Croatia’s Election

This Sunday sees the Croatian parliamentary elections. The contest is essentially between the ruling Conservative HDZ led coalition and the left-wing SDP led Kukuriku coalition.

The ruling coalition has been beset by corruption scandals. Most notably, the former HDZ Prime Minister is currently on trial on corruption charges. Further, the party itself is being investigated by anti-corruption officials. This has hit the party hard in the opinion polls, and the SDP led Kukuriku coalition consequently looks set to win the election.

The HDZ has not given in. Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor has tried to turn the corruption issue to her advantage by pointing out that she is not resisting any anti-corruption efforts. Further,  she is hoping that Croatia’s current success in moving forward with EU accession – the EU parliament has just approved it – will help her.

Another element of the HDZ strategy has been to suggest that that the SDP have not really changed from their communist roots. This plays on a great divide in Croatian society between those previously associated – to a greater or lesser degree – with the old communist party/state and those who were not. This is not often remarked on in the English speaking media but is certainly exist and does determine a great many votes. However, a number of wags point out that the HDZ is also an ex-communist party due to the number of former party members it has.

HDZ strategists will no doubt also be hoping the opinion polls are wrong. The HDZ are usually underestimated in opinion polls. If the HDZ does indeed lose its not likely to be as a bad as polls suggest, which would be in keeping with past experience.

None of the above may be enough to save the HDZ from defeat. Certainly a poll released yesterday does not bode well for them, predicting 79 seats for the opposition and 42 for the HDZ – plus three from the diaspora vote. The HDZ would need to do better on the day to be able to form even a theoretical coalition with other small parties.

The public are weary of the corruption issue, and whilst fingers have been pointed at the Kukuriku coalition, especially at a local level, it is the HDZ who are in government. Further, there is discontent regarding the economy.  The Kukuriku coalition may well be right to feel confident.

Foreign policy change?

In the event of a Kukuriku win, it is likely that the HNS’s Vesna Pusic will become foreign minister. She already has a foreign profile due to her being a vice-president of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party. Something to watch out for will be her relations with neighbouring Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH). She has shown concern over the status of Croats in BiH. There is considerable controversy over their effective disenfranchisement form power structures.

Pusic’s new interest is remarkable; she was well known for severely criticising President Franjo Tudjman for his support of BiH Croats, and had herself no time for them. Her recent comment on the issue represents one of Croatia’s biggest political U-turns.  This is very likely due to strategic reasons; Croats in BiH represent a buffer zone for much of Dalmatia.

This is hardly an election issue, and has gone more or less unremarked in the English language media. However, if she sticks to her line should she become foreign minister, there could be friction with neighbouring BiH – Sarajevo are not well inclined towards its Croats. And some in the international community may not be pleased. This will be one to watch.

Vukovar: The ICTY’s release of war criminal Veselin Šljivančanin by Brian Gallagher

Published 17 November in Hrvatski Vjesnik (Australia)

18 November 2011 marks the 20^th anniversary of the Yugoslav army reducing Vukovar to rubble. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has failed to bring those responsible to justice. Only six figures were charged in relation to Vukovar, with many senior Yugoslav army figures left alone.* Possibly the most notorious case is that of Veselin Šljivančanin. He was convicted of crimes in relation to the notorious Ovcara massacre. After an unprecedented second appeal, his previous sentence of 17 years was reduced to ten. He was released earlier this year having served just 6 and a half years. The reasons for his release, as outlined by Judge Patrick Robinson, President of the ICTY, reveal just how much contempt the ICTY has for the victims of Vukovar and war crimes more generally.

ICTY prisoners can be reviewed for possible release after serving two thirds of their sentence. Having had his sentence reduced to ten years in December 2010, Sljivancanin applied for early release.

In his decision to release Sljivancanin, Judge Robinson points out that the Appeals Chamber “…observed that Mr. Sljivancanin’s aiding and abetting the torture of approximately 200 prisoners of war was an extremely serious crime.”  Robinson himself was thus “..of the view that Mr. Sljivancanin’s crimes are of a high gravity, and that this is a factor that weighs against granting him early release. “

However, due to ICTY practice with other prisoners he says that “…the amount of time that Mr. Sljivancanin has served militates in favour of his early release.” Simply serving some time is in his favour to be released.

Judge Robinson informs us of the views oft the view of the Deputy Commanding Officer of the United Nations Detention Unit,. Sljivancanin has shown respect to the staff, followed the rules, maintained ‘good relations’ with a ‘wide group’ of other prisoners.  Further, it would appear that he “…regularly assists in the library and has been heavily involved in the reorganization of the facility to the benefit of all detainees.”

