Karolina VIdovic Kristo – Croatia, the War, and the Future

We did not win Croatia in a lottery to gamble with it, says Karolina Vidović Krišto, leader of Determination and Justice Party Ahead of Parliamentary Elections in Croatia Next Week

April 13, 2024 by inavukic 4 Comments

Few days ahead of Parliamentary elections in Croatia due on 16^th and 17^th April 2024 the Croatian Veterans’ Portal has published an interview with the leader of OiP Party (Determination and Justice) for which many say represents the determination and knowledge to reel in essential changes for Croatia, in rooting out corruption and overhauling the corrupt judiciary, which hold Croatian democracy and rule of law captive. While the powers that be in Croatia have severely, for citizens living in the diaspora undercut voters’ right to suffrage to the point of brutality, one does hope there will be many turning up at the polling booths despite the discrimination. Polling booths only held in diplomatic and consular centres and on a working day (not weekend as during past 25 years) pose and enormous barrier in exercising ones constitutional and human right of suffrage. Be that as it may, we continue fighting the discrimination and for now the best way of doing it is by making an effort to place a vote.

Here is the interview with Karolina Vidovic Kristo, Member of Croatian Parliament, translated by Ina Vukic into English:

During the past four years in Parliament, Karolina Vidović Krišto has built a reputation of a determined and courageous politician. Born in Vukovar, but raised in Munich, Karolina returned to Croatia in 1996 independently and without her family, where she studied journalism and began her career as a journalist. Karolina is also the mother of four children. Despite numerous challenges, especially in the relationship with her former employer HRT (Croatian Television), with whom she had several conflicts, she always remained steadfast. Due to her fearlessness and commitment to her beliefs and exposing corruption, Karolina stands out as an example of a true leader and politician who certainly has the potential to become a leader and an authentic representative of the people. Her speeches in Parliament are some of the most viewed on social media networks. This is particularly significant because Karolina, despite her being banned or ignored by the traditional media, managed to attract the attention and support of the general public. She firmly believes that Croatia can achieve exceptional success only if it organises itself as a country where all citizens must obey the laws. She believes that this is the key to success in building a stable society in which every citizen will have an equal opportunity.

Respected MP, the HDZ Government led by Andrej Plenkovic and his deputy, minister Tom Medved, claims that they have full understanding for the Croatian war veterans and that they have restored their dignity. How do you view this statement?

The only thing that Andrej Plenkovic does effectively is manipulating the public. Such obvious manipulation would be a punishable offense in other EU member states, since using taxpayers’ money to pay the media to cover up facts and publish lies is actually a form of stealing taxpayers’ money. For example, the Austrian chancellor Kurz had to resign due to practices similar to those carried out by Plenkovic, and he was already convicted of lying, and he is currently being tried for even more serious crimes.

The attitude towards Croatian veterans, from Prime Ministers [since year 2000] Ivica Racan, Ivo Sanader, Jadranka Kosor, Zoran Milanovic to Andrej Plenkovic, is characterised by systematic humiliation and social isolation of the most honourable part of the nation, namely our veterans. Croatian veterans are often exposed to vilification and stigmatisation and are often declared a burden on society.

In Israel, no one holds a major position in the economy or politics if he has not served in the Israeli army, while in Croatia the opposite is the case. Neither Plenkovic, nor Milanovic, nor Gordan Jandrokovic responded to [defend] the Homeland when it was most difficult and when they were most needed.

The best representation of the situation in Croatia is the fact that the commander of the defence of the city of Osijek, Branimir Glavas, has been dragged through the courts for 20 years, while at the same time Mile Horvat, known as “the gunner” because of his participation in the bombing of Osijek as a member of Serbian terrorist units, holds the position of State Secretary in the Ministry of Economy in Plenkovic’s government. Such a situation, of course, does not exist in any other organised European country. It is anti-natural, anti-civilisational, anti-European and, of course, anti-Croatian.

Karolina Vidovic Kristo (L), Photo: family album

But Plenkovic will tell you in response to your statements: “In my government there is Tomo Medved, who is a war hero, or, for example, Ivan Anusic, who was a minor participant in the Homeland War, or, for example, Josip Đakic, who was on the battlefields all over Croatia.”

