"I am not happy when I come to a county which in many ways is one of the poorest in Croatia. It hurts when parents and grandparents can only see their children and grandchildren via Skype. Slavonians have a low standard of living, they do not have the opportunity for a dignified life, they are out of work and cannot sell their agricultural products," Bernardic told a press conference during a visit to Virovitica.
He added that the SDP would launch the Slavonia 2030 project, a ten-year plan to revitalise the regions of Slavonia and Baranja. The project is aimed at raising productivity, enabling producers to sell their goods, introducing state support for small and family-run farms as well as developing continental tourism.
"The aim is for this region to be rich and for people here to earn a living that will enable them to lead a dignified life. We have a programme and know what we want to do," he added.