Croatia’s entry into the EU cannot come at the expense of savers who have simply been defrauded. I have already stated that the Croatian National Bank (HNB) is ready to grant permission for Ljubljanska Banka to operate in Croatia once the issue of savings is resolved, without prejudicing what that solution will be, said the governor of HNB in an interview for Jutarnji list.
He added that if he believes that entry into the EU is so significant, the Croatian Government can itself repay the debt to savers from the budget. HNB will not oppose such a decision. How much money is involved? – The total savings of Croatian citizens in Ljubljanska Banka amounted to around 420 million euros. Of that, Croatia has taken on about 260 million euros in its public debt, but that does not mean that it is no longer a claim against Ljubljanska Banka. The subject of the claim has only changed – it is now the state, not the savers. The remaining amount of about 160 million euros has been retained by the savers, said Rohatinski. (www.jutarnji.hr)
