Croatia has switched to the euro and entered Europe’s passport-free zone – two important milestones for the country after joining the European Union (EU) nearly a decade ago.
At midnight on Sunday, the Balkan nation bid farewell to its kuna currency and became the 20th member of the eurozone.
It is now the 27th nation in the Schengen zone, the world’s largest passport-free travel area, which enables more than 400 million people to move freely around its members.
“It is the season of new beginnings. And there is no place in Europe where this is more true than here in Croatia,” tweeted EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, as she arrived in Croatia to mark the occasion.
She met Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar at a border crossing with EU member Slovenia.
Croatia, a former Yugoslav republic of 3.9 million people that fought a war of independence in the 1990s, joined the EU in 2013.
Al Jazeera’s Stefanie Dekker reports from Zagreb, Croatia.
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Congrat Crowatia on joining the Big Boys Klub and may you soon join NATO/OTAN like Sweden and Finland are doing and hopefulkly Ukraine will soon follow suit. Together we are all stronger.
brh, we are in nato since 2011
@Rap Kritičar ma pusti ih, ovo je vjeronatno prvi put da su ćuli da postojimo.
@Manfred Richtoften 🤣🤣🤣👌🏼👌🏼
Croatia is in NATO
May Sweden and Finland join NATO like Croatia did in 2009
🤣🤣🤣
Isn’t Ursula von der lying under investigation for fraud along with her husband? They nickname her the pirate of Brussels
Rats jumping on the Titanic lol
RIP Croatian people
🌈 incoming
@Tristan Edwards we already have that, we call it Sabor
Look Ursula – AKA Dracula -, smelling virgin blood…
Ursula van der Shenanigans has warned them about her 30%percent kickbacks!
what if quantum is like masturbation and all side by side peculiarity like is not part of what is rounding , and russia presented a tesla effect on a quantum , so what if tesla was from russia , so what if someone just whanted to show romania and bulgaria low players if they entered shengen at the same time with croatia? i can’t also help anymore eurozone countrys.
This is a wake up call for Africa , Africa should wake up
Wake up to what?
?
🤣😂
Africa will wake up in the year 3000 AD 😅
How can Africa join when the EU are racist toward Africa and treat Africa as second class citizens?
Thank you for an actual news report, not that weird no-narration buzzfeed video thing
Croatia should not have become eu member its like why ukrain not a member, jugoslavia war Croatia sold body parts from Serbian male females and children into blackmarket thrue turkie,,,, give justice to those unarmed Serbian civilians justice of the butchery Croatia did 95-98
@Josey Wales go find it , where is it , why we cant find croatia iligal harvest serb bodyparts when it whas on the news 2002-2003 , eu bastardos needed for fascist craotia to become eu member and the report is shamefull
it is sad how Serbian brains have been washed
@Vale who cares about serbs everyone in jugoslavia is a misseria and its all jugoslavs there own fault the war break out and destroyed the great country
@Mikael Andersson It was great only for you Serbs, they beat me because I am a Croat and because I celebrated Catholic Christmas. So keep quiet
@Vale malaka am not serb, alliance forces should have bombed Croatia Bosnia for siding with hitler
Africa people wake up this is what we should also do in our continent. I don’t know what are we waiting for. Shame on us….
@Don Babilio It would not work on Day 1, but Unions are providing stability. If a Union is strong then countries will want to join and over time the political landscape will shift from nationalism to unionism. The EU was also formed in times where lots of Europe was in turnoil.
@Yavantii Countries are waiting for 20 years to join EU.
Yet Russia building a union by invading Ukraine.
You have to have strong army so you are not incorporated into Russian union by force
One African currency – would be helpful especially to countries that can’t manage to keep there’s stable.
OMG. The ignorant. You can’t just simply join EU. It’s the EU that don’t want Africa.
@Navit I think he’s talking about having one currency.
Sattam Hussain says same thing but USA 🇺🇸 Nato UN useless fellows killed Iraq 🇮🇶 president and King 🤴 Mr Satham Hussain
Interesting.
🇭🇷
Check out Whitney Webb Glen beck podcast
The EU is a good idea as is a common currency but NO to this currency. Knowledge of the money creation system will tell you this is another private bankers’ construct for their prosperity and profits.
