Dubrovnik is disappearing, and clans are laundering money through real estate, says Franković

Dubrovnik is undergoing a transformation that threatens its very essence, according to Mate Franković. He warns that the city as we know it is disappearing, with suspicious clans allegedly using real estate as a vehicle for money laundering.

Franković explained that the development of a new spatial plan document was a nine-year endeavor. This lengthy process was necessary because of anticipated opposition from landowners and investors whose plans could be halted by the new regulations. The document aims to guide the city's future development.

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Dubrovnik as you know it has almost disappeared.

The situation points to underlying issues of illicit financial activities and their impact on urban development in one of Croatia's most famous tourist destinations. The struggle to implement the spatial plan underscores the challenges of balancing development with the preservation of the city's character and combating financial crime.

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The new spatial plan document has been in the works for nine years, precisely because we expected resistance from landowners and investors whose plans could be stopped by its adoption.