In an open letter to Angela Merkel, an independent think tank urged the German Chancellor of the EU to reconsider Croatia’s entrance into the Union later this year. "Croatia includes rampant corruption, organized crime, persecution of media, fraudulent elections, and a depressed economy," the Croatian Adriatic Institute for Public Policy (AI) claimed. “We strongly recommend that Germany reject the entrance of Croatia to the EU," the letter said. The European Commission gave Croatia the green light to join the EU earlier this year, despite a Commission monitoring report insisting the country must take further action to tackle organised crime and corruption.

Without implementing conditions that could protect all of the member states politically and financially, "it would be a mistake to admit Croatia into the EU and provide over €11 billion in EU and taxpayer funds to the country," AI said.



Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic today said that Croatia's forthcoming admission to the EU will create opportunities for the country.



"Here the past was always full of challenges and also the present has challenges. And it will be so in the future as well. However, there are chances and I believe we will make use of them," Milanovic said.