Everyone who participated in the defence of Croatia deserves our deep respect, which must never be forgotten. However, no merit can be a justification for acting against the interests of one’s own people and the country for which he fought. Namely, anyone who participates in blocking state institutions, in corruption or protects corruption, must be aware that they are working against Croatia.

And then the media, financed by Plenkovic, because they are so unprofessional that they cannot survive on their work, such as Jutarnji list, publish slanderous articles claiming that Croatian taxpayers should assume financial obligations from convicted war criminals. In particular, Indeks and Jutarnji list mention Mihajlo Hrastov [1991 Croatian Special police officer], who defended Karlovac [from Serb-led Yugoslav Army attacks], but was convicted by a corrupt judiciary, and the conviction delivered by controversial judges served as the basis for awarding compensation of 11 million kuna to the families of the fallen aggressor soldiers. It is important to note that these funds are paid to people living in Serbia, which means that the money of Croatian citizens goes outside the country. How much compensation did Poland, France or England pay to the German aggressors? Not a single euro, on the contrary, Germany paid compensation to the mentioned countries. I ask the question, would Mihajlo Hrastov be tried in Israel, America, or Ukraine, or would society there declare him a national hero?

General Josip Lucic is also on the HDZ list, how do you comment on that?

General Lucic will be able to speak with pride about his contribution to the liberation of Croatia, but I believe he will be deeply ashamed that he gave his name to HDZ Party, the party that created Croatia under the leadership of Franja Tudjman, while today, under the leadership of Andrej Plenkovic, that same party is destroying Croatia, which was created with blood. Croatian veterans approach me with tears in their eyes and say: “Give me [bring] back my children from Ireland and Germany”, because it was corruption and injustice that drove the children of Croatian veterans from Croatia, which they created with blood, sweat and tears.

General Lucic lent his name to a policy that pays pensions, such as those paid to Mile Martic, a [Serbian] convicted war criminal. The question arises why Croatia did not file a property claim against Mile Martic because of the damage he caused by bombing Croatian cities? On the contrary, Plenkovic’s government enabled Mile Martic’s son, Dusko, to manage television stations in Croatia, including N1 television and Nova TV. While the children of [Croatian] war veterans have to go to a foreign country to earn a living, Mile Martic’s son, therefore the legal heir [to his father], manages the media in Croatia! This is therefore the policy that General Lucic serves.

Why do you keep pointing out the problems in the judiciary?

The question of a functional judiciary is a question of success or failure of a state and its people. When the judiciary does not function properly, as is currently the case in Croatia, everything is allowed to the powerful, while nothing is possible for the common man or woman.

If Andrej Plenkovic, Zoran Milanovic or Gordan Jandrokovic were politicians in Austria, they would be in prison, because I remind you that the Austrian chancellor had to resign precisely because of actions similar to what Plenkovic is doing, corrupting the media and blocking the judiciary. But in Austria, where the laws are respected and the judiciary does its job, salaries are three times higher than in Croatia, where the laws are not respected. Let’s take the example of the case of Milorad Pupovac [leader of Independent Serbian Democratic Party/SDSS in Croatia by close bloodline and political platform associated with rebel Serbs in Croatia who were part of the aggressors in the Croatian Homeland War]. I personally reported him to the DORH [State Attorney Office of Croatia] for the criminal offense of genocide denial. Pupovac participated in a meeting in Banja Luka where the genocide in Srebrenica was denied. Pupovac did not mind at all that he stood by General Pandurevic, who was convicted of genocide in Srebrenica, despite the condemnation of that rally by the European Commission. According to Croatian laws, as well as according to the decision of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, that denial of genocide is a criminal offense. So, if Croatia functioned like the Czech Republic, Poland or Slovenia, Pupovac would be in prison.

Why did you refuse to form a coalition with related parties?

A coalition with those you refer to as related parties would be a betrayal of Croatia’s future and all disenfranchised people in Croatia. Determination and Justice party (OIP), which we founded, is completely different from existing political options. Just look at the current campaign – we are bombarded every day with some polls that are clearly fake.

Political parties behave like today’s so-called influencers, talking about everything except the real problems faced by Croatian citizens. All, but absolutely all, political parties have access to the mainstream media for confrontations and debates, either organised by big media, or in the organisation of NGOs and political initiatives or parties such as GONG. MOST, DP, Mislav Kolakusic and Fokus, and even the minority SDSS are invited, only we from OIP are not invited. The concept is completely clear: in Croatian politics, one must not talk about the real problems people face, but only in the way determined by the powerful. According to these same powerful people, Croatian citizens have no right to live in an orderly state where laws are respected.

