Croatian President: “Entrepreneurship is the only thing that can help us”

Talking in the Dalmatian town of Zadar the Croatian President Ivo Josipovic has stressed that entrepreneurship is the only thing that can help Croatia achieve positive growth and sustainable development.

Josipovic was speaking on the theme “The concept of sustainable development – the holder of the changes in society and in the political arena.” as part of a programme by the Academy for Political Development, reported Croatian radiotelevision.

“The Popular topic of sustainable development can be rationalised as a battle of two important catalysts in society: the quest for the satisfaction of personal and collective needs, and on the other hand, solidarity,” said Josipovic, adding that these two tendencies are not always positively correlated.

“If we compare the objectives, that 75 per cent of the population from 20-64 years are employed, that 3 per cent of production gets invested in research and development, and that 40 per cent of the population complete tertiary education, we must conclude that Europe is very far from fulfilling these objectives. When we look at Croatia’s goals, we have ambitious goals that are far from realisation. The strategy in 2009 was to encourage population growth, protect the environment and natural resources, to achieve social and territorial cohesion and justice, energy independence, improve public health, connect Croatia, and to conserve the coast and the islands It must be said that we are very far away from achieving that”, concluded Josipovic.