Plenković: Croatia Firmly Protects Its Borders
In Imotski, the PM addressed the decline in illegal crossings, traffic collapse in the south, confirmation of the credit rating, and the upcoming celebration in Knin.
In Imotski, the PM addressed the decline in illegal crossings, traffic collapse in the south, confirmation of the credit rating, and the upcoming celebration in Knin.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković stated on Sunday in Imotski that Croatia decisively protects its borders and prevents illegal migration, highlighting data showing a significantly reduced number of crossing attempts. Before addressing other topics, the PM congratulated the residents of Imotski on their City Day. He made the statement after a ceremonial procession that passed from the Church of St. Francis to the Topana fortress, with the central Eucharistic celebration led by the Bishop of Banja Luka, Željko Majić.
"Croatia, as a responsible member of the European Union and the Schengen area, but above all for its own national interests, very firmly protects its borders and prevents illegal migration," Plenković said, as reported by HRT. He added that no one wants a repeat of the 2015 migrant crisis and that all member states have strengthened surveillance. "You have also seen the data published in yesterday's government statement: the number of attempted border crossings has significantly decreased, primarily thanks to the deterrent actions of the Croatian police at our borders," the PM said, also noting that an increasing number of smugglers have been arrested.
The PM also commented on the mass crossing of migrants from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta last week, where an estimated 60,000 people entered. More than 48,000 were returned to Morocco on Friday, and 67 people died attempting to arrive by sea. Plenković welcomed the action of the Spanish police, which, as he noted, resulted in 95 percent of people being returned across the border. "That letter is an expression of concern about what happened. We haven't seen that in many years, albeit on African soil," he said.
He emphasized that the letter sent by 22 of the 27 EU member state leaders to the President of the European Council and the President of the Commission is an "expected and serious signal of concern." Commenting on Italy's decision to suspend the Schengen agreement with Spain for one month, Plenković assessed that such a move is understandable given the years of pressure from illegal migration on that country. "It is normal for the Italian government to react in this way because it was ultimately one of the elements of Giorgia Meloni's and her party's program," he stated, recalling that Italy has been heavily exposed for years through the central Mediterranean route.
Referring to the traffic collapse at the border crossing in Konavle, Plenković explained that the congestion results from several factors. "In Bavaria, school obligations have ended, holidays have begun in our nearest large German state, hence such a large number of people. What happened towards Montenegro is mostly Albanian nationals living and working in Western Europe who took this route, which is the shortest for them," he clarified.
He added that the new European Entry/Exit system, which involves more systematic checks and data entry into a shared computer system, further slows traffic, especially during the intense summer months. "In any case, we need to complete the expressway from Dubrovnik to Čilipi, and further towards the border with Montenegro," he said, appealing for patience and expressing confidence that the situation will normalize after the weekend. He also announced solutions to traffic problems on the Zagvozd-Imotski, Split-Omiš, and Ston-Dubrovnik routes.
The PM also touched on economic topics, highlighting that the agency Fitch confirmed Croatia's investment-grade credit rating at 'A' on Friday. "That is very good. It means we have, in a way, brought Croatia to the standard of an investment-grade credit rating. Ten years ago, that was almost unimaginable," Plenković said, adding that the country has moved up five and a half notches in the rating over several years.
Regarding inflation, the PM pointed to a trend of monthly decreases but warned that energy prices on the global market have a key impact. "If it happens that the Strait of Hormuz remains navigable and stock exchanges no longer react so volatilely to oil, gas, and fuel prices, then we can expect the situation to stabilize towards the end of 2026," he predicted.
Asked about the upcoming celebration of Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day in Knin, Plenković confirmed that the program has been agreed upon and that he expects a dignified commemoration. He recalled that Deputy Prime Minister Tomo Medved has been chairing the organizing committee for years. "We had the last briefing after the government session on Thursday, and I expect everything to be dignified, with emotions and evocation of everything that Croatian defenders did for Croatia, freedom, democracy in the Homeland War, and those two magnificent victories-Flash and Storm-as the crown of 1995," he said.
He concluded that these are unforgettable and historically fascinating moments for the Croatian people, which is why they are commemorated with dignity. He added that he will continue with political and public obligations during the summer because his vacation, as he put it, is "quite fragmented."