He gets on well with his family, it seems and had apparently adjusted well to civilian life after being in the Yugoslav army committing war crimes.

What of his crimes, what remorse has he shown for his behavior? Apparently he has shown remorse for the events all over the ex-Yugoslavia, but not for his own crimes, as “.does not link the fate of the victims to his own actions.”  No remorse at all then.

Another ground for release examined by the judge was cooperation with prosecution. Unsurprisingly, there was none.

His lack of remorse alone would have prevented his release, one would have thought – but Sljivancanin was released anyway. Of course, given what he was convicted for, some might think he should never have been released.

Sljivancanin was released for showing ‘some’ rehabilitation i.e. he behaved well in prison. He had also served some time – as if serving time was some inconvenience which he was brave to suffer.  The gravity of Sljivancanin’s crimes, contrary to Robinson’s claims, counted for nothing – how else could he be released?

The feelings of the relatives of Sljivancanin’s victims were of course not considered – the ICTY and the human rights community seems to consider such people irrelevant.

The ICTY and its’human rights’ supporters keep telling people how such tribunals mean an end to impunity and so on. However, the message appears to be that if you are convicted for heinous war crimes, you can be released after a few years without showing any remorse. One might consider this attitude to be somewhat counter-productive in deterring future war crimes.

Earlier this year, Goran Hadzic was sent to The Hague to stand trial for Serbian crimes at Vukovar. Like all the other Vukovar related ICTY cases so far concluded, this one is likely to end badly. 20 years on, many of the victims and their relatives, will be remembering the horrors of Vukovar. One wonders how Hadzic will be marking this anniversary, awaiting his trial. Perhaps, if he has studied the reasons for releasing Sljivancanin, he will be ensuring he gets on well with staff and inmates and helping out in the prison library.

*Correction. This should have read as six cases, featuring nine individuals.

 

 

Croatian Coffee Morning – 1 October

Apologies for our absence since July; we have been away in Croatia itself and working on other projects, some of which will be seen here. Our twitter service remains active and can be seen here (you do not to sign up to Twitter).

In the meantime, the Croatian Language School will be  running another coffee morning on Saturday 1 October  from 11.00AM to 1PM. The Croatia Business Report editor, Brian Gallagher, will be in attendance.  Come along and practice your Croatian with him on topics of interest. The last one in July was a great success. Do come along.  Details here.

Croatian Coffee Morning in London on 23 July

The Croatian Language school in London is running another coffee morning on 23 July from 11.00AM to 1PM. The Croatia Business Report editor, Brian Gallagher, will be in attendance.  Come along and practice your Croatian with him on topics of interest!  Details here.

Also of note on the CLS website is this interview conducted by the CBR editor with Malcolm Scott Hardy, author of ‘The British and Vis – War in the Adriatic 1805-15′.

Croatia 20 Years on

Today has been Croatia’s national day. Croatia has seen 20 years of independence and has in fact forged an identity for itself in the world – one that goes beyond the war. Who hasn’t heard of the country? Its reputation as a tourist destination, football team, actors, tennis players and so on? Never mind its instantly recognisable chequerboard symbol.

Yesterday the EU gave another signal that it will accept Croatia as a member. Certainly news of significance on this day, and Croatia starts its next 20 years of independence with an issue of great importance: To join or not to join the EU? That will be the question for a referendum in a few months time.

Just now though, it is time for celebration. For those in London, please join the CBR editor at the prestigious Croatian Students and Young Professionals Network’s National Day reception on 1 July in Whitehall, London.  See here for details.

The Yugosphere theory or Griff Rhys Jones?

The UK gets flogged some pretty poor information on Croatia in its media. It is unfortunate that, after 20 years of Croatian independence, a periodical such as the Economist cannot get past Yugoslavia – and is shown up by a BBC comedy travel programme.

Tim Judah is having yet another go at selling his Yugosphere theory – a sort of vague reformation of Yugoslavia. This time it is an article in the Belgrade magazine Vreme, reproduced in English on the Economist website.

As always with these Yugosphere articles, the hard economic, social and political realities are simply ignored. Despite Judah’s protestations, the Yugosphere is nothing more than Yugonostalgia – reheated Yugoslav ideology. Take Croatia. Zagreb’s economic relations are solidly with the EU – in particular its historic trading partners such as Germany, Austria and Italy. Its political friends are in Vienna and Budapest and so on. Those links in importance dwarf the ‘regional’ groups Judah likes mentioning, which are largely there to impress the EU with talk of ‘reconciliation’ etc – producing a lot of hot air.

