The mayor of Pula asks the HNB to consistently use the city’s bilingual name on coins and official documents in accordance with the applicable law and rules.
On Monday, the mayor of the Croatian city of Pula, Pedja Grbin, drew the attention of the Croatian National Bank (HNB) to the importance of consistent use of the legally prescribed bilingual name of the city of Pula – Pola in all official and public contexts. TASR writes about it according to the Hina agency.
- The mayor of Pula drew attention to the need for a bilingual city name.
- The problem arose because of a commemorative coin without the Pola name.
- Furio Radin pointed to the observance of laws in the parliament.
The problem arose after the issue of a two-euro commemorative coin with the name “City of Pula – Arena” as part of the Croatian Cities series. The bilingual shape (Pula – Pola) required by law is not on the coin. In the Croatian Parliament (Parliament) on October 29, MP Furio Radin pointed this out on behalf of the Club of Representatives of National Minorities.
The meaning of bilingualism
“Bilingualism is an integral part of our city’s identity. It is not only a legal obligation, but also an expression of our history, culture and values of belonging, which make our city unique. Therefore, we expect that all institutions, including the Croatian National Bank, will use the official name of the city in their future work,” wrote Grbin in a letter to the HNB.
The Act on the Territories of Counties, Cities and Municipalities, the Act on the Use of Languages and Scripts of National Minorities, as well as the Statutes of the County of Istria and the City of Pula – Pola, stipulate the bilingual official name of the city. “This name is valid,” emphasized Radin in the parliament. He added that HNB was apparently guided by the wrong interpretation of the official of the ministry and the law on the use of languages and scripts of national minorities from 2001, not from 2006.
