▁growth ▁was ▁ 2 . 9 %. ▁Neg ative ▁migration ▁and ▁population ▁tr ends ▁continued ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁with ▁a ▁record ▁high ▁number ▁of ▁em igr ants ▁since ▁joining ▁the ▁EU . ▁The ▁Cro at ian ▁Emp loy ers ' ▁Association ▁said ▁that ▁re forms ▁st alled ▁following ▁the ▁income ▁tax ▁cut s ▁in ▁early ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁causing ▁a ▁slower ▁economic ▁growth . ▁A ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁report ▁by ▁the ▁European ▁Commission ▁also ▁str essed ▁out ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁struct ural ▁re forms , ▁particularly ▁in ▁fis cal ▁policy , ▁the ▁social ▁benefits ▁system , ▁and ▁the ▁p ension ▁system . ▁ ▁All ▁three ▁major ▁credit ▁rating ▁ag encies ▁improved ▁Cro atia ' s ▁rating ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 8 . ▁The ▁International ▁Mon et ary ▁Fund ▁comm ended ▁the ▁government ▁for ▁positive ▁macro e conom ic ▁indic ators ▁and ▁called ▁for ▁a ▁" s izable ▁rest ruct uring ▁of ▁public ▁administration ". ▁ ▁The ▁minimum ▁month ly ▁net ▁w age ▁was ▁raised ▁from ▁€ 3 7 0 ▁to ▁€ 4 0 4 ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 9 . ▁ ▁Foreign ▁policy ▁ ▁After ▁att ending ▁his ▁first ▁European ▁Council ▁sum mit ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁in ▁an ▁address ▁to ▁the ▁Cro at ian ▁Parliament , ▁Pl enk ović ▁said ▁that ▁" there ▁is ▁no ▁need ▁for ▁Cro atia ▁to ▁build ▁border ▁f ences ". ▁Pl enk ović ' s ▁first ▁official ▁foreign