"The year to come is too important to leave it to chance," the Croatian head of state said in his New Year message released on Monday afternoon.

Describing 2012 as a year of economic crisis when many companies went bust and unemployment and poverty were growing, he said that 2013 must be "a year of recovery, a year in which we will kickstart investments an create new jobs".

The outgoing year has been a year of uncertainties and pessimism and also a year when we gave more attention to our failures than to splendid results of some of our business people, artists, scientists, researchers, athletes, good workers and public servants, Josipovic said adding that in 2012 also many began doubting "the individual and collective ability to solve accumulated problems".

The next, 2013 year must be a year of resolve and new optimism, a year in which we will promulgate the cult of work, reinforce our confidence in institutions and in their competence to cope with problems, solve them and build a better and fairer society, the president said in his message to Croatian citizens.

Recalling that Croatians decided for the country's entry into the European Union, at a referendum held in January 2012, Josipovic says that Croatia's admission to the EU, scheduled for 1 July 2013, "is the most important goal of Croatia's foreign policy in the last ten years and longer".

Europeanism is a dream of many generations. Our many soldiers gave their lives and health for the European Croatia, he recalled.

I am sure that next year we will be European citizens in the formal sense, too. Our membership in the EU will give rise to optimism and self-confidence and also open new huge opportunities. It will depend only on us, our know-how and abilities to use those opportunities, the president highlights.

"We are not entering the EU to establish that we a perfect society but to continue reforms and reach the highest European standards in all fields from the economy to human rights. Belonging to Europe will make Croatia better," he said.

On the other hand, Croatia will also enrich Europe with its tradition, culture, science, sports and economic successes, too. As part of our Europeanism, our hand will always be extended to our neighbours as a sign and friendship and wish to improve our cooperation to the benefit of our citizens, he added.

Pertaining to the respect for human rights, Josipovic says that democracy and human rights can never reach a level with which we can be fully satisfied, and he encourages citizens to be demanding towards the institutions of authority, and to insist on full respect for the law and on responsible service.

He also calls for making politics and the entire society free of corruption and nepotism, recalling that in 2012 many important societal issues have been opened, such as anti-corruption campaign, collective bargaining, reform in the scientific and educational sector including the health education.

In this context, Josipovic says that Croatians should not avoid discussions, dialogues and even public polemics.

"Let us encourage discussions and exchange of ideas and freedom of media, conscience and religion. Let us also encourage mutual respect and tolerance, let us embrace the highest standards of democracy and human rights and not only of classic forms of human rights, including the rights of ethnic minorities and other minorities, but also social rights and let us embrace the strengthening of social justice," he said.

2013 is a year of great challenges and tests and let it be a year of great expectations, huge work and great successes. It must be also a milestone. Failure "might mean a stalemate in Croatia's development in the long run," the president warned. We must not let it happen, but let us muster all our strength to halt negative trends. We seek national consensus on that, he added.

"The responsibility of all decision-makers, not only in politics but also in other segments of society, is huge. The year to come is too important to leave it to chance," Josipovic said.

A good economic situation, the rule of law, the country's successes in various areas, peace and the stability of the state are important prerequisites for individual happiness of all of us. The state is here to cater for the needs of its own people and help them to be satisfied and happy. But, this is not all. The happiness of each of us also includes our freedom, personal success, and primarily health, love and friendship from our dearest ones, Josipovic says at the end of his message extending his best wishes to the Croatians in 2013.