The Bank of England Q1 2014 Bulletin website explains how money is now created out of nothing by private commercial banks as debt “in the modern economy.”
The Euro is the same.
Money creation is power and freedom.
Do not give up your Treasury and Central Bank.
And get them if you can; eg Scotland.
The politicians obviously know not what they do.
But the head bankers do.
Corrupt politicians ❌ killing average ppl economy ❌❌❌
Borderless Europe, quite correct and Europe is being overwhelmed with immigrants from Africa, Asia and Middle East.
Wasn`t WW2 enough for you being deceived by a foreign master now you are bending over to another autocratic power !
They bombed Yugoslavia,,and ,today they having a toast,,,unthinkable.
Croatians you just gave away your country. Culture. Sovreignty.
Thats garbage, Croatia will always be Croatia
After 1000 years existing as Croats, through hundreds of wars as crusaders and defenders of their territory’s, they are still Croatia and Croatians today, still 96% Christian, still holding their traditions, so I cant see anything changing soon
@Powder Skier you mean like London is British?
Its the worst decision they made to have euro is their currency. Things will be more n more expensive from now on.this my opinion
It might be just for now, but their salaries will slowly adjust to this and in the long run they will be so much better off. It will take a year or 2 before they reap the benefits
💯 correct – same happened in
Kosova
@Josey Wales so you prefer to use serbian dinar?
@Tsenavi
It was the Deutschmark
I remember the switch in germany. Two weeks and the worst is over.
Prices will be rounded up so you get to pay extra 5 – 10% over night.
So basically Congrats Croatia you’ve got ripped off. Oh and well done EU for signing up 4th poorest economy nation to your failing Euro 💶 currency
@Christian I think I remember plenty of German companies do manufacturing in Croatia. It’s the European low wage option.
@CHMichael that might be so but why is Croatia 4th poorest in the EU if Germany is investing so much, hmmmm something smells fishy
@CHMichael also youve just exposed fine little detail, Germany pushed Croatia to adapt euros so they can make money easier with German manufacturer based in Croatia. Use them on a cheap with single currency, make quick buck for Germany, that’s the reason behind it. How undemocratic
It’s like UK pushing Germany now to adapt pound so it will be easier to do business since Brexit. We all know who buys German cars the most in Europe
@CHMichael if anything we should all look at Poland, when they joined EU in 2004, their economy was one of the worsed in EU, fast forward to 2022, their economy now is as strong as Portugal. All that achieved without joining euro currency, it just goes to show.
But Nigel Fromage told us the EU is dead … ???
It is , ask how life in the EU has been for the average Croat & they will tell you they have had to leave their own country to try to make a decent living
Croatia :4th poorest economy within EU is now in eurozone since yesterday
Answer to your question
Yes Nigel is right, EU is dead
@Christian and the UK is booming lol. I have a slightly used Unicorn , wanna buy it ?
@rodmarker2071 UK – 2nd largest economy in Europe, 5th largest in the World, I think we doing quite well, thank you though. Sell your 2nd hand Unicorn to some other more desperate country.
@Christian Old figures, dreams of a past age … The Brexit unicorns are just dying to help …Enjoy being levelled up
Kiss your country and culture goodbye
RIP ENJOY THE IMMIGRANTS.
So the robbery of average people begins….
*Croatia🇭🇷 have border disputes with Serbia.*
make border agreement & peace!
@D T only with terrorist Albanians
@D T so if Russians living in east Ukraine that got shoot down by Ukrainians want to live independent or be a part of Russia again (how they’ve always historically been) is bad.
But if Albanians immigrate so Serbian territories, kill Serbs and say that they’re an independent state is ok?
Wtf are you talking about man?
@Luca’ s Work tv lol Croatian average salary 1028€. Serbian average salary 641€. Serbs are labour force in Croatia. ♥️
@Luca’ s Work tv more Serbs live in Austria than Switzerland. And thank you NATO ♥️
@D T 🤣
Go forth Croatia and prove the haters wrong, congratulations, celebrate and work even harder for a bright future, Croatia is a country with huge potential!! 🫒🇭🇷🌴
@Christian goes to show what? That Poland did a good job? Good for them, still doesn’t have anything to do with Croatia. It’s not about currency it’s about policy. Now move along.
