Donald Tusk
President of European Council
addresses Croatian Parliament
16 January 2017
Photo:Pool/FA/Cropix

European Council president’s, Donald Tusk’s Monday 16 January speech in the Croatian parliament celebrating 25 years since the international recognition of Croatia’s independence was a well-received congratulatory recitation of Croatia’s accomplishments with a succinct nudge as to future directions awaiting the country. The deepest political thrust of his speech, however, appears in his mention of reconciliation “of feuding nations, although very difficult, is becoming a reality.” This reality, though, this process of reconciliation with the aggressor (Serbia) from the Croatian side, has, during the past decade or so, left Croatian veterans, the victims of Serb aggression as well as the progress away from communist Yugoslavia heritage at a distressing disadvantage; alas that part of Turk’s speech leaves a bitter taste.

While pep talks, such as the one delivered by Tusk on Monday, boost the spirits and generally encourage for future undertakings, I do trust the future undertakings on any reconciliation with the aggressor will not be as if it’s business as usual just because Tusk lavished it with compliments regardless of Croatia’s internal bitter divisions and unrest about it. To be fair and balanced that process of reconciliation will require a turn-around in tactics and content to benefit Croatian issues, the issues of the victim, not Serbia’s or Serb ones.

Delivering his speech in the Croatian language, Tusk went on to say: “…I know how highly you value your independence. You have paid for it a high price. Twenty-five years ago, Europe and the United Nations recognised your independence in the belief that Croatia would become a part of the political community, for whom freedom, peace, respect for others, observance of international rules and order, are genuine priorities.

And you have not let us down. You have used those twenty-five years well. While carrying the baggage of difficult experiences and healing wounds after a cruel war, you were able to protect your nation against hatred, and you started the great work of building a modern European state. Europe highly values your political maturity, patience and consistency. Thanks to your efforts, the whole region is enjoying an increasingly good reputation, while the reconciliation of feuding nations, although very difficult, is becoming a reality. You are a sign of hope for the change of dreadful fate, which has so harshly, for whole centuries, tested this part of Europe.

I know how difficult this process is, how much sacrifice, and what strategic imagination, it requires. I deeply believe that you will succeed in this work, united internally as well as with the whole of Europe. Independence and democracy do not always have a sweet taste, I know something about this. Conflicts and differences are inherent in the logic of history and in our everyday life. That is why it is so important to continuously search for what connects us, over and over again, tirelessly. You also often argue among each other, also in this building, about your future; that is normal. It is essential, however, that you continue in this great effort for the sake of peace and stability in the region and in the whole of Europe. You have every right to be proud of these twenty-five years, and this pride connects all Croats. Europe is also proud of you and your achievements.”

Tusk’s relentless accolades, optimism and praise — suggesting that everything Croatian governing and presidential leadership and their supporters did meant something truly great (and will continue to mean something truly great) — impregnated his speech so much so that the speech itself effectively functioned as an EU recipe as to how Croatia is to move forward.

Donald Tusk (L)
Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitaroviv (C)
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic (R)
Photo: net,hr

He accentuated how Croatia plays a key role in South-Eastern Europe for the EU and praised Croatia for “incredible achievements”. Tusk stood in the Croatian parliament as some sort of EU’s reassurer-in-chief, insisting that paths to independence and democracy always come with conflicts and differences, rarely move in a straight line forward, and that is why “we must contiguously search for what connects us”. The fact is, Croats do not need to search for what connects them, Croats true to Croatia know what connects them; it’s the original goal, voted for by 94% of voters in 1991 referendum on independence – it’s the goal of leaving communism behind and burying it. The situation when the search for what connects “them” within Croatia arises is when communists and communist heritage don’t budge from positions of power, exert power over those who fought for and wanted independence in the first place (unlike them) and constantly try coming up with ideas or rhetoric trying to show what connects them to those who fought for independence. The connections, if established, are usually not genuine, though – or truly lasting. But, Turk’s pep talk does come in handy for those with their hands stretched out towards the EU waiting for handouts of EU funds.

Croatia’s geopolitical position, in many ways, guarantees it a prime seat for the way forward as a facilitator of EU’s plans to integrate South-East Europe into the EU. Croatia’s foreign minister Davor Ivo Stier had said before that in 2016 the focus of Croatia’s foreign policy was put on its relations with neighbouring countries and support to their EU and NATO aspirations as well as on the stability of the southeast of Europe. Judging from Tusk’s speech in Croatia’s parliament, from speeches also delivered by Croatia’s Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic it’s clear that in 2017 the focus of Croatia’s foreign policy will stay the same as in 2016. Given the shaky-grounds of current global and neighbouring political circumstances that often suggest possible shifts of alliances and cooperation it will be interesting to see how capable this rather new Croatian government will be in coping. Whether the new US President Donald Trump will actually move towards shattering all or some of the dreams of prosperity dreamed in EU for a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and other similar economy boosters, whether Brexit will turn a significant slab of UK trade tides away from the EU and towards the Atlantic is yet to be seen and how that will affect the EU expansion into South-Eastern Europe plans. It’s only natural that the EU will look after itself, or rather Brussels will. When it comes to this key role Croatia is to play in South-Eastern Europe it appears that there are no visible or palpable plans around to orient one with knowledge and make one comfortably satisfied that Croatia will in this role look after its own interests first. But, judging from Donald Turk’s speech and its apparent function it stands to conclusion that all the Croatian government and president need to do, might do, is nod, nod, and nod – in Brussels’s direction. Oh dear – how restrictive for any Croatian interests that may pop up and not be fully in line what EU envisages . Ina Vukic, Prof. (Zgb); B.A., M.A.Ps. (Syd)