So, despite the fact that our health care is falling apart, that half a million Croats have left their homeland [in the past decade], that our salaries are African and prices above the European average, we must not talk about this. Because of the truth we witness and the solutions we offer, OIP is finding itself banned from the public. Everyone must ask themselves why the Homeland Movement/DP or MOST have access to Croatian television, and why I and the people from the OIP party do not. Ivan Penava, president of the Homeland Movement, declares that the attack on the PPD and its head and owner Pavle Vujnovac [private company engaged in trade, import, sale and supply of natural gas] is an attack on Croatia. According to this logic, an ordinary Croat must be happy that individuals break the law and wear necklaces worth half a million euros, while at the same time families are thrown out onto the street due to non-payment of two mortgage instalments, even though the latter is unconstitutional. Protecting a thief is not patriotism!

Do you have a special message that is not directly related to the answers you gave to our previous questions in this interview?

I have and thank you. We did not win Croatia in a lottery, and the Croatian veterans did not give their lives and body parts just so that rigorous laws could be applied for the common people, while there are no rules or laws for the chosen powerful. For centuries, Croats dreamed of their own state and sacrificed for it, so that in their free state they could exercise those rights that are offered exclusively by the national state. Croats are respected all over the world, they are good neighbours, workers, and leading employees, only in their homeland Croatia they cannot realise their interests. That’s why we must arrange a Croatia where everyone is equal before the law, and everyone must respect the laws. Croatia has all the potential to be a rich and an advanced country, and that is why we have to fix Croatia, because only an organised Croatia can be a successful Croatia.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Braniteljski portal, Croatia, Croatian Parliamentary Elections 2024, Determination and Justice Party, Karolina VIdovic Kristo, OiP

Let’s Fix Croatia and Conquer Corruption and Injustice Together – An Interview With Marko Franovic

April 6, 2024 by inavukic 3 Comments

Karolina Vidovic Kristo (L) Marko Franovic (R) “Let’s Fix Croatia, Let’s conquer corruption and injustice together” (slogan in red font)

Parliamentary elections in Croatia are just around the corner – 17 April 2024 for constituencies located within Croatia and 16 and 17 April 2024 for the 11th Constituency, i.e. for voters (citizens of Croatia) living outside Croatia, in Bosnia and Herzegovina and abroad (known as the Croatian diaspora or emigration). While Croatian governments have since 2010 done everything they could to undermine the human right of suffrage for Croatian citizens living abroad and cut drastically their seats of parliamentary representation there are still three seats for them, which is far from adequate and fair given that just under one million of eligible Croatian voters live outside Croatia and just of three within it. Both HDZ and SDP political parties have truly shown a mean spirit towards its diaspora when it comes to voting equality and respresentation and yet that same diaspora sends more money into Croatia than what it receives from its leading industry – tourism! Both HDZ and SDP governments have bombed the access to polling booths in the diaspora by introducting polling booths only at consular and diplomatic mission centres, which are to say the least, few and far between! Scandalous! But, I happily see that diaspora shall not give in or give up any time soon.

In the deluge of political parties in Croatia of all shapes and sizes, there is one that catches the eye of trust in a better future and while all others, some for decades, promissed to fight corruption and lustrate the cancerous judiciary but delivered zero steps in that direction, Determination and Justice party (OiP), led by a seasoned public activist for justice and journalist who delivers results, Karolina Vidovic Kristo, means business like no other! I myself am standing behind Vidovic Kristo and am a candidate together with a leading worldwide renowned philantropist and patriot, Australia-based Mr Marko Franovic, who heads the electoral list for the XI Constituency. I translate into English an intervju with his recently published on the Croatian War Veterans portal

Here is that interview:

Due to the long distances from the polling station and during the election on a working day, it is especially difficult for Croats living in the diaspora to vote in the elections of the Republic of Croatia. As far as the constitutional right to participate in the political life of the Croatian homeland is concerned the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia and the relevant laws in Croatia consider the diaspora part of the being of Croatian citizens, and yet, there is such cruelty in the denial of suffrage towards the diaspora that beggars belief. Why do you think this is so? Why do the authorities of the Republic of Croatia make it so difficult for Croats living outside the Republic of Croatia to exercise their human and constitutional right to vote in elections?

