Ivo Sanader "has AIDS"

Serbian tabloid Kurir, a paper with a questionable reputation I must add, claims to know why Croatian prime minister Ivo Sanader quit his job without giving any explanation. Sanader "has AIDS". Kurir does not mention any sources, but refers to the treatment Sanader underwent in hospital, beginning August. Sanader, while cruising the Adriatic, urgently had go to a hospital, where he was eventually diagonalized with pneumonia. Earlier he was said (rather: we were told) to suffer from some dangerous contagious disease, then Legionnaires' disease, but in the end it was "just" pneumonia. Or not. Maybe this juggling with diseases is just a cover-up for AIDS...
Or maybe Kurir just fabricated this story.
In today's edition the paper wonders if Sanader is gay. However regrettable is would be if Sanader had AIDS, him being gay would be wonderful news because the Croatian gay community could use strong political backing.
Sanader was once asked on TV if the allusions that he was gay bothered him. He answered: "No, because those allusions are false". And then he added something that is of current interest. He claimed that the rumors he was gay came from right-wingers in the HDZ party (Sanader's party) and that he "threw them out of the party."
Although many in the HDZ deny there are left-wing and right-wing factions, it is generally felt that these days the right-wingers are tightening their grip on HDZ. Indications are, first of all, Sanader's resignation, almost two months ago. After that, hardliner Andrija Hebrang announced he will run for president. This week, the president of the Croatian parliament Luka Bebić (HDZ) announced his departure from politics. He spoke of "certain political forces" that want to destroy HDZ. These "forces" are known by the name "Lisica", meaning fox. It's all very vague and foggy, but what is clear is that the ruling HDZ is a snake-pit. I guess we'll find out in the not so distant future which HDZ-snake has the strongest jaws.

11 reacties:

Unknown said...

I refuse to believe it; if Sanader got AIDS Berlusconi should have died long time ago ;)

Neryam said...

I was going to write that in whole Europe Right wing is opr will be getting stronger, but yesterday I read that in Germany it is Left wing.
So now I am confused...

Mark said...

The fact that within the HDZ the right wing is getting stronger, does not mean that Croatian politics overall move towards the right. In four months from now Croatia holds presidential elections. HDZ's candidate Andrija Hebrang is not considered a likely winner.

Meryam said...

Who is the favourite, then?

Mark said...

According to a recent poll, the social democrat Ivo Josipović can count on a quarter of the votes. Milan Bandić, currently mayor of Zagreb and officially not a candidate, comes second with 10 percent. The problem is that Bandić belongs to the same SDP as Josipović. If Bandić decides to run for president (and in that way challenge the official SDP candidate) he'll be kicked out of the party, some say.
At the moment only 4 percent of the polled would vote for HDZ's Andrija Hrebrang.
I should say that polling is not a very serious business here, so I am not sure how well this poll reflects people's opinions.

Meryam said...

Can he be kicked out of the party on that ground? Or will they look for something else. Pooh, politics! Glad I work in a library. Books are friendly ;-)

Mark said...

I wish I worked in a library.... Seriously. I have a weakness for books.

I'm not an expert, but I do believe the party has the right to expel someone who deliberately frustrates the party's presidential strategy.
Precisely today Nadan Vidošević (HDZ) announced to run for president, starting the competition with official HDZ candidate Hebrang. Vidošević will have to leave the party. I don't think the social-democrats will have more mercy on Bandić.

Meryam said...

It's a nice and quiet job. I am not planning to leave ;-)

Gee + gosh!

Anonymous said...

I hope he dies a long painful death along with every other former communist or communist sympathiser who plague the Croatian political system.

Mark said...

Well, well, the political scene in Croatia would get pretty empty if your wishes came true, so let's hope they don't. If you disagree with a politician, you get simply vote for someone else. No need to wish him dead...

Unknown said...

To je stvarna mudrost!
Vote is our best tool to get rid of politicians, and to put ourselves into the hands of someone else even worse ;)