Cartoon of Ivo Josipovic by Senad
Well, well, well! It’s only been a few hours since I posted my last article on the return of the confiscated Jewish property and smelled a political rat – on the part of the former Communist/Antifascist camp (President Josipovic and the governing Kukuriku – cock-a-doodle-doo – coalition to which the foreign minister Vesna Pusic belongs).
Only ten minutes ago the Croatian news portal Index.hr has published a “newsflash” – a message from president Josipovic that:
“the return of property needs to be towards all in principle, but that does not mean that the State can pay everything to everybody, and that the Constitution needs to be changed”.
Josipovic commented on the unofficial information that the governing coalition would like to change the Constitution in the way by which the State would be obligated to return the property only to Croatian citizens, but not to foreigners.
“I personally do not think that a change in the Constitution is a good idea, I think that it doesn’t fit into certain European trends and practice in many other countries”.
It seems that the cock-a-doodle-doo’s are planning on a fate worse than the one Jews seeking the return or compensation for their confiscated properties experience under the law passed in 1996 – under Franjo Tudjman’s leadership. At least under the latter foreigners had the door opened, but the cock-a-doodle-doo will cock this up, it seems, without blinking an eyelid.
One doesn’t expect better from the former Communist League of Yugoslavia.
Most Jews, descendants of those whose properties have been confiscated and who live abroad most likely do not have Croatian citizenship, and to obtain one for such purposes would present a yet another hurdle that may take many years to overcome under such a government whose members occupy the villas, the grand apartments, the lands…usurped by Communist nationalisation schemes.
It’s not clear yet whether Josipovic is coming out with these statements to soften the blow for the cock-a-doodle-doo coalition, or whether he is in fact struggling to shed his strong Communist ties. We’ll watch the space around this issue because it is an important issue in the reconciliation of historical wrongs. Ina Vukic, Prof. (Zgb); B.A., M.A.Ps. (Syd)