Zagreb, 2 January 2025 (Hina/MIA) — Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said Thursday that the Ministry of Education would sign later in the day a protocol to increase school security measures including the hiring of security guards.

Following the Dec. 20 school knife attack in Zagreb, when a 7-year-old girl was killed and a teacher and three more students sustained serious injuries before the 19-year-old attacker wounded himself, the Croatian authorities drafted new measures to bolster school security.

According to Prime Minister Plenković at the Thursday government session, the school security protocol will be signed by Education Minister Radovan Fuchs and all involved stakeholders.

"What we have assessed as the best long-term solution is to employ individuals with the necessary skills for security guards," Plenković said.

The guards, who are also particularly sensitive and trained to work with children, parents, and teachers, were to permanently help raise the security of schools to a higher level following the tragedy at Prečko Elementary, the prime minister said.

He added that initial security measures, such as locking doors, changing doors, and installing new security systems, were already under way, and local police teams would be holding meetings with school principals on security matters.

The PM also offered his best wishes to all citizens in the new year.

"On behalf of all of us, I wish all Croatians in our homeland and abroad a Happy New 2025."

"We wish you all the best and hope that, in such challenging times, when we have managed to strengthen economic growth, achieved a record number of employed people, and attained the highest credit rating in history, we will continue to work for the benefit of society and the economy," he said.

He highlighted that the Croatian government this year would be focusing on raising wages and pensions; demographic measures to stimulate mothers and fathers of newborns; supporting expats returning to Croatia, including Croatian-language learning scholarships for both expats and non-Croats — as well as creating conditions for affordable housing. ms/mr