Croatia spent €114 million on Croats living abroad – where did the money go?

ZAGREB, 6 March 2025 (Hina) – The Croatian state allocated almost €114 million last year for Croats living abroad, funding their projects and needs.

This marks a 20% increase compared to the previous year, according to the Annual Report on the Implementation of the Strategy and the Law on Relations with Croats Outside Croatia.

The report, prepared by the Central State Office for Croats Abroad, provides a detailed breakdown of expenditures made last year by various ministries and institutions, as well as the Office itself, primarily supporting Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).

Three ministries were at the forefront in terms of allocated amounts: the Ministry of Labour, Pension System and Social Policy, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Science and Education.

€53.7 million for HVO pension beneficiaries

A total of €58.9 million was allocated for all activities of the Ministry of Labour. Within this allocation, the Croatian Pension Insurance Institute covered expenses for Croatian Defence Council (HVO) pension beneficiaries amounting to €53.7 million.

Under the “I Choose Croatia” scheme, which facilitates the return of Croats from abroad, €3.2 million was spent through the Croatian Employment Service.

The Ministry of Health continued its support for the Clinical Hospital Mostar, allocating €10.3 million in targeted aid to settle outstanding debts to suppliers of pharmaceuticals and medical materials.

The Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO) spent €4.2 million on healthcare services for Croatian citizens residing in BiH.

€5.6 million for science and education

The Ministry of Science and Education allocated a total of €5.6 million, including €3.8 million for the education of Croatian children abroad.

A further €1.1 million was used to fund development projects, travel expenses, accommodation, and allowances for teachers from Croatia teaching at the University of Mostar, as well as co-financing postgraduate studies in Croatia for University of Mostar staff.

The Central State Office’s programmes include support for Croats in BiH, Croatian national minorities in 12 European countries, and the Croatian diaspora.

In 2024, €6.5 million was allocated for programmes and projects aimed at improving the quality of life in BiH, with €1.8 million specifically designated for 23 education and science projects, including the construction, renovation, and equipping of schools, preschools, and sports halls.

Through the Central State Office, the Croatian government continued to provide financial support for strategic projects benefiting the Croatian community in BiH, including the University of Mostar (€550,000), the Croatian National Theatre in Mostar (€265,000), the renovation of the Catholic School Centre Petar Barbarić in Travnik (€350,000), and Radio-Television Herceg-Bosna (€750,000).

New strategic projects in BiH

Last year, eight additional projects were designated as strategic, receiving funding ranging from €180,000 (projects of the Banja Luka Diocese) to €500,000 (construction of a primary school with a kindergarten and sports hall in Fojnica, expansion and equipping of the Croatian Hospital Dr Fra Mato Nikolić, and renovation of Fra Dominik Mandić Grammar School in Široki Brijeg, as well as initiatives to improve student standards in Sarajevo).

Projects supporting the Croatian national minority received €1.7 million in 2024, with €1.6 million awarded through public tenders to 163 minority organisations across 11 of the 12 European countries, with Bulgaria being the only exception.

Among nine strategic minority projects, the largest grant (€1.2 million) was allocated to the “Build a Mill Where There is Water – 7 Matica” project.

This initiative involves the construction, renovation, and refurbishment of seven facilities in Croatian communities in Serbia, including Sombor, Monoštor, Sonta, Petrovaradin, Ruma, Šid, and Opovo.

This project, led by the Croatian National Council in Serbia, acknowledges the challenges faced by the Croatian community, including a lack of institutional infrastructure and territorial dispersion. The initiative aims to establish “small matica” centres in significant Croatian-populated areas, modelled on the main Matica in Subotica.

Digitisation of Croatian Ethnic Institute documents in Chicago

Among two strategic projects for the Croatian diaspora, one focuses on the digitisation of documents and renovation of the Croatian Ethnic Institute in Chicago, for which €150,000 has been secured. Founded in 1975 and managed by Franciscan friars, the Institute serves as an archive preserving nearly 800,000 unique documents related to Croatian emigrants in the United States and Canada.

The second project, “Croatian Diaspora Meetings,” is scheduled to take place in Brazil in March 2025.

In 2024, Croatia provided €1.2 million in support to 129 Croatian diaspora organisations across 25 countries spanning five continents.

Additionally, through a programme for funding specific needs and projects of interest to Croats abroad, an extra €1.8 million was distributed.

Croatia also continued to support Croatian students living abroad, awarding 1,500 scholarships for the 2023/2024 academic year, with a total value of €2.2 million.

Some minority protection committees have not convened in years

Alongside the financial allocations for Croats abroad, the report highlights that some intergovernmental mixed committees (MMOs) for minority protection, established to monitor the implementation of bilateral agreements, have not convened for years.

These committees oversee agreements between Croatia and Hungary, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Montenegro.

For instance, it was only at the end of 2024 that a new chairperson was appointed for the Serbian section of the MMO, following a four-year vacancy since the 2020 parliamentary elections.

In Montenegro, there has been no official information regarding the appointment of a new MMO co-chair since the 2020 parliamentary elections.