Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Croatia, the War, and the Future

Call MM when you want to smear Croatia 2

March 9, 2024 by inavukic 1 Comment

The first article titled “Call MM when you want to smear Croatia” was published here on 18 March 2023 and this is the second instalment on concerning matters connected to Michael Martens (MM) as correspondent of the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” (FAZ) newspaper for Southeast Europe.

Written by Dr. Josip Stjepandic

Translated into English by Ina Vukic

The position of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina is truly intolerable. Almost all of them were expelled from Republika Srpska under Serbian domination in the 1990s. Returnees are threatened and sometimes killed by numerous Serbian extremists, as shown by the recent case in Derventa . In the other half of the country (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina), they are – although equal according to the constitution – under enormous political pressure from the Bosniaks (Muslims), who want to do in peacetime what the Serbs succeeded in the war: subjugate and ultimately displace the Croats. On top of that, there are the so-called representatives of the international community, who mostly behave as Muslim, Bosniak, lobbyists. The Austrians Wolfgang Petritsch and Valentin Inzko are remembered as bad because, as high representatives, they significantly reduced the political rights of Croats. As icing on the bitter cake, there are journalists like Michael Martens who always manage to write unfavourable things about Croats without talking to them first.

In his article “Power play over gas pipelines: Where does gas still come from Russia” (FAZ, February 28, 2024 Michael Martens describes how Bosnia and Herzegovina could become independent of Russian gas by building an additional gas pipeline. However, this is (he claims) hindered by the “evil Herzegovinian Croats” led by Dragan Covic, supported by the Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenkovic.

First of all, the author does not ask why such a fierce campaign is being led for the so-called “southern interconnection”. Ten years could pass before this pipeline is built and by then the Russian aggression against Ukraine could be over, so the best gas supplier would be decided upon based on the changed situation and other criteria anyway. The estimated annual turnover of 80 million euros for each large supplier is of minor importance.

Map of Bosnia and Herzegovina with planned gas pipeline in red/ Photo: Screenshot FAZ

Judging by the graphic (map) placed as part of his article (see Screenshot image above), which shows a diagram of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it seems that the author most likely did not understand the real problem at all. According to the diagram, the gas pipeline in question, about 130 km long, runs from the Croatian border to Travnik in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, mainly through Bosnia. An uninformed reader of Martens’ article could conclude that Croats from Herzegovina are meddling in matters that do not concern them at all. Why are they angry and want to run their business through a newly founded operating company in Mostar when the gas pipeline does not pass through their area? The author ignores the fact that the gas pipeline passes exclusively through areas inhabited by a majority Croatian population, such as Zavrsje (Tropolje), which is not part of Bosnia or Herzegovina. Therefore, it is a legitimate right to co-manage an important economic asset. Had he asked the Croats the author would have found this out.

Such an economic policy has its roots and tradition since 1918. Austria-Hungary was the last power to invest in the majority Croatian area. The narrow-gauge railway, which once provided modest mobility and transport, was discontinued without replacement in communist Yugoslavia. There are no highways, no major factories, no power plants, no major hospitals, and no universities in Croatian regions – after all, according to the opinion of a “well-connected interlocutor in Sarajevo” (evidently of Bosniak nationality), Croats should also lose the right to defend themselves against injustice!?

In Sarajevo, there is a gas distribution company called BH Gas, which is responsible for supplying the central region of Bosnia and Herzegovina with Russian gas. However, the company is in serious financial problems because it is threatened with an additional payment in the arbitration procedure in the amount higher than the half-yearly turnover. The special feature of BH Gas is its management structure. Along with Serb Mihajlo Krmotic, there are 9 Bosniaks and no Croats. This is equality Sarajevo style!

The author, as well as a powerful transatlantic partner, dispute that a new operating company should be established for the planned part of the gas pipeline, which should be completed in ten years. However, apart from BH Gas, there are two more gas pipeline companies in the Serbian Republic: Gas Promet from Pale and Sarajevo-Gas from East Sarajevo, which are responsible for 19 and 40 km of the gas pipeline, respectively. Everything is laid out and can be read in the last available BH Gas annual report for 2021, which is available online under the title “Annual report for 2017”! Logical conclusion from this would lead one to conclude: All (constitutional) nationalities can manage the gas business in Bosnia and Herzegovina except Croats.

