Household Finance: Croatia’s household financial wealth climbed to €87.5bn in Q1 2026 as savings kept growing, with total household financial assets reaching €120bn (+€9.6bn year-on-year) despite liabilities rising to €32bn. Sports Governance: A graft scandal at the Croatian ski federation is shaking sports bodies after prosecutors alleged nearly €30m was siphoned off, including spending on a villa and cosmetic surgeries. Public Health & Farming: Croatia expanded African swine fever restriction and surveillance zones after new outbreaks, tightening movement rules, veterinary checks, and culling in infected and high-risk sites. EU Policy & Rule of Law: The European Commission’s Rule of Law Report points to uneven progress across member states and candidates, with reforms moving slowly and follow-up rates below last year. Crypto Regulation: ESMA added 14 new crypto firms to the MiCA register, bringing licensed CASPs to 294; among them are Ripple Payments Europe and Croatia’s state-owned Hrvatska poštanska banka. Energy Transition: Energy Week Western Balkans returns in October 2026 in Montenegro, highlighting accelerating renewables investment and regional grid integration. Transport & Infrastructure: Two bids were submitted for a key Croatian Lowland Railway contract linking Zagreb with the Port of Rijeka, while Croatia also plans to expand Krk LNG capacity by 30%. Climate & Power Demand: A new analysis shows electricity use for air conditioning across Europe has more than doubled in six years, with Croatia above the EU average as heatwaves intensify. Security & Defence Industry: The EU and Ukraine signed a drone deal to scale joint production, with Croatian drone firm ORQA among founding participants in the EU–Ukraine Drone Alliance. Regional Safety: Croatian police destroyed two WWII-era aerial bombs found near the Danube near Batina.