Austria has also been the most important foreign investor since the Republic of Croatia was founded in 1991. Speaking of 1991: Alois Mock, ÖVP foreign minister at the time, is still in debt to this day, as is his German counterpart Hans- Dietrich Genscher.
Both wanted to recognize Croatia as a separate state before most other politicians in Europe.
The thunderous joy as the return of players who won the World Cup in Qatar did not arise in Croatia at the turn of the year. Friends, acquaintances, longtime colleagues in Zagreb talk more about relief. Reactions to Schengen are at least more positive than those to the euro, which was introduced around the same time.