Besides this, this is a long-term project of alternative gas supply for the central area of Bosnia and Herzegovina through a pipeline that has two sections; one around Sarajevo which is inhabited predominantly by Bosniaks, and then towards Mostar, (which has yet to be built), which is inhabited by approximately half Croats and half Bosniaks. Does anyone serious in Washington, Berlin, Brussels really consider it appropriate to build such a capital project on antagonism and even hostility towards Croats from day one? What kind of reaction is expected from the Croats, if they are thrown out of the game from day one? Not to mention the mutual trust and unity of the three peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina that is only held together by external pressure.

In Germany and the USA, the gas market is highly decentralised. Gas business in Germany traditionally takes place in the Ruhr region – far from the capital of Berlin. The situation is similar in Washington. Why then does everything in the multi-ethnic state of Bosnia and Herzegovina have to be strictly centralised under the leadership of the Bosniaks, who have proven in the last 30 years that they cannot move the country forward? Isn’t it time to put parts of the economy in the hands of the Croats, who, through private initiative, economically developed their areas better than the politically dominant Bosniaks and Serbs? The gas infrastructure is quite widespread in Croatia, so there are many experienced experts who would probably be ready to take on a responsible position in Mostar. No Croat, who has an existential alternative, would voluntarily go to Sarajevo today, where there is a daily media hunt against Croats.

What a failed energy policy looks like is shown by numerous wind turbines in Croatian areas that were installed by Chinese investors, are managed by Sarajevo companies, but are otherwise idle because there is no connection to the grid!

If the wealth attributed to Dragan Covic is real, then he is surely and deeply, corrupt. Unfortunately, this is no different to what is found among politicians of today’s Bosnia and Herzegovina. But what can we say about the Bosniak oligarchy in Sarajevo, where, for example, a fake university diploma is enough to make a career as a head of gynaecology and a university professor, like Sebija Izetbegovic, the wife of the most powerful Bosniak politician Bakir, who was dismissed in the meantime?

Covic should certainly be faulted for tolerating the doctoring of BH Gas’s balance sheet and for not putting in motion bankruptcy proceedings yet. Then at least the financial situation would be clear, and some accusations removed.

And finally: If all Croatian politicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina were corrupt, is this a reason for denying Croats all management rights in state-owned companies?

Michael Martens is an experienced journalist who appears to know his job well, and FAZ was the most respected newspaper in Germany. Their inappropriate actions should therefore be viewed very critically because they write about Croats using what they hear from unnamed sources in Belgrade and Sarajevo. Unfortunately, it looks like they’re returning to the slogan: “Call M.M. when you want to smear Croatia” .

Dr. Josip Stjepandic, President, Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts in the Diaspora and Homeland

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Andrej PLenkovic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dragan Covic, FAZ, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Josip Stjepandic, Michael Martens, Russian Gas, sap supply pipeline in Bosnia and Herzegovina

BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA REMAINS A TROUBLE SPOT

December 17, 2022 by inavukic 12 Comments

From Hrvatsko Nebo portal 13 December 2022

A political analysis by Dr Josip Stjepandic first published in Zur Zeit.

“Wars of disintegration in the former Yugoslavia gave rise to seven new states, including the former Austro-Hungarian annexation area of Bosnia-Herzegovina (BH), which has since been in a permanent state of crisis as an international protectorate.

In addition to a bloated administrative apparatus that promotes corruption, the different political ideas of the three-constituent people (Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats) are causing problems for the young state. The Serbs only want Serbia and reject any BH proposal. In terms of foreign policy, they aspire to Russia. The (Muslim) Bosniaks see themselves as permanent victims of Western conspiracies and want a unitary state that they don’t have to share with the Serbs and Croats. In terms of foreign policy, they behave like the western Turkish (or Iranian) province. As the smallest of the constituent peoples, the Croats reject the state in which they are deprived of their ethnic and human rights, as in the former Yugoslavia. With their aspirations to the EU and NATO, the Croats in BH can hardly achieve anything, although most of them are Croatian and therefore also EU citizens.

The elections for the state presidency and the parliaments, which took place on the election day on October 2, should have bring improvement. There weren’t really good conditions for this. The central election commission was composed in an illegal manner without examining the qualifications of the candidates and in the past ruled pro-Bosniak. The electoral register contains 3.3 million names, although the country’s population is only 2.06 million, which is very conducive to electoral fraud. After all, the constitutional court already quashed an important rule for the composition of the Chamber of Peoples in FBH in 2016. The Bosniak leadership used this rule, issued by HR Wolfgang Petritsch in 2002, to squeeze the numerically weaker Croats out of power. The best example of this is Zeljko Komsic, who, despite his numerous anti-Croatian outbursts, has been elected Croatian member of the three-man state presidency with the Bosniak vote against bitter resistance from the Croats since 2006. In 2018, Komsic even wanted to prevent the construction of the Peljesac Bridge, the largest EU project in Croatia, with a lawsuit before the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

The elections passed peacefully, despite many complaints of irregularities, which OSCE monitors seem to have missed. Among the winners was again Komsic, who outperformed his Croatian competitor (Borjana) Kristo by 43,000 votes. The results from 13 constituencies, where the number of voters is higher than the number of inhabitants and at the same time very few Croats live, show that he got his votes exclusively from the Bosniaks. There he achieved a lead of 43,000 votes.