Why would Croatia – or Slovenia – turn its back on top EU partners to focus their trade with much poorer ex-Yu countries? They’d be bankrupt within weeks. Communist Yugoslavia’s economy was notoriously propped up by international financial aid – if it didn’t work then why would it work now?

Judah claims ‘Yugosphere’ has entered the lexicon. A swift google  search shows most mentions are in actual fact connected with Tim Judah’s articles on the matter. The term has failed to gain real currency. We probably mention it at CBR more than most – albeit critically. Indeed, a number of recent articles by Judah and the Economist have failed to use the term.

Perhaps the lack of mentions explains Judah’s curious statement that ‘Two years later, the idea of the Yugosphere bores me rigid.’ Obviously not too bored, given his article.

Without intending to, an antitidote to Yugosphere thinking comes from an unlikely source. The BBC is running a short series called Three Men go to Venice.  Three British comedians travel from Montenegro – including an entertaining trip on one of Tito’s luxury yachts – through Croatia and on to Venice. Here, we have one of the most informative things on Croatia seen in the UK for a while. Vis, Korcula and Dubrovnik are covered well.

The Yugosphere gets a mauling as soon as the trio reach the border with Croatia – the Montenegrin crewed yacht can’t go to Dubrovnik for fear of a diplomatic incident. All of that hot air produced by Judah’s beloved ‘regional’ groups could not solve that issue it seems.

More important are the cultural aspects. Much is made of Dubrovnik’s historic rivalry and similarity with Venice – even being used as a ‘double’ in filming. Such links don’t fit the Yugosphere/Yugonostalgic script. When does anyone every say Dubrovnik – or other Croatian towns – are a bit like Belgrade, Pristina, Skopje etc?

Part 2 may be even worse for the Yugospherists; in a preview clip mention is made on Italians being a presence at the Split boat show, thus highlighting modern economic links. It must be said that Croatia-Italy relations have been very far from rosy in the past – Croats were victims of Italian fascism. However, the cultural and economic links are there, and are important. Italy is Croatia’s top export market. This is a major relationship for Croatia, but you won’t learn of it from reading about the Yugopshere in the Economist.

When it comes to learning about Croatia, a comedy travel programme presented by comedians Griff Rhys Jones, Dara O Briain and Rory McGrath easily – and quite unconsciously – wins against Tim Judah’s latest efforts.

After 20 years, that is a poor result for the UK’s ‘quality’ press in its Croatia coverage.

The Susak AIR+art Festival 2011

The island of Susak sees the a major international kite festival begin  on 22 June – the  Susak AIR+art Festival 2011. We put some questions to organiser Christian Bushill, starting with asking him about himself. 

I am a tv cameraman who came to Croatia in 1994 to film the war in Croatia and Bosnia and Hercegovina. I ended up marrying a Croatian journalist and have lived in between Zagreb and Sarajevo ever since. We bought a ruined house on Susak in 2003 and renovated it.

How did the idea of a kite festival in Susak come about?

The idea of the AIR+art Festival came about gradually. When I was much younger I used to fly kites and I noticed that this wasn’t something that people really knew much about here… kite surfing yes, but this kind of more artistic kite flying no. Some friends on Susak were talking about organising a film festival and my reaction was that there were already a lot of film festivals in Croatia and that it would be better to have a different sort of festival. Then I started to think about what would be the appropriate festival for an open sea island covered with bamboo and kite flying was perfect. I then suggested this idea to another friend who has a house on the island, the eco artist Lada Sega and we agreed to try and do it, but with her organisation’s (EKOSUSAK) ecological philosophy at the heart of it.

What can people expect to see and do at the event?

There are 8 internationally respected kite makers and kite fliers coming to the festival. They will all have presentations and displays of their kites. There will also be workshops. The public will be encouraged to bring and fly their own kites. We will have a concert, the band Ljetno Kino which means summer cinema and we will fly kites from small boats around the island. One kite maker Johann Hedbavny (Austria) will also try to catch a fish with a kite.

How many people are expected?

We expect that between 4 and 5 thousand people will attend the festival over the 5 days. The sponsors are now on the front page of our website – Bistra water (coca cola hellenic), Ožujsko beer, Print Express, Studio Dim, Artechido, and the Croatian Tourist Board in Mali Lošinj.

Are there plans to make this a yearly event?

Yes, the idea is that this becomes a yearly event in Susak and the springboard for other AIR+art festivals around Croatia and in the region.