New Issue of Lider: Election of New Management of HEP – Factional Struggles for Control of the Largest Source of Cash

On the table is a list of ten names for six positions in the management of the largest state-owned company. The final selection will fall when Prime Minister Plenković reconciles the appetites of the coalition factions – those in HDZ and those in HNS – and makes a decision. For now, the greatest prospects for the top position are given to Nikola Rukavina. Read more about political staffing in HEP in the article Manuela Tašler.

International Pressures: The Economy is a Tool for Pushing Croatia in the Desired Direction

How independent, sovereign, and self-sufficient Croatia is has become evident to its citizens this year, if they ever had any illusions. First, the sudden collapse of Agrokor opened the space for a tussle between two superpowers, in which the Croatian government had only the option to choose between the USA and Russia, and then the outcome of the arbitration regarding the Piran Gulf pulled along a fierce Slovenian offensive and the first concrete steps in the form of withdrawing support for Croatia’s membership in the OECD, as well as a clear alignment of Brussels and Berlin on the Slovenian side, thus finally bursting the childish Croatian dream of a friendly Germany, writes Vanja Figenwald.

State Spending (2): We Pay Politicians the Most in the EU, and Even That is Not Enough for Them

If there were ever any illusions, Lider dispelled them in the last issue: Croatia has the most expensive state in the entire European Union. Therefore, it is not surprising that the most attractive and secure profession here is – politician – and that as many as 11,000 people are professionally engaged in this lucrative job, reveals Ksenija Puškarić.

Jurica Lovrinčević: Pevec Will Not Be on the Stock Exchange Until We Resolve All Skeletons in the Closet

After the bankruptcy from which it barely emerged and somewhat got back on its feet, Pevec became a target of various interests. A great struggle took place among shareholders, and in the end, one faction won. Jurica Lovrinčević, the CEO of Pevec, after a year in office, talks about the skeletons in the closet he found, his friendship with Pavo Vujnovac from PPD, and the message someone sent him after beating up board member Krešimir Bubalo. Read more in the interview with Tina Bašića.

The Search for Workers: Candidates Set Crazier Conditions

It was one of the usual job interviews at a smaller woodworking company with expected questions on both sides, but then it turned out that the job candidate is currently on sick leave because he suffers from ‘field work’. The candidate casually explained that he does not want to go into the field, even though he is currently employed at a construction company where daily wages are paid and where he is even satisfied with his salary, so he decided to look for a new job using his free time on a fake sick leave. This is one of many anecdotes that can be heard from entrepreneurs when they complain about how hard it is to find workers and what they encounter in job interviews, as written by Matilda Bačelić and Aleksandar Tešić.

>>> In the new issue of Lider: 25 Unusual Requests and Situations from Job Interviews

Installation of Elevators: Croatia Does Not Want 320 Million Euros from the EU

A group of retirees has devised a national project for the installation of elevators in residential buildings worth over 400 million euros, which would employ manufacturers, designers, installers, and service technicians, estimated to be at least two thousand people. Behind the project, which would be mostly financed by the European Union, are the Croatian Chamber of Commerce and the Croatian Association for Elevators, but it got stuck in the Ministry of Regional Development and European Union Funds. Learn more in the text by Aleksandra Tešića.

Day of Big Plans: Business Leaders on Their Expectations for 2018

Entrepreneurs ‘on the ground’ are more optimistic about economic trends in the coming year than macroeconomists, the Croatian National Bank, and global institutions such as the European Commission and the World Bank, which have estimated a slowdown in GDP growth to 2.5 and 2.6 percent for 2018 and 2019. What major Croatian economic entities expect from the next year ahead of the Day of Big Plans was investigated by Željka Laslavić.

Thomas Mayer: Croatia Should Introduce the Euro Only When Its Economy is Ready

In an interview with Tina Bašić former chief economist of Deutsche Bank and one of the most respected European analysts, Thomas Mayer explained to Lider the threats coming to Europe, why one should not think too optimistically, and how to prepare for the new crisis that is coming.

Smartphones: Apple and Samsung in a Dead Heat, and Google Prepares to Buy HTC

The smartphone market is not on its last breath, as some have claimed. This year, the giants came out with ‘heavy artillery’: Samsung’s S8 and the newly introduced Apple iPhone 8 and iPhone X are wonders of technology, raising the market competition to a new level. Apple continues to take risks with a very high price, but the question is how much it can stretch the loyalty of its fans, analyzes Vanja Figenwald.

Davor Grünwald: Pioneer of Croatian Industrial Design

We heard firsthand a very exciting life and professional story about the ‘first Yugoslav academically educated industrial designer’, who is now 74 years old. Little known to the public because he dealt with machine design rather than product design, he had an interesting professional journey from Croatia to Canada, writes Željka Laslavić.

Read also how a poorly chosen shade can be crucial for a brand’s success, what loophole in the law was found by the resourceful to avoid high taxes on gifted real estate, and why an employer must explain to a candidate the reasons for not hiring. These are just some of the interesting topics waiting for you in the new issue of the printed or digital Lider.