@user-ot4hu1uq2q goes to show that poorer countries don’t have to get pushed into the corner and forced by Germany to join their currency, let’s face it…. Germany gains most out of it. Poland is holding on to their currency and so far it is working for them, Croatia decided this without putting it to their people first, it’s not going to end well. Europe post covid economy is weak at the moment and with war going on, Croatia should have just kept their currency , end of, my opinion accept it move on you euros loving individual. I bet you gained alot from euros, that’s why you want the whole Europe to adapt to it
@Christian you have issues, period.
@Kokolo you are brainwashed , period
@Christian stfu it’s for your own good
why croatia is so stupid
Borderless you say? Watch the migrant flow become even worse. Croatia will not be able to handle it.
I am not from Europe but feel drawn to say “Well-Done boy” to Croatia; EU is a highly stable and secure zone to be in. Congrats
Check your source mate, Croatia got fragile economy, 4th poorest in the EU. Being in euro-zone makes little difference
Ask Greece
@Christian leave this country alone what is your problem jesus christ
@user-ot4hu1uq2q lol did I hit a nerve. Croatia is 4th poorest economy in EU and now euro-zone . don’t cry now
Croatia now open no borders how will they sustain the influx of multiculturalism?
And here in the UK myopic people voted out of Europe, I believe it was the greatest mistake we British made. I voted to remain, but not very urbane and cerebral citizens voted out because a clown promised £350m per week for NHS, but NHS nurses is on strike. Also we can trade with the rest of the world, not a single trade has been carried out with any major economies around the world.
Brexit was a cataclysmic disaster for the UK economy and its citizens.
@Beautiful empathetic Liberal woman 😂😂😂
@Jerry Oghumu Why are you trying to be white? It’s weird and abnormal.
@Beautiful empathetic Liberal woman 😂😂😂.
Silence is the best reply to a fool, who’s not very urbane and cerebral in their thoughts.
@Jerry Oghumu Why do you hate your own people and continent?
@WWJD ?what mass immigration lol people from africa and Middle East coming from turkey not eu lol
Naționaliști,putori, și mafioti
Real shame. Now the country will lose its independence and identity.
It will- expect inflation and to be told what to do – not asked, but ordered
*Luca Modric rocks😀😀😀*
Long overdue Congrats Croatia and a very warm welcome
Overdue? Overdue to get screwed by Central Bank??
What good is money in the hand of a fool?
He has no reason to acquire wisdom.
Izdali svoju Jugoslaviju, usli u tudu evropu. Svaka vam cast! 😅
bila vasa kao I nasa. Samo niste cenili. Jebiga. Vi ste radili?! Ko vam izgradio primorje, autopute, bolnice skole etc, vi sami ? Dubre . A ajde, sve vam najbole . A fudbaleri su vam odlicni to jest
@brankog7 u AU smo dosta toga izgradili, u Jugoslaviji su Slo i HR bile najjace ekonomske zemlje, Srbi i ostali nisu imali, ni dan danas nemaju standard kao Hrvati, kamoli Slovenci. U HR je prosjecna placa 1028€, tu radi preko 20 000 Srba. Autoput Zg St Beograd nije dao jer je bio prijetnja. Al doduse sta očekivati od plemena koji je bacao cvijeće na tenkove. Siromasna zemlja bez mora bila i ostala, saka jada koja bjezi u EU, a mase ruskim zastavama. Zapeli ste u vlastitom blatu imperijalizma koji se nije ostvario. Pozdrav servi
They are the Ustashi
@D T je li ,yugoslaviju kazes su izdali u kojoj su srbski četnici i srbska yugoslavesnka vojska ubijali ljude, srbija mora platiti ratni zlocin Hrvatskoj,Kosovu,Bosni i Hercegovini za masakre sta ste pocinili ! Down with serbian war criminals and butchers ! Love to EU ❤
@Josey Wales we are not Chetniks nor Putin Lovers
Is EURO club of few well performing and majority of non performing economies??
I look forward to Croatia becoming an extension of Africa and the middle East.
Migrants are not interested staying in our country. We don’t offer free hotel stays, food or money indefinitely. Here, if you don’t have money, you are hungry, no government handouts for anyone, not even Croats.
@Helena Holm Closer ties to the west means your country will eventually adopt more liberal policies and eventually you will take the migrants like everywhere else. That is the price you pay for “freedom and democracy”.
