our identity even in the more recent history.

Unfortunately, we have been witness to peace, security and solidarity not being a certainty, to their disappearing overnight, and to how little it takes for those values to be denied or even trampled on.

Croatia experienced what that looks like, and that experience gives us the right to warn, to insist on fairness, but also to be wise and take care of ourselves.

The concerns of the Croatian people in the dramatically changing world order are of interest to few.

What is particularly frustrating is the indifference toward the concerns of the Croatian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina where attempts have been made to downplay or even abolish their equality and status of a constituent people guaranteed by the Dayton Agreement.

Croatia and its government must not allow that. I am confident that the rights of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina can be defended more strongly and must be advocated more vocally in places where decisions are made. That can be done only by us, and we are not doing it sufficiently.

Croatia is indebted to the Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it is my wish for them to be able, in the near future, to fully exercise their rights.   

Christmas is an opportunity to send one’s wishes for peace, goodness and unity among people to one’s friends and neighbours as well as to all people around the world suffering because of war and violence.

In Croatia today we live in peace and security, which is a great blessing, but many of our fellow citizens lack the financial conditions for a good life, they lack social security.

The concerns of Croatian citizens are justified and understandable, and those in charge must not ignore them or – and we have witnessed too – cover them up with statistics that frequently fail to reflect the actual quality of life in Croatia.

But I am confident that almost all of us are bothered most by the injustice and inequality before the law and state institutions. Widespread corruption and misuse of public funds have taken such proportions that one cannot but mention that scourge even at this holiday time.

No one can turn a blind eye to that fact, and I am certain that exactly that – corruption, favouritism and injustice – cause dissatisfaction among the Croats the most.

Such phenomena, which are a daily occurrence and without adequate sanctions, destroy people’s faith in state institutions and are, more than anything else, the reason why people are leaving the country.

This is everyone’s responsibility – but mostly the government’s – to make the resounding holiday messages become reality and for people in Croatia to genuinely look forward to a better life and a more just society. I trust that this is possible not only in Christmas wishes but in reality too.

Let us do all we can to ensure to Croats, wherever they live, a good life and a fair society, and peace and security to our Homeland.

Those are my biggest wishes for everyone in Croatia on the eve of the coming holiday.

In the hope that they will come true, I wish all Christian believers a Merry Christmas, and a peaceful and joyous holiday season.

Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year!”