UDSS celebrate Croatia’s remarkable national journey

To mark Croatian National Day, UDSS Co-Chairman Peter Hewitt joined a reception hosted by the Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia H.E. Igor Pokaz.

The reception was held at London's Hyatt Regency hotel to celebrate over 30 years of independence. UDSS sends warm wishes to all of its Croatian friends and colleagues who will mark their Independence this month.

The Croatian Parliament gained the power to declare independence from Yugoslavia on June 25, 1991, after 93% of citizens voted for Croatia to become a sovereign state. This event holds the record for the largest voter turnout in Croatian history and is considered one of the most significant Croatian historical events.

The celebration of Croatia’s Statehood Day earlier this year on the 30th May coincided with a historic milestone for Croatia; the European Commission (EC) and the ECB published a Convergence Report which concluded that Croatia is the only non-euro EU country ready to implement the EURO from 2023. The EC also concluded that Croatia no longer suffers from macroeconomic imbalances and can be excluded from the Macro Imbalances Procedure (MIP). Croatia is now expected to join the Schengen zone and become an OECD member in the near future.   

Reaching this point was not easy. For a quarter of a century, Croatian governments have had to tackle challenges including rebuilding the country, establishing a sensible monetary regime, and handling successive economic crises. Through it all, Croatia’s strong commitment to EU integration has served as a guiding light that has helped steer the country toward more prosperous times.