Vukovar, which used to have 44,000 inhabitants, has seen its population fall to 28,000 according to the 2011 Census and Penava added that that number realistically stands at 22,000 to 23,000.
Unfortunately, I am emphasising this figure because of (statistical) manipulation with regard to Vukovar as that number of 28,000 is by far exaggerated" he said.
In 1991 there were 29,000 people employed in Vukovar and today that number is 9,500. Today the total population is lower than the number of people employed 25 years ago, he added.
"This town is slowly but surely dying," the mayor warned.
He added that most of the Vukovar-Srijem county administration offices are not located in Vukovar even though it is the county seat. Penava noted that the director of the Borovo shoe factory isn't from Vukovar nor is the head of the river port or the principle of the local polytechnic.
"We've become a town of old people. It is true, Vukovar today does not have personnel and we will lose this town if something doesn't radically change," he said.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic claimed that the report by Mayor Penava was fairly realistic and motivation to everyone in the government to try and help so that these indicators, primarily the consequence of the war can be offset.
County Prefect Galic said that Mayor Penava's speech depicts Vukovar as it was, and added that perhaps the state of affairs is even worse as far as the economy is concerned and that there is was a real risk that local successful companies could go under.
The situation in the Vukovar county overall isn't any better. Villages are entirely deteriorating. Young people are leaving their hometowns. This year, for example, there were 1,165 fewer pupils than last year. The population of the town of Ilok has shrunk from 7,500 to 3,000 people.
"That simply has to be stopped," Galic said.
In order for that to be achieved, he said, that requires peace and unity because of the constitution of the population as it is, members of ethnic minorities, primarily the Serb minority. Decisions that will bring peace need to come from the people who live together here and not some cabinet decisions that cause rifts. Whether that be the introduction of Cyrillic signs or anything else they can't be made without speaking to the residents here. We've seen that happen in the past, Galic said.