Entering the new year, Croatia has taken two historic steps at once – it is now a Schengen zone country and has joined the countries that use the euro, writes Reuters.
At the Bregana border checkpoint, the signs were removed at midnight on the 1st of January, and the barrier was raised for the last time. A poster with the inscription «free passage» was installed instead of the previous signs.
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said at the border opening ceremony that the moment when Croatia joins other countries is certainly historic and something to be proud of. He was joined by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who said that this is a day to celebrate.
Von der Leyen said:
«Today Croatia joins the Schengen Area and the eurozone, two immense achievements for the youngest member state of the European Union and both reached on the very same day. So indeed, this is a day for the history books.»
Plenkovic and von der Leijen later went to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, where they bought coffee, paying in euros.
Croatia joined the European Union in 2013. It is the 27th country to join the Schengen area, where internal border checks have been abolished, and the 20th country to use the euro.
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