Some 60,000 low-income Croatians living on $233 per month have received debt relief by the new center-left government. “People should pay their bills, but if they find themselves in deep trouble this measure can help,” said Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic.

Croatia’s Social Welfare Minister Milanka Opacic said this would be a “new start” for some 60,000 citizens whose accounts had been frozen for more than a year.

The Croation “one-off measure” was made in agreement with banks, telecom operators and utlity companies in at least four major cities.