“All that was planned by the Yugoslavs, that is, those nostalgic for the former state, and imagine the awful irony here – almost 94% of Croatian voters voted in the 1991 referendum to leave communist Yugoslavia, and how very much blood was shed to defend Croatia in the Homeland War. The Yugoslavs never loved nor will they ever love the Croatian emigration or those who fled communism because they also invented the word ‘diaspora’, too many foreign words are used, ’emigration’ should be used, I am not the one to speak modern, I speak the common language, the first Croatian language, they want to remove us from our homeland in every way . When the liberation of our homeland came, we had polling stations in all the Croatian clubs, you could vote all over Australia and also all over the countries where the Croats of the emigration lived. When the new President of the Republic of Croatia, Stjepan Mesic, who has been called a perjurer – who tried to criminalise the Homeland War and turned our defense against aggression into equating the victim with the aggressor – and Prime Minister Ivica Racan, who destroyed the most by selling off Croatia to foreigners, came, the evil-doers were saying that Franjo Tuđman had sold it out. Namely, all that was sold in the beginning were small things, and a lot of smaller companies were bought by Croats from the emigration, with the plan to help the development of the newly independent Croatia. So all these were little things compared to everything that was sold out when Ivica Racan came. During the mandate of Ivica Racan, INA (the biggest petroleum company) was sold off, and this trend of sell-offs continued in that mandate and then in the mandate of HDZ after Racan, Croatian banks were sold off, first they filled them with money and then gave them to foreigners. Today, we only have the Postal Bank, all the others were given to foreigners and other foreign banks were brought to Croatia. And these same banks in Croatia charge much higher interest rates than they do in other countries. That’s what Racan and Mesic contributed to us, and all that continued with Zoran Milanovic as Prime Minister. Nothing was done better, not even with Mr. Andrej Plenkovic as Prime Minister, all the investments he brought to Croatia were mostly Serbian investments. Normally, European Union funds fall into an another category because the European Union would provide funds regardless of who is in power in Croatia because it is of interest to it. And you see, emigration sends to Croatia more money than tourism contributes to it it, which is Croatia’s biggest industry, so they also disparage us and steal our right to equality in voting. There you have the media, almost all the media in Croatia work for Plenkovic, not only the main televisions but also internet portals have been bribed by his politics. I became convinced during the last six months that he therefore also bought the portals. Well, he didn’t bribe Z1 television, that was taken by Mario Radic, but Mario Radic obviously works for him, for Plenkovic, so it’s the same as if Plenkovic also bribed Z1 television; and today we know very well ‘what a drill can’t do, money can’.

If you were to win the elections and become a member of parliament for Croats outside of the Republic of Croatia, in unison with Karolina Vidovic Kristo’s Determination and Justice party, what would you fight for the hardrst in the Croatian Parliament? What changes would you fight for the most?

“First, I would work to introduce electronic and postal voting, because with that the matter of voting would be brought to its rightful place, The dead would no longer have to rise from their graves to vote, and emigrants, wherever they lived, would have the opportunity to vote and exercise their right. This is how they canceled everything for us, they kicked us out of the game because we are not desirable to them, they know what Arsen Bauk once said that there will never be electronic voting, as far as I remember, because if rgere was they would never come to power. And apparently, the HDZ government also thinks the same. If they deserved it and when the majority of citizens voted, they would come to power, but if they didn’t deserve it, then the people would vote in the majority for others. Since the year 2000, the results of the elections have revolved around political cliques, embezzlement, declared theft of votes and even dead bodies. The emigrants know very well who is for the homeland and who is not, and who is pretending to be a patriot while stealing from the state’s wallet.”

In your opinion, what are the biggest problems that hinder and block Croatia’s progress into a functional democratic state and the rule of law?

“The biggest problem is the judiciary. As we are all equal before God, so we must be equal before the judiciary (law), and not for judges to put cases that come to them in drawers. Cases should be solved as they come to them. Croatia has laws like any other country, but they are not used properly and no one controls it or bears the consequences for such incorrect work and such a terrible attitude towards justice and the judiciary. It is obvious that in Croatia the judiciary and the law work only for or in support of certain people or, rather, some political agenda. Those who rule protect themselves and this has been proven hundreds of times.”