The star of the election day was HR Christian Schmidt, who followed the Austrian Valentin Inzko in 2021. Since the Bosniak leadership let all Croatian proposals to change the electoral rule in terms of so-called legitimate representation (each ethnic group elects its own representative) come to nothing, Schmidt issued a temporary rule after the polling stations were closed, by increasing the number of seats in the house of the people, so that the Bosniaks cannot circumvent the blocking minority of the Croatian representatives. This temporarily ensures that the Bosniaks, who have been massively incited by Ankara and Tehran, cannot take over 100% of the power in the BH Federation and two thirds in the state as a whole, as desired.

The photo of Ambassador (Martina) Mlinarevic casting her vote in a ballot box made out of a shoe box in the embassy in Prague shows how seriously such an election should be taken. The law prescribes a transparent box. Mlinarevic, a member of the Komsic cadre, is a dental laboratory assistant by trade, although a postgraduate diploma is required by law to be an ambassador and is more conspicuous for her poorly diplomatic choice of words than for her achievements.

HR Schmidt wanted to prevent a deadlock situation by shortening several decision deadlines. However, counting the votes has already taken 3 weeks.

The talks about forming a government are going rather slowly because there is still no clear majority among the Bosniaks. At present, it looks as if the Bosniaks are represented by an eight-party coalition in the government, which is unlikely to be conducive to stability. The Serbs and Croats are likely to be represented by their strongest parties, SNSD and HDZ.

BiH exists today only through external pressure because the external powers do not want the state of Bi H to be divided. Nevertheless, the cohesion between the three peoples is extremely low. There are only two common holidays: New Year and Labor Day. The often invoked EU perspective lacks any practical basis. In addition, after January 1, 2023, BiH will be separated from Croatia by the iron Schengen border. If external pressure were to ease or even disappear, then the next war for BiH’s legacy would be at hand. The only question is whether this would come from the Serbs or the Bosniaks.”

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosniaks, Break up of former Yugoslavia, Communist Yugoslavia, Croatia, Croats, Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Josip Stjepandic, Political trouble spot, Serbs

An Interview With Ina Vukic – “Future Member Of Croatian Parliament For The Diaspora”

June 21, 2020 by inavukic 19 Comments

Candidates for Croatian General Elections 4th and 5th July 2020 on
“Independent List Zeljko Glasnovic” for the 11th Electorate:
From left front row! Marko Juric, Zeljko Glasnovic, Ina Vukic, Mate Knezovic
Back row from left: Milena Matic, Tomislav Sunic, Marina Sunic-Zakman, Elizabeta Mađarevic, Srecko Telar
Candidates not on photo: Marko Perkovic, Martina Curic,
Franjo Miroslav Perkovic, Marina Sabljic, Kresimir Tabak. (CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE)

Interview by: Urbani Desničar

Translated into English from source

To describe Ina Vukic in a few sentences is an impossible task. She gave so much for the Croatian Homeland and the diaspora that I could write a book about it (in sequels). And what did she ask for in return? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Her love for this country is something that is rarely seen. Starting from the war, until today. There are few in patriotic circles who have not heard of her blog: “Croatia, the War, and the Future”. But not to go into long texts about her here, all the information is available to you online. I am extremely honoured to have had her agree to an interview for my humble blog. In short, Ina Vukic has done more for this country and its promotion in the world than all previous Foreign Ministers combined. Free of charge. And that is why she deserves our deep bow of respect.

Croatian emigrants are completely discriminated against and that is a fact. 4.4% of Serbs in the Republic of Croatia (around 86 thousand) are guaranteed the same number of representatives as over 3 million Croats outside the Homeland. Given that the referendums are being stolen from us and it is difficult for us to gather a 2/3 majority in the Parliament, what is left for us?

