Three years after the euro became the official currency in Croatia, the chief economist of the Croatian Employers' Association, Hrvoje Stojić, assessed as a guest on N1 studio live that this strategic move brought far more benefits than harm.

As a key argument, he highlighted the country's historically highest credit rating, which is directly reflected in the economy and citizens. Thanks to that stability, domestic companies and the population today pay significantly lower interest rates compared to the euro area average, which is particularly visible in investment and housing loans, he states for portal N1.

The issue of rising prices, which is often associated with the currency change, Stojić places in a broader economic context, noting that inflation in Croatia indeed was above the union average and will probably remain at that level for some time. The main causes of such movement are not the currency change itself, but the accelerated convergence of service prices to European standards and the strong growth in citizens' purchasing power. It is precisely this increased standard of living and higher demand that naturally generate pressure on the prices of services and other products on the market.

The long-term view of the introduction of the euro suggests that Croatia has successfully used membership in the monetary union to strengthen its financial resilience. According to the expert's statements for N1, lower borrowing costs directly contribute to greater housing affordability and facilitate business cycles, which without the common currency in unstable global circumstances would have been significantly harder to achieve. Despite inflationary challenges, the economic calculation shows that system stability and easier access to capital have remained the most important benefits of this integration.

Watch the full appearance and detailed analysis of economic trends in the live broadcast on N1.