You are 82 years old. It could be said that you have been working hard all your life, you have been helping financially and with kindness for decades a large number of needy people and associations in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Australia and all over the world, you are a leading businessman from any side of the world we look at. So what motivated you the most to support Karolina Vidovic Kristo and the party Determination and Justice?

“I saw that she is a real leader, and leaders are not born every day. We know that leaders are the most important element of everything, be it in war or in running the country, and I am convinced that Karolina Vidovic Kristo does not work for any foreign or domestic tycoon because she fights against any form of corruption and we know what tycoons are. I often see that tycoons come during the night as thieves do because most are the most ordinary thieves, there is no doubt about that as far as I am concerned. If someone says that he earned his wealth with his ten fingers, all credit to him, we should praise him, but we must not have thieves among us because they destroy the homeland. They are bigger enemies of our Croatia than its neighbours. Karolina Vidovic Kristo and her people have the strength to make Croatia into the one we shed our blood for. I am convinced that there is no compromise for her – because she knows that a thief is a thief, corruption is corruption, and the judiciary is Croatia’s biggest cancer. Croatia needs a strong and determined person like Karolina Vidovic Kristo at the head. “

You lead the OiP Electoral List for the XI Constituency in the upcoming elections for the Parliament of the Republic of Croatia, so tell us, are you hoping for good results?

“Here, a few days ago we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus, the birth of new life and new hope, victory over death. I have a great desire to bring about changes in Croatia that will eradicate corruption to the extent that it no longer defines Croatia and to cleanse the judiciary of this scourge of oppression, due to which justice and fairness cannot rise to the surface and remain on it. And with that desire is my hope that is great. My hope did not appear now because it is in me and my work for a just Croatia and has been for almost my entire life. These upcoming elections are equally, if not more, important for Croatia and Croats around the world than those of 1990 and 1991. It is necessary for the needed changes in Croatia that as many people as possible vote and that the masses of people who, I believe, are disappointed in te leadership of the state and thus have stopped voting in elections a long time ago. I hope for a great voter turnout in the elections, and as I said, the Determination and Justice led by Karolina Vidovic Kristo has the strength, courage, and the knowledge to organise and fix Croatia into the country that our people with all their sacrifices deserve.

I am immensely proud that I lead a group of really great, capable and proud Croatian men and women on that electoral list. I think that my personal advocacy and financial assistance over the decades for the rights and well-being of Croats both in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina are widely known, so I would not talk about it now. It is a great honour for me to point out here that our electoral list includes a candidate who lives in Bosnia and Herzegovina – a well-known fighter for truth and justice, Mr. Mile Kovac. It could be said that Mr. Kovac was a Croatian defender even before the first gun was fired in the Homeland War in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and his extensive experience in the media and his expertise in electronics and IT speak volumes about his ability to make changes, which the electoral list that I lead plans on delivering. On the electoral list that I lead, there are also other candidates whose lives are filled with expertise in various areas of life, Croatian patriotism and the fight for truth and justice, namely: Ina Vukic from Australia – known throughout the world as a decorated Croatian activist and expert in the field of mental of health and disability, Ivana Kovacevic-Mandac from Canada – law expert and awarded long-time Croatian activist, Ruzica Alvir – master’s degree and expert in social pedagogy and returnee to Croatia from Germany, and Ante Susnjara from Germany – successful entrepreneur. Normally, I could say a lot more good things about all the candidates on Election List No. 3 for Croats outside Croatia, but for now, when I look at that list of candidates, it, along with all the other election lists in all the Electoral Units in which OiP competes in the upcoming elections, is a great reflection of love and ability to fix Croatia, where law and justice reign for everyone equally, and we want to contribute to achieving that for Croatia and all Croats.”

IF YOU ARE A CITIZEN OF CROATIA AND VOTING AT THESE ELECTIONS CHOOS AWAYS LIST No.3!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Andrej PLenkovic, Ante Susnjara, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Croatia elections 2024, Determination and Kustice, Franjo Tudjman, Ina Vukic, Ivana Kovacevic - Mandac, Ivica Racan, Karolina VIdovic Kristo, Matko Franovic, Mile KOvac, Odvaznost i Pravednost, OiP, parliamentary election in Croatia 2024, Ruzica Alvir, Stjepan Mesic, Zoran Milanovic

Nest Of Hate Speech in Croatia – “Croslavia”

October 17, 2020 by inavukic 11 Comments

“If there was a university degree for greed, you cunts would all get first class honours,” said in the Australian Parliament in 1985 The Hon. Paul Keating, Treasurer (who became Australian Prime Minister in late 1991), after backbenchers had complained about having to substantiate, for tax purposes, their electoral allowances. Translating that greed into greed for power and control Keating’s quote could well be placed with today’s Croatian government.

