Deblokada

Ask any Croat what "deblokada" means and you'll get the same answer: "Deblokada would be the end of Slovenia's criminal obstruction of Croatia's EU negotiations". The word has dominated the headlines for a long time: Deblokade now! Soon deblokada! Soon deblokada? - and many other versions.
Today Slovenia and Croatia agreed, finally, on a deblokada. Prime ministers Pahor (Slovenia) and Kosor (Croatia) hammered out a deal that allows Croatia to continue its negotiations with the EU. The border dispute itself is not solved, but the two parties agreed on the rules of the game. First, anything that has been said or written about the border after 25 June 1991 (when both Slovenia and Croatia proclaimed independence) has no legal status. This is a Croatian concession to Slovenia, as the latter country blamed Croatia of producing documents with falsified borders. Slovenia accused Croatia of using these "post 26.06.91" documents in its EU negotiations and so prejudice the border. Second, Croatia and Slovenia will seek international arbitration for their conflict. This had been often proposed by the EU, but Slovenia, for some reason, always objected. Pahor said that in that way the conflict will be solved before Slovenia ratifies Croatia's EU accession.
The last sentence is a bit tricky, I'd say. One could also read it as follows: Slovenia will not ratify Croatia's EU accession treaty unless the border conflict is solved (in a for Slovenia satisfactory way). For now, however, optimism prevails.

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.

Scorching heat

After vacation in cooler parts of Europe, Croatia welcomed me with a heatwave. Last week temperatures rose as high as 39 in some parts of the country. This week will be hot too, with 36 degrees expected on Thursday.
When back in Zagreb, first thing I did was getting an electric fan in nearby Getro (my apartment is not air conditioned). It was made in Croatia and packed in a simple, white carton box with no pictures on it. I am always skeptical of Croatian products that you can't eat or drink, but "I believe they know how to make a simple thing like a fan," I can still hear myself saying.
Well, they don't.
The motor and the housing were shaking so much it would make a hammer drill manufacturer jealous. It make noise like a Tupolev taking off.
You can blame me for buying a fan in a supermarket store like Getro, but you should know Croatia hardly has any electronic shops to speak of. The nearest Media Markt is in Budapest or Graz. No Saturn, no Expert, no IKEA either.
I returned the fan and took the air conditioned bus to City Center One, shopping mall of modest size with one shop that offers consumer electronics, Konikom. It sells only one model fan but to my satisfaction it was made in China. "Could you switch it on?" I asked the lady at the counter. "Just to hear if it makes any noise." She kindly set the fan into motion. It was silent so I bought it. "What a difference!" I told the surprised lady.
Sitting a flow of air, I checked what happened in Croatia during my absence. Not much. We still don't know why Sanader quit, only that he's having a great time cruising the Adriatic on somebody's yacht. Vesna Pusić, one of Croatia's few liberal politicians, decided to run for president of Croatia in 2010. If she wins, Croatia will have a female president and a female prime minister. Prime minister Jadranka Kosor announced mayor cuts in spending and extra taxes, but after protests from labor unions she watered everything down. VAT (already 22 percent!) will go up to 23 percent. A crisis tax of 3 percent will be introduced, to be paid by everybody who earns more or has a bigger pension than 3.000 kuna (around 400 euro). Initially the tax would be as high as 8 percent, but unions protested vehemently. Unions here live in a dreamworld, blaming the crisis on "liberalism without concept" in which Croatia has slid away. It reminds me of Texans buying extra guns on the eve of Obama's election, fearing that "he will turn this country into a socialist state." "He's a communist," a man said into the camera, gently stroking his new rifle. Get real! Economic liberalism would be a blessing for the heavily indebted, bureaucratic, inefficient, subsidized Croatian economy.
Other news: Dinamo Zagreb beat Punyik from Armenia and plays Red Bull Salzburg next. A Croatian sports website wrote that if Salzburg's trainer, Dutchman Huub Stevens, had lived in the 1940s Hitler would have made him Field Marshall. (Stevens has also coached Schalke, Hitler's favorite club). Fortunately, incumbent president Stipe Mesić said that his successor "must be an anti-fascist". You see, World War II is always around the corner here.