If we read the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia, i.e. the part that looks at the law on the election of representatives for the diaspora and Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) (Croats outside Croatia), then the current law on the Election of Representatives, in practice, greatly discriminates against the right of Croats outside Croatia to be adequately represented in the Croatian Parliament. From the inauguration of the Croatian Parliament in 1990 until 2010, Croats outside Croatia had 12 seats. These, and even more places, Croats outside Croatia deserve not only on the basis of their numbers, but also for their enormous share in the creation of the Republic of Croatia as an independent state. In 2010, a terrible injustice and travesty took place against Croats outside Croatia – their legs on which they stood with utmost sacrifice in the creation of modern Croatia in the 1990’s were simply and abruptly cut off. Their seats in the Croatian Parliament were reduced to only 3! Well, I ask you, some 3,800,000 Croats up to the third generation live outside Croatia, and even more if we count the fourth and fifth – isn’t this the most blatant of examples of discrimination! A similar number of Croats live in Croatia and have 10 electorates, each has 14 seats in the parliament!! Discrimination against Croats outside Croatia – for sure, and that is catastrophic for Croatia and sad. I think that the best way is to assess the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia and assess whether or not the laws on the Election of Representatives in the Croatian Parliament are in accordance and commensurate with the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia? And you see, we are trying to achieve that right now. I am a member of a group of 30 Croats from the diaspora, who a few weeks ago submitted a proposal to the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia for such an assessment.

You have done so much good for Croatia (especially during the war), that it is impossible to list them all. In 1995, Dr. Franjo Tudjman awarded you the “Homeland War Memorial” and the “Order of the Croatian Trefoil” Medals of Honour. Very few people know about this fact. Is it modesty or do you just think it was a moral obligation for you?

It is not a question of modesty because I deserved the medals with hard work and dedication, so I am proud of my merits for the Homeland and I thank God for giving me knowledge and strength for that. However, I am sad that Medals of Honour for the Republic of Croatia and the Homeland War are gathering dust in the drawers in the homes of people who deserved them with great sacrifice and dedication. No one would be happier than me if, at least at the celebrations of the Day of Croatian Statehood, these medals adorned the chests of those who deserved them in public. It seems to me that, thanks to the former communists (who were and still are in places of authority), who tried to criminalise the Homeland War and sent our heroes to The Hague (twisted political and false accusations of war crimes), that the medals became a matter of recipients’ personal pride rather than a matter of national pride, which is what the medal should be.

When you mention moral duty, it certainly stands for anyone who has in any way contributed to the success of the creation of the Croatian state. I was raised in a family, for which, from my memory, the independence of Croatia was of essential and vital importance. From my grandfather, my father and myself – the moral values behind it were simply instilled in me, and they gave me and give me strength. And they also make me an exemplary Croat, not close to those who voted for the Istanbul Convention and for the devastation of human morality but close to those who raised and maintained us on solid feet. And now such amoral people from HDZ and SDP parties and their satellites are again competing in the elections for the Croatian Parliament!? The Croatian people, for whom Croatia and everything it represents resides in their minds and souls, will not give them such an opportunity to devastate Croatia further! Morally, economically and politically. The latter two sentences sound like a prayer to me – and it is a prayer!

By profession you are a psychologist, so I would ask you to give a brief diagnosis of the mental state of the nation? Sometimes I really have a feeling, that we are definitely not normal.

Disorientation! Cultural, moral and political. I do not see a clear true Croatian culture being emphasised in Croatia, and the Croatian public is often imposed upon with parameters of “culture”, many of which are unknown to most, foreign and even insulting. Corruption and nepotism create a form of morality (immorality), while honesty and living by Christian morality are constantly waging a war for supremacy in the hearts of many people. Political disorientation is particularly visible in an abnormally large number of political parties and movements. And in the deep sea of national vision and mission Croatia’s does not exist. Without a national vision, the nation is disoriented, and that is social psychopathology. The only cure in the case of Croatia is the expungement from the system of everything in the work of the state that is imposed from the former Yugoslavia and brings double standards in almost everything that makes our everyday life.

Is there still a national charge among emigrants and is anyone thinking of returning to the Croatia of today? Especially bearing in mind that a lot of people see the Diaspora only as an ATM.

Yes, it exists, and it is very strong – it envelopes love for Croatian Homeland. There are those who want to or who have already returned, and there are those who have returned and then after a couple of years changed their minds and returned back to the diaspora. Disappointment in among the diaspora is large. Simply put, the laws they encounter in Croatia serve more to repel than to attract return. Problems such as: bureaucracy, tax, investment, property law, health care regulation, etc., simply make the lives of returnees impossibly difficult and frustrating.

Your Blog is an inspiration to Croatians around the world. You also do humanitarian work, work, write, travel…. How do you manage to balance it all?