“Enough with deception and reckless trampling on human values without responsibility.” Wrote on his Facebook profile 22-year old Danijel Bezuk from Kutina near Zagreb some 20 minutes before he marched up to the Croatian Government building at St Mark’s Square on Monday 12 October 2020, holding a shotgun and firing from it towards the building, wounding a policeman guarding the government offices, walking away and then fatally shooting himself in the nearby Jabukovac/Tuskanac.

Andrej Plenkovic’s, Croatia’s Prime Minister’s first response to the shooting was that of seemingly utter surprise and saying “we must ask ourselves where does this radicalisation come from?” Suggesting, in no uncertain terms, that this young shooter, that people at large, have no reason to despair, to enter into acts of desperation by shooting at the government building. Then, within hours, Plenkovic announces that the government will do all in its power to locate “the nest of hate speech” from where influence for acts such as young Bezuk’s comes from. Of course, all the while pointing at the parliamentary right wing or Patriotic opposition and in particular the leader of the dr Miroslav Skoro Patriotic Movement (Domovinski Pokret) and its evidently much respected by the public outspoken government critic Member of Parliament Karolina Vidovic Kristo. At the same time Plenkovic lets out his fears that he himself may have been the intended target of young Bezuk’s shooting. Then veterans’ Minister Tomo Medved together with police Minister Davor Bozinovic get on the lynch bandwagon which would see to it that the government investigates, scrolls through social media etc, to look at even the slightest possibility of anything anybody said in public that could have influenced young Bezuk to commit such a crime… The government seems to be using the proverbial fine-tooth comb to run through social media, print media, portals, past public gatherings etc to find what they call “hate speech” that influences or encourages such “radicalism”!

It is clear that what the government is really looking for is not hate speech but protests against the governments and presidents who have since year 2000 brought Croatia to a life of desperation for multitudes of citizens. But they are set to call protests hate speech regardless of the fact that just about all protests and all criticisms of the government and the presidents have been about lack of democratising Croatia, lack of decommunising Croatia, lack of actions in ridding Croatia of crippling corruption and nepotism, protection of family unit, protection against the Instanbul Convention, etc. In short, it has been the governments themselves that have stopped transition from communism into full democracy in Croatia since year 2000 or since the Independence War fully ended in 1998.

It would seem that Croatia’s Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic is staring in the face of the fate minority governments face (his government only got just under 17% of votes when the entire voter body is counted) and refuses to accept the fact that he is leading the government of a country where the majority of people are against the government or have not bothered to even vote in July of this year, which amounts to widespread disillusionment anyway.

Since year 2000, across Croatia, we have witnessed waves of protests against governments that were and are well-padded with former Yugoslav communists and rebel Serbs who attacked Croatia in 1990 when it wanted out of communist Yugoalavia. We have witnessed Presidents of Croatia, since year 2000 i.e., since Franjo Tudjman’s death, criminalising Croatia’s efforts in defending its people and nation during the brutal Serb/Yugoslav aggression in the 1990’s, even standing behind the politically trumped-up UN International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia charges of joined criminal enterprise against Croatian generals, instead of insisting on their innocence, which innocence was later proven by the ICTY Appeal Tribunal (2012). We have seen since year 2000 corruption and nepotism thrive to the point where hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of young people have left Croatia to seek a better life elsewhere. We have seen since year 2000 an increasing boldness on the streets of Croatia in celebrating the murderous and oppressive Yugoslav communism and trampling over Croatia’s Independence War veterans and their rights and dignity. We have seen since year 2000 an intolerable process of equating the Croatian victim and Serb aggressor from that war.

The list of misfortunes and tragedies that have enveloped the Croatian nation since its glorious victory over communist oppression and corruption could go on but for the purposes of this article the above should suffice, I believe.

Frequently, however, the Croatians protesting against the enduring communist mindset that rules Croatia are being misrepresented and belittled, insulted and often ignored in the news media and protesters dubbed fascists or Ustashas or Nazis. The fact that the Yugoslav communist regime has been declared just as criminal as the Nazi one by the European Parliament about a year ago means nothing to the mainstream media that carries a candle for the communist apparatchiks ruling the country.

