Andrej Plenković receives Pan-European medal in Karlovac

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković has been awarded the Pan-European Medal of the German Pan-European Union for his contributions to European unity, peace, and cooperation. The award was presented by Bernd Posselt, president of the organization, during an international conference titled ‘United for Europe of Peace’ held in Karlovac and Zagreb.

In his address, Plenković highlighted several critical challenges facing the European Union, including security threats stemming from Russian aggression in Ukraine, shifting transatlantic relations, and the growing economic influence of China. He emphasized the need for long-term decisions to strengthen European security and competitiveness based on shared values.

Plenković also addressed demographic concerns, noting the necessity of demographic renewal due to Europe’s aging population. He mentioned that Croatia allocates nearly 850 million euros annually to demographic measures to combat a natural population decline. Additionally, he noted the complexities of negotiating the EU’s new seven-year budget, which must balance demands for cohesion funds with the need to finance defense, migration management, innovation, and artificial intelligence.