I sleep five to six hours a day when dear God permits, and I work most of the other hours. Over the week by day I work as in Sydney CEO of a large organisation for government funded services in mental health and disability. I have dedicated my professional life to the welfare of people who have disabilities, to do my very best in breaking barriers so that with support they can live as normal members of our society. And it is a very demanding and responsible job. In the evening, I work for Croatian truth for five to six hours, for the benefit of the Croatian name around the world, for humanitarian, scientific or cultural associations, I write articles in English and Croatian, etc. And this is repeated on weekends. I am a responsible and reliable person, and this is morally instilled in me because I come from a family where the value of a person is instilled in the work they do, honest work. So, balancing comes naturally. And this has been going on for more than thirty years.

General Zeljko Glasnovic is the only politician who actively and tirelessly works on connecting the Republic of Croatia and its diaspora, and at the same time he is not afraid to tell the truth. How much does his support mean to you and is there anyone else you would point out in that respect?

General Glasnovic never loses focus from what is important for Croatian emigrants and Croats in BiH, and that is very important to us. And that focus is the integration with the Homeland and the development of all relevant legislation and regulations by which this integration can successfully be achieved. Especially during the last parliamentary term, he advocated for the pensions of HVO (Croatian Defence Council) veterans. Thanks to his concern for Croats in BiH, in 2017 he brought the Croatian HDZ government to its knees (as it was threatened with collapse at the time) to agree to General Glasnovic’s conditions in return for his vote in parliament; one of General Glasnovic’s conditions was that the government expedite the payment of arrears of pensions to HVO war veterans and that the law on war veterans be put into procedure as soon as possible. I want to say here that these are all actions that demonstrate General Glasnovic’s specific and dedicated work for his constituency as Member of Parliament. Such engaged MPs are a rarity in the Croatian Parliament.

In the end, it could be said that it was because of this desire for unity and integration of all Croats wherever they live that Croatian emigrants gave themselves in the fight for an independent and democratic Croatia. Emigrants in developed democracies have learned what it means to have a representatives in Parliament and what to expect from them, so the way General Glasnovic works is within the sphere of such “team” work they are used to, and what is expected from a member of Parliament or Parliament. You see, we are convinced in the diaspora that it is necessary to DECOMMUNIZE the Croatian public space and public administration, laws and procedures and public services to the citizens, which are still poisoned by the remnants of the ENEMY COMMUNIST REGIME. Here, too, General Glasnovic never disappoints us, even when it means that the mainstream media in Croatia avoid him because of it. So, his support means a lot to us. We are aware that without the share of knowledge, skill and perseverance in love for the Homeland (and these virtues are present in abundance within the diaspora, even life for all Croats cannot progress in the foreseeable future. But official Croatia largely resists that reality. Unfortunately!

Who else besides General Glasnovic do you want to point out?

To achieve the goals that lie in the hearts and minds of Croats outside Croatia, then the people I want to point out as outstanding are all candidates on the “Independent List of Zeljko Glasnovic” for the upcoming elections in Croatia. I myself am among them. I carry this candidature with pride and conviction that General Glasnovic will continue to hold all of us high in the new parliamentary mandate and emphasise the importance that Croats from BiH and the diaspora have for Croatia.

P.S. By chance (or fate) I started this interview with Ms. Ina, as a link between the Homeland and the Diaspora, a humanitarian worker, a psychologist, a blogger but in the end I have to add another title. “Future Member of the Croatian Diaspora in Parliament”. I am absolutely sure of that. After seeing General Glasnovics independent list, I was at the same time delighted with the names on it, but also disappointed. Because out of 14 people on the list, only 3 can get into the parliament. Which is a real disaster, when you look at all the moral verticals and patriots on it. The General is unquestionable, and I personally think that Ms. Vukic can easily get in. Who will be the third doesn’t matter at all, because you just can’t fail. Unfortunately, there will be no room for 11 patriots. Which is all the more reason to URGENTLY seek changes to the Elections law. How can this be achieved? I really have no idea. Because if I did, the General would now be sitting on Pantovcak (Office of President of Croatia) instead of the FRANTIC KHMER. Still, it is important that things slowly change for the better and that instead of one, we will finally have 3 authentic patriots in Parliament. Because (without any insult to anyone) those two Covic’s “heroes” (HDZ in BiH) only came there for a salary, and they didn’t open their mouths for 4 years. So once again I thank Ms. Ina Vukic for agreeing to this interview and I wish her good luck and success in her new position. This also applies to all other candidates from “General Glasnovic’s Independent List”. FOR HOMELAND READY!