Croatia here I come
India will be next
that’s cursed because india is asia not europe
They are speaking Serbian.
They don’t sound like turks, so no they are not speaking serbian.
Welcome in jail of nations where your constitution mean nothing for them
Üdvözöljük a horvát testvéreket a csapatban….
Slavery & servants Marches on or lol .
Endless irrelevant apartheid NAZI’S Zionists slavery puppet pawns & enslaved expansion led terrorism act to TYRANNY f… or USSR MARCHES ON.
This will change their mentality from primitive balkans to European people.
We were never “primitive”. Before the war, Yugoslavia was one of the better, richest countries in the Balkans. In any case, we were more prosperous than Romania, Bulgaria or Hungary.
In terms of “schools”, we alone had a very strong school back then, under communism. We were raised strictly. My parents had to read more books when they were in high school than is required, for example, in countries like Germany.
Unfortunately, the war, or rather religion, has made some people stupid. But Croatia was not as badly affected by the war as Bosnia, so the people there are quite modern, educated and at the same time cultivate their culture.
For example, I was a kid in Bosnia during the war and was there – meanwhile I’ve studied in both Germany and Ireland and have my Masters and I speak 3 languages. When I was young I read a number of books by European philosophers.
But not only the interest in “education” is important, there are many people here who are good at their crafts. What do you think who now mostly work on German construction sites? They’re all Yugos. Without Yugos nobody would build up Germany anymore! This is the hardest job in the world. I have great respect for that.
When I was in Ireland I mainly saw/heard Poles and Irish on construction. The Indians or Chinese don’t build our countries, they work in restaurants.
@Echein Croatia is one of the most primitive nations on the planet in terms of science,technology and human rights,except that no one talks about it.The public is not allowed to talk about how their people are treated like SLAVES in business.They never talk about all the poor people in Cro.
@Lazarus Blackwell Dude, where do you get your weird information from? You must be a troll. 😀
You’re probably just mad, because Croatia kicked your country out in the World Cup, aren’t you.
If you want to find real “human rights” you should look for them in Qatar.
Why the want to destroy Europe
thank goodness England is safe from the destruction of their citizens’ futures
Anti RUSSIAN AS USUAL APARTHEID To RASCISTS BIGOTS KILLER & ISLAMOPHOBIC fundamentally or radicalised led terrorism act to WAR CRIMINALS as usual & same rights WING cult too
I feel it is appropriate to point out the INSANITY that people in the banks and post offices have to face today
(and in the following days)
Please people,have some understanding for the clerks in the institutions because they are only HUMAN.
They are not ROBOTS.
Please DONT BRING HUGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY TO EXCHANGE
There is enough time for everyone to do their exchanges and work regarding the new currency.
Everyone hates the Euro
Brussels is lying to European citizens! There are no sanctions against Russia! Shops in Russia are full of European goods!
I am starting to feel for Turkey
My country Romania will never join Schengen like Turkey will never join EU
turkey dont care eu also turkish army strongest in region after russia npt like your country
Welcome to European prices but Soviet wages.
We fought to get away from nasty Yugoslavia know Europe will be our next enemy soon
Stupid that they stop protecting our borders. Very very dumb president we need another president
Fell sorry for the population and buisness. They will be paying nearly 76% more for their costs of living..like what happened to other EU countries when changed their currency to the euro…Ireland, Spain,Portugal….just speck to people out there ,they will tell you things you don’t hear from those politicians buisness people the servants of the WEF.
Big 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩
Lets go luka modric!
Has ups and downs but considering Croatia’s tourism industry it’s probably an upside in the long run. The problem is without e-vignettes, traffic will still be horrible in the summer. Also, everyone is rounding prices up :I Here’s hoping it ends up being a plus for everyone
Greece and Italy also adopted Euro, both countries went through worst recession in the past 15 years.
So very good luck to Croatia.
EU currently is only good at promoting one thing, that is to promote Homosexuality and other perverted woke ideologies.
“New year, new currency”
How comes they are still using cash while at the same time advocating for cashless societ? Crazy people!
FIFA success shouldn’t be overlooked in the development of multiple countries
Gold Kunas rulez!
It seems like Croatia is pretty much the only country that had a good year in 2022.