Ahead of the presidential elections in the Republic of Croatia, the editorial staff of Croatians Online launched a series of articles with the aim of bringing the candidates and their election programs closer to Croats in the diaspora.
To everyone who has announced their candidacy so far, we asked the same five questions to find out their views on topics of particular interest to Croats abroad, including the right to vote, military service, double taxation with the US and the pension tax. We publish the answers we received in alphabetical order according to the last names of the candidates.*
Aurora Weiss, a well-known journalist and diplomat, is one of the candidates for president of the Republic of Croatia. Her campaign is aimed at three key themes: resolving global crises, strengthening Croatia's role in the Western Balkans and stabilizing neighboring countries, and retaining young people while promoting family values. Its goal is to build a stable, just and safe Croatia for all citizens.
As a member of the diaspora, Weiss emphasizes her unique perspective compared to other candidates. She spent most of her life abroad, including 13 years studying and working in Vienna and four years living and working in Amsterdam. Despite her successful international career, she says, she continuously returned to Croatia in order to use her knowledge and experience to improve the existing situation in her homeland.
Aware of the challenges that returnees face, Weiss points out that return is often marked by obstacles and social stigmatization: "If you propose a constructive solution, you will often be discredited by saying that you "came to sell intelligence" or that you are some kind of "foreign agent". Everyone will want to take your money with a smile. From personal experience, I would like to wish good luck to the people who, out of nostalgia or the best desire to contribute to the Republic of Croatia and the new generations, would like to return. I know what it's like to live abroad and the feeling that you don't quite belong there, but I also know what it means to come back and be in Croatia and that same feeling you'll get that you're not even home there.".
Read below what Aurora Weiss told us about the key topics of interest to Croatian emigration.
1. Currently, some Consulates of the Republic of Croatia are overloaded in terms of the amount of work, and it is not possible to get a meeting in them for months. Consequently, do you think that our country has enough consular representations and employees in the Consulates in view of this, but also in view of the increasing interest in the citizenship of the Republic of Croatia?
Issues of consulate work are, I can see now and according to your experience, a big problem. However, there is a general problem of poor administration and diplomacy in the practice of the Republic of Croatia. For example, no one answers the phone in Vienna, and the situation is so bad that I personally, with the help of the Austrian Ministry of the Interior, rescued seasonal workers from Tyrol who were trapped there after the outbreak of COVID. Not only consulates, but also other institutions should be made easily accessible and affordable for its citizens. The Netherlands has solved it very well, and there the employees of public institutions are aware and grateful because the citizens pay them, and they serve them in return. They are there for them and because of them.
Consulates forget that their employers are citizens, not a political option or some other individual.
2. If mandatory military service is introduced in the Republic of Croatia, should, in your opinion, the children of Croatian emigrants who live abroad and have received Croatian citizenship, serve military service in Croatia?
I believe that the children of emigrants who have obtained the citizenship of the Republic of Croatia should serve military service. I also believe that the Republic of Croatia, considering the current situation in the world, should introduce mandatory military service for a period of one year. It is also an opportunity for children of emigrants to get a chance to connect with their roots and learn the Croatian language. That coin has two sides. Citizenship for emigrants and their descendants should not be reduced to the benefit of a passport of a member state of the European Union and abused for logistical interests and conveniences.
3. What is your position on the proposal of Minister Primorc not to tax returnees for a period of five years, and what do you think is the key to (finally) ratifying the Double Tax Treaty with the USA? In addition, in your opinion, should returning pensioners be taxed on pensions earned abroad?
I am absolutely in favor of the complete abolition of double taxation. I also believe that it is usurious to collect taxes from the pensions of people who after many years decided to return to their homeland, and who earned these pensions by working in another country. No one leaves their country if they don't have to!
Croatia should be happy that people are returning to it after spending their whole lives somewhere and spending the funds earned in another country right here.
I look at the return of pensioners from emigration as an investment. I believe that the diaspora is underestimated and that these people should be shown respect
4. Do you think that Croatian emigrants, even though they do not live in Croatia, should vote in elections. Why?
I firmly believe that expatriates who do not live in Croatia should have the opportunity to participate in electoral processes. I will point out once again that no one leaves their country without a reason. It is in the elections that they have the right to vote, not to judge, but definitely to influence the creation of the political atmosphere in the country they left.
5. Briefly outline the key points of your program, with special reference to Croatian emigration.
People who decide to return to Croatia and contribute, either with knowledge or investments, must be exempt from taxation. Their pensions must not be taxed twice. If they earned it in another country, and they want to find peace in their old days in Croatia and spend that money, their pension must not be taxed in Croatia. Military service should be mandatory for all those who have or have acquired Croatian citizenship, regardless of where they are.
It is also an opportunity for children of emigrants to connect with their grandparents, learn the language and culture.
If they have dual citizenship, which is increasingly rare today, military service should be regulated by agreement with the other country.
About the candidate
Aurora Weiss has been building a distinguished career in journalism and diplomacy for more than two decades. She began her education at the Craft School for Applied Art and Design in Zagreb, where she studied sculpture. She then obtained a diploma in film, television and new media at PolyVERN in Zagreb. She continued her academic career with bachelor's (BA), master's (MA) and doctorate (PhD) degrees in psychology and philosophy at the University of Sedona and additional studies in international relations at the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna. She completed her expertise by studying journalism at the University of Vienna and a course at the prestigious Central St. Martins in London.
In addition to her formal education, Weiss devoted herself to specialization in the field of cultural heritage preservation through the program of the US Department of State and UNESCO from May to November 2016. He speaks English, German, Dutch and Croatian fluently and is actively learning French. With his rich linguistic and academic knowledge, he skillfully navigates complex international issues. He writes in multiple languages and operates globally, covering topics ranging from counter-terrorism to foreign policy, proving his ability to deal with challenging topics with regional and global resonance.
As a journalist, Weiss worked for renowned media houses such as Nova TV, HRT, Večernji list, 24 sata and Kleine Zeitung. After joining the Balkan Investigative Journalism Network (BIRN), she focused on key issues affecting the region. As an investigative reporter for the BBC and a United Nations reporter for InDepthNews, she further cemented her status as a top expert.
She is an advisor for international relations and security in the cabinet of Milorad Dodik, the president of Republika Srpska. This position confirms her expertise in managing the challenges of international diplomacy and security, both regionally and globally.
She is deeply patriotic towards Croatian and European values. He is passionate about regulating illegal migration and protecting the EU's external borders. He believes that the preservation of these borders is crucial not only for national security, but also for the preservation of democratic principles, human rights and social cohesion that form the basis of European identity. Her approach promotes balanced immigration policies that simultaneously respect humanitarian obligations and ensure the stability of local communities.
As part of her humanitarian work, Weiss advocates for the rights of victims of nuclear weapons on behalf of the United Nations, with the support of the governments of Japan, Kazakhstan, Austria and the US, reaffirming her commitment to addressing the humanitarian consequences of such policies. She is also a member of the working group of NATO's Partnership for Peace, which testifies to her continuous contribution to stability and cooperation in the region.
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