Ina Vukic, June 2020

ORIGINAL INTERVIEW TEXT BY URBANI DESNIČAR IN THE CROATIAN LANGUAGE FOLLOWS:

Opisati gđu. Inu Vukić u par rečenica je nemoguće. Toliko je toga dala za Domovinu i iseljeništvo, da bi o tome mogli knjigu napisati (i to u nastavcima). A što je tražila zauzvrat? APSOLUTNO NIŠTA! Njena ljubav prema ovoj zemlji je nešto što se rijetko viđa. Počevši od rata, pa sve do danas. Malo je onih u Domoljubnim krugovima, koji nisu čuli za njen blog: “Croatia, the War, and the Future”. Ali da puno ne dužim, svi podatci su vam dostupni na internetu. Izuzetna mi je čast što je pristala na intervju za moj skromni blog. Ukratko, gđa. Ina Vukić je više učinila za ovu državu i njenu promociju u svijetu, nego svi dosadašnji Ministri vanjskih poslova zajedno. Bez ikakve naknade. I zato zaslužuje naš duboki naklon.

1. Hrvatsko iseljeništvo je potpuno diskriminirano i to je činjenica. 4.4% srba u RH (oko 86 tisuća) ima zagarantiran isti broj zastupnika kao i preko 3 milijuna Hrvata izvan Domovine. S obzirom da nam Referendume kradu a 2/3 većinu u Saboru teško možemo skupiti, što nam preostaje?

Ako pročitamo Ustav RH, odnosno onaj dio koji se osvrće na zakon izbora zastupnika za iseljeništvo i BiH (Hrvata izvan Hrvatske), onda sadašnji Zakon o izboru zastupnika naoko i u praksi, naveliko diskriminira pravo na zastupništvo Hrvata izvan Hrvatske u Hrvatskome saboru. Od inauguracije Hrvatskog sabora 1990. godine pa do 2010., Hrvati izvan Hrvatske su imali 12 zastupničkih mjesta. Ta, pa i više mjesta, Hrvati izvan Hrvatske zaslužuju ne samo po svojoj brojčanosti, nego i po svom udjelu u stvaranju Republike Hrvatske kao samostalne države. 2010. godine se dogodila grozna nepravda i travestija protiv Hrvata izvan Hrvatske, jer su im podsječene noge na kojima su stvarali Hrvatsku 1990-tih. Zastupnička mjesta u Hrvatskome saboru su im srozana na samo 3! Pa molim vas, izvan Hrvatske živi nekih 3,800,000 Hrvata do treće generacije, a i više ako brojimo i četvrtu i petu. Sličan broj Hrvata živi i u Hrvatskoj a imaju 10 izbornih jedinica! Diskriminacija protiv Hrvata izvan Hrvatske – sigurno, i to je katastrofalno za Hrvatsku i žalosno. Mislim da je najbolji način ući u sam Ustav RH i ocijeniti jesu li ili nisu Zakoni o izboru zastupnika u Hrvatskome saboru, sukladni sa Ustavom RH? I to vidite, upravo sada nastojimo postići. Članica sam skupine od 30 Hrvata i Hrvatica iz iseljeništva, koja je prije nekoliko tjedana položila prijedlog Ustavnom sudu RH za takvu ocjenu.

2. Toliko ste toga dobroga učinili za Hrvatsku (posebice za vrijeme rata), da je nemoguće sve nabrojati. Dr.Tuđman vas je 1995. nagradio “Spomenicom Domovinskog rata” i “Redom hrvatskog trolista”. Vrlo malo ljudi zna za tu činjenicu. Je li u pitanju skromnost ili jednostavno smatrate da vam je to bila moralna obveza?

Nije skromnost u pitanju jer sam odličja zaslužila velikim radom i ustrajnosti, pa sam ponosna na svoje zasluge za Domovinu i Bogu zahvalna što me podario znanjem i snagom. No, žao mi je što odličja za zasluge za Republiku Hrvatsku i Domovinski rat skupljaju prašinu po ladicama u domovima ljudi, koji su ih zaslužili velikim odricanjem i požrtvovnosti. Nitko sretniji od mene kada bi barem na proslavama Dana hrvatske državnosti ta odličja u javnosti krasila prsa dobitnika istih. Čini mi se da je zahvaljujući bivšim komunistima (koji su bili i koji još jesu na mjestima autoriteta), koji su iz petnih žila pokušavali kriminalizirati Domovinski rat a naše heroje poslati u Hag (uvijenim političkim i lažnim optužbama za ratne zločine), došlo i do toga da su odličja postala osobni ponos primatelja a ne nacionalni ponos, što su stvari i trebala biti.

