ZAGREB, 21 May (Hina) – Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Thursday commented on the European Commission’s latest economic forecasts, saying they are even higher than the government’s own projections, and announced that work is already underway on a new anti-inflation package.
The European Commission published its spring economic forecasts, projecting Croatia’s GDP growth at 2.7% this year and 2.5% next year. For 2026, the Commission expects Malta (3.7%), Poland (3.5%) and Lithuania (3.0%) to grow faster than Croatia.
Plenković said Croatia remains among the fastest-growing economies in the EU and the euro area according to the latest projections.
“It is important to note that the Commission’s estimate of growth is slightly higher than the government’s own forecast. The Ministry of Finance and the relevant institute, in documents already adopted by the government this year, projected growth of 2.6% this year. By comparison, the European Commission projects EU-wide growth of 1.1% in 2026. So our projected growth is significantly higher than the EU average, while the euro area average is projected at 0.9%,” he said.
The prime minister also referred to the general government deficit, which the Commission expects to be 2.9% of GDP this year, down from 3.0% last year and 2.7% in 2027. He noted that 10 EU member states currently have higher deficits than Croatia, and that 12 are projected to exceed Croatia’s level in 2026, according to Commission forecasts. He said this confirms Croatia’s commitment to fiscal stability.
Plenković also pointed to inflationary pressures across the EU, driven in part by higher fuel prices, which the government is addressing through interventions in fuel pricing.
In that context, he said the government is preparing a new anti-inflation package aimed at responding to rising prices and an overheated economy.
“These are concrete responses and measures aimed at protecting the standard of Croatian citizens, ensuring market stability and easing inflationary pressures. It is a comprehensive, well-designed package that should deliver results this year and will cover multiple sectors,” he said.