What is more worrying still, both the government and the mainstream media, by ignoring the messages written by young Bezuk, by labelling healthy and fact-based criticisms of the government’s incompetence as fascism are actually attacking freedom of speech rather than acknowledging it, exercising it, in orde to call for institutional reform so that living in Croatia the way it was envisaged in 1990 and 1991 when Croatia cut its ties with communist Yugoslavia could come to fruition for most people. Institutional reform as dictated by events occurring among the people is the political action of the very kind freedom of speech aims at protecting. Not in Croatia, though.

Its government has during the past week in particular by its reactions to the Bezuk shooting demonstrated that Croatia is in fact Croslavia, as retired general and former member of Croatian Parliament Zeljko Glasnovic has been saying and dubbing Croatia’s stubborn resistance to radical changes needed to exit from communism, for several years now. But he too, is ignored by mainstream media just like multitudes of others who desire and work for Croatia to become a functional democracy.

The notion of freedom of speech is being co-opted by the Croatian government with dominant ex-communist or current pro-communist groups, and distort it to serve their interests, and use it to silence those who are oppressed or marginalised, such as those who actually put their lives on the line during Croatian Homeland War as well as those who dare to criticise the government loudly. All too often, when people depict others as threats to freedom of speech, threats to peace and security, threats to radicalisation, what they really mean is, “Shut up!” and “If you don’t shut up, we will silence you!” Sound familiar, anyone? If not, just roll back to the times of communist Yugoslavia with more than a million Croats escaping from oppression or from not being able to feed the family; hundreds of thousands of Croats purged, mass murdered or imprisoned for political reasons; corruption and large-scale theft of public goods…

Yes, the Croatian Homeland War is not ended yet as many will tell you. The military aggression has stopped but still continues the combat to oust communism and its mind set. The same enemy of independent Croatia exists today as it did in 1990 only today the issue is tragically deeper. The war veterans who fought on war fronts to defend Croatia during the Homeland War have since year 2000 been made redundant or retired while those that spent not a single day defending Croatian people’s lives from Serb aggression, or did not want an independent Croatia at all, or were on the rebel Serb murderers side during the war, have become the internal enemy of Croatian independence and full democracy.

And still, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has the gall to blame the parliamentary patriotic opposition, or individual politicians or academics or political activists for Bezuk’s shooting at the government building on Monday 12^th October. He has the gall of labelling clear and needed protest against the government as radicalism. The shooting is indeed a crime under criminal law and must be treated as such but as far as radicalism goes that was the oath and promise Croatian War of independence gave to Croatian people.

In his speeches at the May 1990 inauguration of Croatian Parliament and in October 1991 when that parliament voted to cut legal ties and secede from communist Yugoslavia, President dr. Franjo Tudjman said: “…our most important task for our new democracy is to introduce and implement radical measures for socio-political changes…”! It is more than clear that majority of Croatian people have had enough from their governments and presidents since year 2000 and that any radicalism perceived as such by Andrej Plenkovic’s government is not radicalism but an old promise being finally delivered or being attempted for delivery to the 94% of voters who voted in 1991 in favour of secession from communist Yugoslavia.

And so, it appears to me that Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic need not look any further for a nest of hate speech that may have influenced young Bezuk to shoot at the government building – Plenkovic is sitting in that nest. It’s a nest of hate speech against Croatian independence, hate speech against Croatian national identity, hate speech against the glorious values for which a terrible war of defence was fought in 1990’s. Surely, the lot that governs, the lot that spread the government’s propaganda in mainstream media, the lot that supports them, must have done a risk assessment at some point in time and concluded that there will come a time when people will rise against the government that brings no needed changes, implements no needed changes to root out corruption and nepotism, to root out political stacking among public servants and administration, to root out political party associated power at all levels of society. Given the government acts surprised by the shooting on Monday and points the finger of blame against everybody else but itself, it does seem that the lot that governs hasn’t done any such risk assessment, or, they have always had weapons to suppress dissent up their sleeves, such as dictatorship and punishing dissent. Many signs are surfacing for 2021 to be a year of numerous and large protests against the government as the political platform it currently pursues with the degrading of the values of the Homeland War is palpably a political time bomb. Ina Vukic