Imagine living in USA and celebrating 4th of July without mentioning or acknowledging with it the Founding Fathers of the United States! Unthinkable!
Now imagine yourself in Zagreb, Croatia 30th June 2013 – at celebrations, official speeches and events for the occasion of independent Croatia’s entry into the European Union as member state! There, no mention of the father of independent Croatia – dr. Franjo Tudjman! No mention of the fact that it was he (and his political ideals and plans) who fought unimaginable battles to secure Croatia’s independence and her eventual place within the European Union as member state!
Avoiding honouring dr Franjo Tudjman on the occasion of Croatia’s entry into European Union by the current government officials can only be described as deceitful, corrupt and utterly mean spirited!
The government should be ashamed, ashamed, and ashamed!
Such blatant disregard for merit and deserved mention – even during the festive session of the parliament marking Croatia’s entry in EU – is beneath contempt and human dignity.
If this is a part of the picture of European Union, which seeks to use Croatia as a spring board into other states of former Yugoslavia eventually joining the EU and what it calls “lasting peace and reconciliation” in the region, then that picture of European Union is a sorry picture indeed.
But I won’t dwell on such negativity because multitudes of Croatian people are not blind and their memory is intact. And indeed, as Vecernji list journaslist Jadranka Juresko – Kero says in her article on Tudjman’s ideals, work and aspirations towards the European Union, he would say today:
“Everything I started with my people 23 years ago has been achieved and all my political visions have been realised”.
Excerpt from dr Franjo Tudjman’s
Inaugural assembly of the Croatian Parliament speech
Zagreb, May 30th, 1990
“Honorable representatives and parliamentary officers!
At the end of this inaugural address, allow me to endeavor and put forward, in the briefest of points, some of the most urgent and immediate tasks that stand before the new democratic government of Croatia.
1. New Constitution of the Republic of Croatia. The fundamental determinants of the new Croatian Constitution have been set in advance through the plebiscitary declaration of Croatian people for democratic freedoms of citizens and for state sovereignty at recent elections. Best-known people from the political and scientific life will be included into the Constitutional Commission. The new Constitution of Croatia must be free from all ideological dissents; it must be based on experiences of creating a Croatian state and in the spirit of the most democratic traditions of modern Europe and North American reality and science of law.
2. Regulating the new constitutional position of Croatia in Yugoslavia. Given that we need to start from the fact that Croatia is situated in the system of Yugoslavia, which is a recognized member of the international order, we are prepared for negotiations with the representatives of the other nations of SFRY and federal bodies for the purpose of contractual regulations of mutual relations. Based on the totality of historical experience we hold that the state sovereignty within the community of other nations of SFRY can only be secured on confederative foundations, as is a contractual alliance of sovereign states.
3. Inclusion into Europe and Europeanization of Croatia. Simultaneous with democratic transformation we need to undertake all necessary steps for Croatia to be included into the European Union as soon as possible. For centuries, Croatia has been a constituent part of the Western European (Mediterranean and Central-European) culture. Even when it did not have a full political state subject status, Croatia was inseparably connected to the Western European civilization. The contribution to European life several centuries ago, as well as through later history, by Croatian Latinists bears loud witness to that fact. The return to that cultural tradition must be multilayered. In European integration Croatia must secure its independence and faster progress”.
Franjo Tudjman – addressing the Croatian nation 6 September 1996 with regards to Croatia’s entry into European Council:
“ Dear countrymen, and respected Croatian co-citizens,
The future of Croatia is in our own hands!
Let’s not permit a repetition of fatal mistakes of the past!
Let’s build on the foundations of grand successes and victories, which we achieved through revival, defence and the building of independent, free and democratic, internationally recognised and sovereign Croatian state.
We can and we must secure advancement and economic-cultural blossoming of our Croatian homeland, in the interests of all of its citizens based upon social justice, through the development of our democratic constitutionally legal system, stability and vitality of our economic system!
We consider the acceptance of Croatia into membership of the European Commission as part of our aim, as the beginning of formal integration, in the interests of our Homeland and whole of European community. The President of the Republic of Croatia, dr. Franjo Tudjman”.
While the current Croatian government (whose political processors fought against Tudjman in the early 1990’s against democracy and independence) bask in the glory of Croatia’s European achievement, which truly belongs to those who defended Croatia against brutal Serb aggression when it declared independence and secession from communist Yugoslavia, to the political vision and courage of dr Franjo Tudjman, we battle on against the political filth it tries to serve every day – holding our heads up high!
If it were not for Tudjman’s political visions, his intellect, his ability to round-up trust and love of the people for their Homeland and his courage Croatia would not be independent today; it would not be a member of the European Union. And that is the truth, the absolute, the undeniable, and the inerasable truth! Ina Vukic, Prof. (Zgb); B.A., M.A.Ps. (Syd)