New Issue of Lider: The Fates of the Region’s Largest Entrepreneurs – Trials, Bankruptcies, Imprisonment, and Some Success

Post-transition business in the region since the beginning of this century has its heroes, but only a part of the fifty most powerful remains at the top of the business scene. Others have abandoned business for various reasons, some due to ties with politics, some have left due to cooperation with organized crime, and some are held by that very connection. For the leadership scene in Croatia, we can say it is quite innocent… when compared to neighboring countries. The most controversial entrepreneurial stories are written by so-called businessmen in Kosovo and Albania, even in Montenegro, where the thread between organized crime, statesmen, and entrepreneurs is almost invisible. This interesting read was created by the pen of Matilda Bačelić and Ksenija Puškarić.

Balancing the Books: Agrokor’s Audit Between Creative Accounting and Illegality

The latest information, or rather speculation, that three billion kuna worth of accounts related to costs and obligations that were not recorded in financial statements and balance sheets were found in Agrokor’s balance sheet for the period from 2010 to 2015 sheds new light on the media battle of Ivica Todorić, analyzed by Tin Bašić.

(Un)wanted Investments: The Chinese Are Breaking the European Wall for Their Investments with the Pelješac Bridge

Chinese investments in the port of Zadar, the competition for the construction of the Pelješac Bridge, and interest in Agrokor come at a time when the European Commission has proposed new regulations that expand the possibilities of blocking unwanted investments in ‘sensitive sectors’ of the European economy. Learn more about Chinese investments and their desirability in the article by Vanja Figenwald.

Jure Mikuž: We Have 40 Million Euros for Financing Startups in the Region

Jure Mikuž is probably the most experienced investor in startups in the region. Ten years ago, he launched RSG Kapital, the first Slovenian venture capital fund that also invested in several Croatian companies, and now he is once again a pioneer with the first regional VC fund, with whom Matilda Bačelić talked about previous investments, plans, and the development of the startup scene.

Who Writes the Laws? The State Should Name the Authors of All Legislative Drafts and Amendments

Ministries usually hide the authors of legislative documents. Behind that anonymity lie the incompetence of the state administration or the interests of social groups and lobbies. Laws were better when they were written by experts with names and surnames, and in the USA, laws are often named after their authors, writes Edis Felić.

The Dutch Disease: Economists in Dispute – Is Croatia Already Severely Ill or Will It Be?

The original ‘Dutch disease’ is the dependence on the exploitation of a single natural resource to the detriment of production. Infected by the virus of tourism, Croatia has symptoms, but the question is whether it is already time for a diagnosis, researched by Vanja Figenwald.

>>> In the New Issue of Lider: The Dutch Disease – Is Croatia Already Severely Ill or Will It Be?

Entrepreneurs and Writers – Writing Crime Novels and Manuals Out of Passion, or Perhaps for a New Career

After producing pallets and bags, when they close the marketing agency or finish a translation, they sit down and write. For their enjoyment, but also for the market. They may climb the domestic reading charts, but even if that doesn’t happen – they have already succeeded, writes Aleksandar Tešić.

Read the above and much more in the new issue of the printed or digital Lider.