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.

Croatian Crescent's summer vacation

This is my 100th post on this blog. Time for a beer and a break. I'm going on vacation for two weeks.
I have never had more visitors than the last two days, but almost none of them showed interest for the advertisements on this weblog. I can't even fill up my rent-a-car tank with the money that Google Adsense owes me.
The Croatian Tourist Organization wants us spend our holidays in Croatia. With this spot they are trying to seduce us to get sunburned on the Adriatic coast instead of the Canary Islands, Ibiza or Turkey.
It says: Kad srce kaže ljeto, kaže Hrvatska. Tako lijepo, tako naša (When the heart says summer, it says Croatia. So beautiful, so ours.) There is also a Serbian version: Kad srce kaže leto, kaže Jadran. Jadran means Adriatic, a more neutral term than "Croatia" to appease the Serbs?
Croatia is not mine, but it is for sure beautiful and a great destination to spend your summer vacation. Vidimo se.

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...

Flags

Statesmen who visit Zagreb and are being driven from the airport to the center always take the Ulica hrvatske bratske zajednice, the Croatian Brotherhood Society Street or something. Croats have a talent for abbreviating lengthy names of streets and squares, but unfortunately there seems to be no alternative for Ulica hrvatke bratske zajednice. Any suggestions?
Traditionally, at the end (or beginning) of Ulica hrvatske bratske zajednice the flag of the visiting country's guest is hoisted. So it was when Chinese president Hu Jintao came to Zagreb, and so it was for someone from some country. By the moon I could tell the visitor represents an Islamic country, but which? After bit of googling I found the answer: Turkmenistan. The always informative website of the Croatian government provides pictures for media use, so I felt free to show Sanader and the gentleman from Turkmenistan shaking hands.
I bet we will read later that Turkmenistan supports Croatia's bid for EU membership. It's good to have some friends left. This article from Jutarnji list paints a gloomy picture of Croatia's international position. The essence: EU diplomats recommend Sanader not to blame Slovenia for everything but to finally get some serious work done (the over and over again mentioned corruption, crime, Tribunal, state run firms, violent and racist football fans...).
Traditional allies like Germany, Austria, Italy, Luxembourg and Slovakia (new to me) have turned their back on Croatia or pay lip service at best. Croatia is a country without friends.

Buy one, get more

Enough about politics, it's time for a culinary event: cleaning fish. Don't read or scroll down if you can't stand bloody pictures.
First a general observation. Buy one, get two. Buy two, get three. Supermarkets in Western Europe try to attract customers that way, but it is unheard of in Croatia. Only recently supermarkets started to discount certain products. In pubs it is not uncommon to see on the menu:

Karlovačko 15 kuna (0,5 liter)
Karlovačko 30 kuna (1 liter)

I thought the capitalist mentality is inborn, but some nations apparently don't have a knack for trade. Perhaps half a century of communism is enough to damage the fragment of DNA that is responsible for commerce. Karlovačko, by the way, is a beer.
I went to Dolac, Zagreb's central market, this morning to get fish. In the ribarnica (an indoor fish market that unfortunately lacks any Mediterranean ambiance) I bought this well size mackerel (40 centimeters) for only 18 kuna.

When home, I sliced it open and saw I got more fish than I had expected. The mackerel, when caught, was actually half way swallowing a smaller fish, so I could tell from the little fish tail sticking out of the mackerel's mouth. In it stomach I found remains of an earlier meal. A bit gross, but the mackerel itself was, in a word, super fresh. I could have made sashimi with it. Bit of soy sauce, bit of wasabi.... delicious!

Air space

When Chinese president Hu Jintao left Croatia, his presidential plane was escorted by two Croatian fighter jets. These two jets seems to have violated Slovenian air space. Hardly surprising, I thought. You almost need a helicopter to take off from Zagreb airport if you don't want to enter Slovenian air space, as Zagreb is very close to the Slovenian border.
Some Slovenes are very angry about the violation. I am not going to dwell on it, as I have no idea how normal or exceptional such violations are. I just want to show you the language that was used by a Slovenian member of European Parliament. It is exemplary of the sour relations between Croatia and Slovenia.
"The theatrical incursion into our airspace that Croatia permitted itself, by abusing the military escort of a Chinese protocol state aircraft, is an abuse of that state and, at the same time, a display of arrogance that cannot be practice either in the EU or NATO," said Jelko Kacin.
I don't think Croatia will enter the EU in 2011, even if Slovenia lifted the blockade right now. I suspect the Sanader government uses the blockade to turn attention away from other pressing problems in Croatia: corruption, organized crime and lack of cooperation with the Yugoslavia Tribunal in The Hague. The EU, meanwhile, has given up on trying to find a solution for the border conflict, after its numerous proposals were blocked by either Zagreb or Ljubljana.
Sanader uses big words in complaining about the Slovenian attitude. He said that if the EU negotiations with Croatia fail, also the idea of Europe (that is: uniting nations) fails. I can understand Sanader's frustration over Slovenia, but his words show a chronic overestimation of Croatia's importance to the Europe. Even if Croatia never joins the EU, the EU is and will be a uniquely successful project. (Although I sincerely hope Croatia will join the EU). Secondly, Croatia's entry into the EU hinges upon many more things, as I mentioned above. As soon as Slovenia lifts it unfair blockade these things will come to the fore once again.

Croatian diaspora

"The term diaspora refers to the movement of any population sharing common ethnic identity who were either forced to leave or voluntarily left their settled territory, and became residents in areas often far remote from the former." Thus says Wikipedia and so I've always thought. Therefore, it strikes me as unusual to describe Croats living in Bosnia as "diaspora". Yet, this is very common in Croatia. Most of these Croats have lived in Bosnia for generations, for hundreds of years, very close to the Croatian border. Mostar is their unofficial capital.
Bosnian Croats find themselves in a difficult and complicated situation. With the Muslims they form the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, one half of Bosnia (the other half being the Republika Srpska). It is a loveless marriage, arranged by the "international community". Bosnian Croats number half a million, which is much less than both Serbs and Muslims. However, unlike the Muslims they have a fatherland outside Bosnia, so if Bosnia breaks up in the future (which seems rather likely) they have some place to go. Or Croatia will simply attach the Croatian part of Bosnia.
The Croatian homeland (diaspora Croats, be it in Bosnia or Australia, are often called "Hrvati izvan domovine", Croats out of the homeland), or rather the Sanader administration, has decided upon a new strategy towards Bosnian Croats. A Council for Croats outside of Croatia will be founded, presided by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and a law to strengthen ties with Bosnian Croats will be send to parliament.
"Children are Croatia's blessing", says the rundown facade of the Croatian Population Movement. One of the strategy's aims is to stop the downward demographic trend. Many countries face the problem of aging populations, but Croatia is in a particularly difficult situation. This country has an enormous number of pensioners, mostly laid-off people who got early retirement. Although a firmly catholic country, Croatia has a very low birthrate, despite financial support for parents and a generous pregnancy leave. Result: an annual population growth of minus 10.000.