Kada spominjete moralnu dužnost, to sigurno stoji za svakoga koji je na bilo koji način pridonio uspjehu stvaranje Hrvatske države. Odgojena sam u obitelji, kojoj je od mog pamćenja samostalnost Hrvatske bila od bitne i životne važnosti. Od mojeg dide, moga oca i mene same – moralne vrijednosti za time su jednostavno usađivane u mene, i davale su mi i daju snagu. A čine me i uzornom Hrvaticom, nikako bliskom onima koji su glasali za Istanbulsku konvenciju i za devastiranje ljudskog morala, koji nas je na čvrste noge dizao i održao. I sada se takvi amoralci iz HDZa i SDPa i njihovih satelita, opet natječu na izborima za Hrvatski sabor!? Hrvatski narod kojem je hrvatstvo i sve ono što ono predstavlja u mislima i na duši, neće im dati takvu priliku da Hrvatsku devastiraju i dalje! Moralno, gospodarski i politički. Ovo zadnje mi sliči na molitvu, to molitva i jest!

3. Po profesiji ste psiholog, pa bi vas zamolio da date kratku dijagnozu mentalnog stanja nacije? Ponekad stvarno imam osjećaj, da definitivno nismo normalni.

Dezorijentacija! Kulturna, moralna i politička. Ne vidim jasnu istinsku hrvatsku kulturu, pa se po javnom prostoru nameću parametri “kulture”, od kojih su mnogi većini nepoznati, strani pa i uvrijedljivi. Korupcija i nepotizam stvaraju jedan oblik morala (nemorala), dok poštenje i život po kršćanskom moralu stalno vode rat za prevlast u srcu naroda. Politička dezorijentacija osobito je vidljiva u nenormalno velikom broju političkih stranaka i pokreta. A i u dubokom moru nepostojanja nacionalne vizije i misije. Bez nacionalne vizije i nacija je dezorijentirana, a to je društvena psihopatologija. Kojoj je jedini lijek u slučaju Hrvatske, izbacivanje iz sustava svega onoga u radu države što se nameće još iz bivše Juge, i donosi duple standarde u gotovo svemu što nam čini svakodnevnicu.

4. Postoji li još uvijek nacionalni naboj među iseljenicima i razmišlja li itko o povratku u ovu i ovakvu Hrvatsku? Pogotovo imajući na umu, da dosta ljudi Dijasporu vidi samo kao bankomat.

Da postoji i veoma je jak. Ima onih koji se žele ili koji su se već vratili, a ima i onih koji su se vratili i onda nakon par godina predomislili, I vratili se natrag u iseljeništvo. Razočaranje u iseljeništvu je veliko. Jednostavno zakoni s kojima se susreću u Hrvatskoj, više služe odbijanju nego privlačenju povratka. Problemi poput: birokracijskih, poreznih, investicijskih, imovinsko-pravnih, uređenja zdravstvene zaštite itd., jednostavno čine život povratnicima nemoguće teškim i frustrirajućim.

5. Vaš Blog je inspiracija Hrvatima diljem svijeta. Bavite se i humanitarnim radom, radite, pišete, putujete…. Kako sve to uspijevate balansirati?

Spavam pet do šest sati dnevno kad dragi Bog dozvoli, a ostale sate većinom radim. Preko tjedna po danu na svom radnom mjestu, glavne i izvršne direktorice (CEO) (velike organizacije u Sydneyu za mentalno zdravlje i invaliditet, financirane od strane Australske vlade). I to je vrlo zahtjevan i odgovoran posao. Navečer po pet do šest sati radim za Hrvatsku istinu, za dobrobit hrvatskog imena po svijetu, za udruge humanitarnog, znanstvenog ili kulturnog karaktera, pišem članke na engleskom i na hrvatskom itd. I to se ponavlja i vikendom. Odgovorna sam i pouzdana osoba i to je moralno usađeno u meni, jer potječem iz obitelji gdje je vrijednost osobe usađena u radu, poštenom radu. Pa tako balansiranje dođe prirodno. I to tako traje već više od trideset godina.

6. General Glasnović je jedini političar koji aktivno i neumorno radi na povezivanju RH i iseljeništva, i pri tome se ne boji reči istinu. Koliko vam znači njegova potpora i postoji li još netko koga biste istakli?