Sanader's reasons for stepping down

One and a half day after Croatian prime minister Sanader resigned we know as little about his reason as at the very beginning. Croatian society is taken hostage by Sanader's refusal to say why he stepped down. He said it was for "personal reasons", but immediately added that "thank God" he is not ill. So what is he? Tired? I guess so. But name me one prime minister or president who is not tired. Maybe he was politically worn out. Although he claimed to have achieved everything he wanted to achieve, the truth is that he leaves Croatia behind in a state of despair and in need of repair.
It was great that George Bush came to Zagreb and spoke warm words about the wonderful relationship between Croatia and the United States. It was heartwarming to see Sanader being greeted by his European colleagues in Brussels. It gave the impression that he was one of them, a member of the club. But in the end he isn't. Despite all the hot air about the leading role of Croatia in the region, tiny Slovenia has blocked Croatia's path to EU membership, for six months now. And the end is not in sight. Big dreams - and all dashed by a country the size of Latvia.
If Sanader had remained premier, Croatia would have held scheduled parliamentary elections (2011) as a non-member of the EU. Maybe Sanader could not stand this shame. Despite years of bragging and boasting about Croatia's progress and how important the EU is to Croatia (he wanted me to believe that Croatia is also very important for the EU), Croatia is nowhere. The budget deficit is gigantic, the economy half socialist, hidden unemployment enormous, corruption seems ineradicable.
A surprised journalist asked yesterday why he is leaving, after she (and none of us) understood what "personal reasons" he had. "I explained why," he answered arrogantly, "and I am not going to argue with you." That was it. He thanked the press for their cooperation (irony, if you ask me) and left.
In which country is this possible? Even Fidel Castro admitted he was too ill to lead Cuba. And Kim Jung Il pretends he is still in power, although he is virtually dead.
Meanwhile, everybody says everybody is speculating. But I am honestly surprised that so few realistic reasons were suggested. Croats love conspiracy theories, but Sanader's decision took everybody by surprise. No one has a clue.

Jadranka Kosor, Croatia's new face

This is the new face of Croatia. Or old face, because Jadranka Kosor was always by Sanader's side. This is the bio of his most faithful supporter, from the website of the Croatian government.


* Date of birth: 1st July 1953 in Pakrac

Education
* Graduated at the Faculty of Law in Zagreb
* Elementary School and High School completed in Lipik

Professional career
* 1991-1995 As a journalist of Croatian Radio she prepared radio shows for refugees of the Homeland War and she covered this sector for the Informative Program of Croatian Radio
* 1972 Journalist – correspondent for Večernji list, Radio Zagreb

Political career
* 2003 appointed Vice Prime Minister and Minister of the Family, Veterans' Affairs and Intergenerational Solidarity
* 2002 Elected Deputy President of the HDZ at the 7th General HDZ Convention
* 1995-2002 Elected Vice-President of the HDZ
* 1998-2002 President of the HDZ Women Association «Katarina Zrinski»
* 1995-2000 Member of Parliament and Vice-President of the House of Representatives
* 2000 Elected representative in the 5th election unit

Publications
* Award “Zlatno pero” of the Croatian Journalist Association
* Award of the European Community for Humanitarian Work
* Award “Europski krug” of the Croatian European House
* Life Achievement Award “Ivan Šibl” Croatian National TV
* Honorary Membership in the Association of Parents of Deceased War Veterans
* Honorary Vice President of the Deaf and Blind Association “Dodir”
* Published four books (two with the topic related to Homeland War and two poetry books)

Foreign languages
* English - fluent
* German - passive

Hobbies
* Music, dancing, reading

So much for the official CV. There is more (how she acquired her apartment, why she quarrels with many war veterens), to which I'll get later.

Sanader's resignation

An overview of the reactions and consequences after Croatian prime minister Sanader announced his resignation today. Sanader also stepped down as president of the ruling HDZ party. He won a second term in office less than two years ago.
Main opposition leader Zoran Milanović (SDP) said that Croatia needs new elections. Ljubo Jurčić, a foremost economist and half-hearted SPD member, thinks that Sanader's resignation will lead to "tectonic changes" in the HDZ party as Sanader was "more than half of HDZ". Jurčić was mentioned as SPD candidate for prime minister prior to the 2008 general elections, but in the end Milanović thought he himself was the better candidate for the post. A post he eventually didn't get because Sanader managed to form a cabinet for the second time.
Zagreb Stock Exchange CROBEX plunged 4,5 percent after the press conference. Currently CROBEX is down 6,1 percent. Also down is Croatian GDP. The Croatian economy shrank with 6,7 percent in the first quarter of 2009.
Current Minister of Family, Veterans and Intergenerational Solidarity Jadranka Kosor will succeed Sanadar if the Sabor (Croatian parliament) agrees. Already on Friday this week the Sabor will give or not give its vote of confidence and vote for Kosor as Croatia's first female president. According to the constitution a new government should be formed within 30 days. Friday's parliamentary session is likely to be no more than a formality since Sanader has already collected 83 supporters for the new government - a majority. HDZ also needs to find a new Minister of Eduction, as current minister Dragan Primorac decided to resign.

Prime minister Ivo Sanader steps down

Update: Asked for the reason of his resignation, Sanader stated that "I can't say that my resignation is not related to those problems", referring to the Slovenian blockade of Croatia's negotiations with the European Union.

I turned on the TV to watch the tennis match between Roger Federer and Ivo Karlović on HRT2. Match of the year, the commentator told us yesterday. Instead, the news of the day - and the year maybe - is that Ivo Sanader, Croatia's prime minister, announced half an hour ago to step down. Immediately, as of today, for "personal reasons" which we don't know except that is is "not a disease".
It was widely thought that Sanader would have a great change of succeeding incumbent Croatian president Stipe Mesić. Sanader himself revealed last year that he had the ambition to become president of Croatia, but today he said he won't be a candidate. Not for president, nor any other political function, not in Zagreb nor in Brussels. According to Sanader he resigns because he achieved what he wanted to achieve. "I am leaving satisfied, because the strategic aims are realized. Croatia has become a member of NATO, the UN Security Council and is on the threshold of the EU." We can forgive him his misplaced optimism about his political legacy on his last day, but the truth is that the threshold has turned into an almost impassable mountain range.
Sanader's successor is most probably going to be Jadranka Kosor. If chosen, she will be the first female Croatian prime minister.
Later more...