General Glasnović ne gubi fokus od onoga što je bitno za hrvatsko iseljeništvo i Hrvate BiH, i to je nama vrlo važno. A to je integracija s Domovinom i razvoj svih relevantih zakona i uredaba kojima se ta integracija uspješno postiže. Posebno se tijekom proteklog saborskog mandata založio za mirovine branitelja HVO-a. Zahvaljujući takvoj njegovoj brizi za Hrvate BiH, 2017. godine je doveo do toga da je HDZ-ova vlada (kako joj je tada prijetila propast), pristala na uvjet generala Glasnovića da za uzvrat za njegov glas u saboru, vlada požuri sa isplatama zaostataka mirovina braniteljima HVO-a, te da se zakon o braniteljima stavi što žurnije u proceduru. Hoću reći da su to sve postupci koji pružaju dokaz, da general Glasnović kao saborski zastupnik konkretno i učinkovito radi za dobrobit Hrvata koje zastupa u saboru. Tako angažrani zastupnici su rijetkost.

Na koncu konca, moglo bi se reći da je zbog tog priželjkivanog zajedništva i integracije svih Hrvata ma gdje živjeli, hrvatsko iseljeništvo i sebe dalo u borbi za neovisnu i demokratsku Hrvatsku. Iseljeništvo u razvijenim demokracijama se naučilo što znači imati svojeg zastupnika u Saboru i što očekivati od toga, pa je način rada generala Glasnovića unutar sfere takvog “timskog” rada na koji su navikli, i što se i očekuje od zastupnika u Saboru ili parlamentu. Vidite, uvjerenja smo u iseljeništvu da je neophodno DEKOMUNIZIRATI Hrvatski javni prostor i javnu upravu, zakone i procedure i javne usluge građanstvu, koje još i dan danas truju zaostaci NEPRIJATELJSKOG KOMUNISTIČKOG REŽIMA. I tu nas general Glasnović nikada nije razočarao, pa čak kad to i znači da ga mainstream mediji u Hrvatskoj izbjegavaju zbog toga. Dakle, njegova nam potpora puno znači. Svijesni smo da bez udjela znanja, umijeća i ustrajnosti u ljubavi za Domovinu (a te vrline iseljeništvo posjeduje u izobilju), ni život za sve Hrvate ne može napredovati u predvidljivoj budućnosti. No službena se Hrvatska uveliko opire toj realnosti. Nažalost…

Koga još osim generala Glasnovića želim istaći? Za ostvarenje ciljeva koji leže na srcu i umu Hrvata izvan Hrvatske, onda su to svi kandidati na “Nezavisnoj listi Željka Glasnovića” za dolazeće izbore u Hrvatskoj. Među njima sam i ja, što nosim s ponosom i uvjerenjem da će General Glasnović i dalje u novom saborskom mandatu, držati sve nas i isticati važnost koju Hrvati iz BiH i iseljeništva imaju za Hrvatsku.

ps. Igrom slučaja (ili sudbine) započeo sam ovaj intervju sa gđom. Inom, kao sponom Domovine i Dijaspore, humanitarnim radnikom, psihologom, blogericom….ali joj na kraju moram dodati još jednu titulu. “Buduća zastupnica hrvatskog iseljeništva u Saboru”. U to sam apsolutno siguran. Nakon što sam vidio nezavisnu listu Generala Glasnovića, u isto sam vrijeme bio oduševljen imenima koja se na njoj nalaze, ali i razočaran. Jer od 14 osoba sa liste, samo 3 prolaze dalje. Što je prava katastrofa, kada pogledate koje se sve moralne vertikale i Domoljubi nalaze na njoj. General je neupitan, a osobno smatram da će i gđa. Vukić bez problema proći dalje. Tko će biti treći uopće nije bitno, jer jednostavno ne možeš faliti. Nažalost za 11 Domoljuba neće biti mjesta. Što je razlog više da PODHITNO tražimo promjene Izbornog zakona. Kako to napraviti? Stvarno nemam pojma. Jer da znam, sad bi sjedio na Pantovčaku umjesto MAHNITOG KMERA. Ipak, važno je da se stvari polako mijenjaju na bolje i da ćemo umjesto jednoga, konačno imati 3 autentična Domoljuba u Saboru. Jer (bez ikakve uvrede) ona dva Čovićeva “junaka” su samo dolazila po plaću, a 4 godine usta nisu otvorili. Zato još jednom zahvaljujem gđi. Ini Vukić što je pristala na ovaj intervju i želim joj puno sreće i uspjeha na novoj funkciji. Ovo se odnosi i na sve ostale kandidate sa “Nezavisne liste Generala Glasnovića”. ZA DOMOVINU SPREMNI!