Border blockade

A group of thirty Croatian farmers have blocked a border crossing between Croatia and Bosnia at the village of Slavonski Šamac. They will keep blocking the border until "Zagreb" produces an agreement that makes "farming profitable again".

In Zagreb, meanwhile, vice prime minister Jadranka Kosor and Economics minister Damir Polančec are negotiating with the farmers. They refuse to talk to Božidar Pankretić, the minister of Agriculure, whom they seem to regard more a problem than part of a solution.


I went to the Ministry of Agriculture this morning to see what's happening. Well, not so much. People were sitting on the grass, having a drink, chatting and waiting. Police was massively present, but everything looked relaxed. The times of Matija Gubec, the legendary leader of a famous peasant revolt, are long gone.
Update: Famers and the government made a deal. They agreed upon a purchase price of 2,20 kuna (30 eurocents) for a liter of milk. Also the import of milk in milk products will be forbidden. I am not sure how that works in practice, but I doubt Milka chocolate will disappear from the shelves.

Croatian parties and European elections

Political parties in Europe are warming up for the European elections in June. Using EU Profiler you can inform yourself about parties and their stances on several issues. Croats are not eligible to vote, but they can nevertheless use EU Profiler to find out what Croatian parties think of many (European) issues.
I answered 30 questions and got to know where I stand in the Croatian political landscape. Quite interesting, as electronic tools like EU Profiler are a novelty in Croatia.
I did not know terribly much about the European profile of Croatian political parties, so the score above is an honest, non-biased reflection of my choices. As an uncompromising free market and free trade liberal I am a bit surprised by the this left-leaning outcome (IDS and SDP). I suspect my strong anti-clerical attitude is responsible for that. You can, by the way, juxtapose your answers and the opinions of the political parties.

The British conspiracy against Croatia

Croats love conspiracy theories. Also, they are very touchy when it comes to their beautiful homeland. Therefore, if someone criticizes Croatia it must be that that person has a reason, a hidden motive for doing so. After a critical BBC report about crime and corruption in Croatia, Croatian politicians resorted to stereotype conspiracy theories.
More about that later. First the critique on Croatia. Yesterday I referred to a BBC article, which was actually based on a BBC Radio 4 report. You can listen to it online. The essence is that on the surface Croatia is a fantastic country, but underneath... Corruption, organized crime, murder.
As if that was not enough, the The Economist ran a worrying article on Croatia too. Already the title "A Balkan state in balk" is considered offensive by many Croats, as they believe that Croatia is not a Balkan country. The article mostly concerns the Slovenian blockade of Croatia's EU negotiations.
The sting, however, is in this passage: "Even without the Slovene problem, the Croats have a lot still to do to satisfy Brussels. One big difficulty will be a reform of shipbuilding, which employs as many as 17,000 people, but survives only with huge subsidies. Other profferings of public largesse designed to sweeten voters before the local elections are also causing trouble. Many economists said the government could not afford the public-sector wage rises of 6% it announced in January. Now deteriorating public finances have forced a humiliating reversal of the decision. The IMF has joined critics in arguing that Croatia must shrink its public sector."
I think The Economist is perfectly right. Croats are led to believe that the border dispute with Slovenia is the only thing that keeps Croatia out of the EU. Economic reforms, which are so necessary, are hardly being discussed. A great deal of Croatia's moribund industry and agriculture might be wiped out by European competition once the protective tariffs are eliminated. It is very difficult to find out how high the import tariff (or legalized theft, if you like) for, say, wine is, but a glance at the wine section of a Croatian supermarket tells me it is pretty high. There are not many foreign wines on the shelves, and those available are ridiculously expensive.
How did Croatian politicians respond to these harsh articles? Let me start saying that I can perfectly understand that Croatia is unhappy with these negative reports. Foreign tourists are supposed to save the Croatian economy and tourism is a very vulnerable sector. If some shit happens in Kosovo, people rule out Croatia as a holiday destination. As simple as that.
Instead of taking some criticism to heart, prime minister Sanadar said: "Some regret that we have more and more tourists", suggesting that other countries envy Croatia for its competitive edge in tourism. Other ministers used words like "malicious", "biased" and "vicious". I heard Foreign Minister Gordan Jandroković saying that is it suspicious that this report came right at the beginning of the tourist season... Or take the opening sentence of the HRT website: "It seems that the British media are united in depicting Croatia as a Third World country". Well, we are talking about the state-run national TV here. Self-reflection is not their strongest point.
It reminds me of the Croatian anger over an Australian TV show about the apathetic attitude of Dubrovnik's police when an Austrian girl went missing. Why are they doing this to us? They hate us. They want to harm Croatia. That is the typical childish response.