Zeljko Reiner – Croatia, the War, and the Future

Croatia: Will The Door To New Government Be Kicked Open Or …

October 16, 2016 by inavukic 4 Comments

New Croatian Parliament
inaugural meeting 14 October 2016
(AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

I’m bursting with anticipation and curiosity waiting to hear whether Dr Zlatko Hasanbegovic will continue as minister for culture in the new Andrej Plenkovic led government of Croatia. Smaller parties and independents had huddled around HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) and its leader Andrej Plenkovic with relative ease and a rather miraculous speed to support HDZ minority government receive the needed parliamentary majority goodwill for forming a government. But that government, i.e. the make-up of the government Cabinet (Ministers) is still a big enigma. It has remained an enigma even though the new Croatian Parliament had been convened and officially constituted on Friday 14 October 2014, with Bozo Petrov (leader of MOST/Bridge of independent lists as Speaker and HDZ/Croatian Democratic Union’s Miljan Brkic, Gordan Jandrokovic and outgoing Speaker Zeljko Reiner as deputy Speakers of the new parliament). Not even an inkling, yet, as to which of the elected members will be filling the all-important roles of government ministers. We are reassured, however, that the persons to serve as ministers in the new government will be announced during the coming week.

“They” do say that good things come to those who wait. I shall hold destiny responsible to deliver on this.

Andrej Plenkovic Croatia’s Prime Minister designate
Announces restructure of new government
in parliament Friday 14 October 2016
Photo: screenshot HRT news

Prime Minister designate, Andrej Plenkovic, has – amidst copious amounts of media speculation regarding who will and who will not get to serve as minister in his government – made it publicly clear last week that “I am the PM designate and nobody will determine the appointment of ministers,” (but me). Of course, it’s a given that a PM must choose those people to serve as members of his/her government executive team he or she can best work with in order to achieve outcomes from the government’s set goals or program. The top goal for any government is to serve and promote national interests and Croatian national interests at this stage are significantly marked by the need to rid the country of the remnants of the unproductive and undemocratic practices still present due to habits instilled by the former communist regime of Yugoslavia.

Things appear to be looking up in this sense as we learn that the delay in naming future government ministers may well be associated with the restructure of public administration and government being decided upon and announced. I.e., as announced by Plenkovic last Friday night Croatia is to have 19 out of 20 current ministries but a new ministry for demographics, family, the youth and social politics to be created from existing set ups with view to thrust into the front lines the solving of the falling birth rate and increasing emigration. To achieve a lesser number of ministries functions of some previous ones have been merged into new ones (merger into one ministry of economic, business and trade portfolios; the return to ministry of Croatia Veterans as opposed to the current veterans affairs, etc.) There will also be six instead of four Central government offices. State Secretaries will replace the current deputy-minister positions and the role of Assistant to the minister will in time transition into Head of Administration and will be filled via public advertising and competition, which in essence represents a very significant positive step in securing incumbents of important public administration position on the basis of merit (not political affiliation); the Heads of Administration will have the status of Servants (public servants), which means that after ceasing to work in that position the incumbent would not enjoy extended remuneration as assistants to ministers receive now.

After Social Democrats’ representative suggested that the new structure will mean increased number of central bodies, thus suggesting increased government spending, Andrej Plenkovic replied: “There’s no intention to increase administration or expenses but the key intention is in increased rationalisation, increased outputs and de-politicisation and professionalisation of public administration,” reports HRT news.

During this time of delay in naming the ministers of the new government HDZ and its leaders would do well in heeding the words and warnings regarding Croatian priority national interests contained in the statement released Saturday 15 October 2015 by the Croatian Bishops’ Conference. Croatian Bishops have called for the Croatian people and society to unity and maturity so that it would have the strength to endure the newly staged attempts in creating myths and in the spreading of lies. That is not a call to “return to the past”, but a motivation and a wish to free ourselves from the burden and the weights from the past that place a burden upon our today and blur our vision for the future, emphasised the Bishops’ statement.

Croatian Bishops’ Conference
15 October 2016
Photo: Hrvatska biskupska konferencija

“The Bishops consider the current regard towards the victims of the communist regime, especially when it comes to mass graves and the remains of those that perished, in Croatia and in other places, especially in Slovenia, expressed by the relevant Croatian organisations and by the Croatian state generally as unacceptable and damaging,” says the Bishops’ statement in which Croatian Bishops emphasise that the upgrading of Greater Serbia myths neglects the suffering of the Croatian population during the Homeland War, the destruction of property…and the inadequate acknowledgement of Croatian veterans in the creation of freedom and independence. The Bishops call upon the appropriate Croatian government bodies to engage the necessary effort in order to place a light upon the truth of Jasenovac camps as well as upon the post-WWII sufferings. With this, the victims would receive due respect and the truth will usher in more peace into the families whose members have suffered…Bishops say.

Bozo Patrov
Speaker of Croatian Parliament
Photo: N1

It is a fact that Yugoslav communists who call themselves “the liberators” had from 1945 destroyed the Croatian civil society and committed the crime of murdering the country’s intelligence (the part that was not pro-communist). Hence, hundreds of priests, writers, journalists, publicists, cultural and social and political elites, engineers, lawyers, teachers etc. were liquidated, while others fled the country in order to escape sure death. The communists knew well that their success in ruling the people depended heavily on getting rid of the part of the country’s intelligentsia that was against communism. In modern Croatia, stripping Croatia of its most deserving son for its independence and democracy – Franjo Tudjman – had been a purposefully vilifying agenda for several years before Tudjmans death and after his death from 2000 when former communists’ win of government as well as Stjepan Mesic’s win of the country’s presidency followed. The official cultural pursuits or the ministry of culture under the left and centre-left leadership had played a large part in making sure that the condemnation of communist crimes does not pick up ground in any significant measure within the Croatian society. Ministry of culture has been and is a government body through which all publications, books, films, cultural associations etc must go in order to see the light of day. Thankfully, in his short role as culture minister of Croatia’s short-lived previous government Zlatko Hasanbegovic had commenced the process of bringing balance into the ministry’s (the society’s) pursuits of Croatian truth, which of course meant that communist crimes needed to become an agenda to be openly and without reservations dealt with on the basis of facts and truth. This move of course earned him terrible blows and branded him as ultra-nationalist, Ustashe, fascist, revisionist …

In other words, within six months of being Croatia’s minister for culture Hasanbegovic had declared his resistance to the cultural hegemony, or upon the dominant influence the communist Yugoslav left side of Croatia’s political playing field had wielded since late 1990’s when the so-called “detudjmanisation” commenced. Because of this, Hasanbegovic had been a target of terrible attacks within Croatia and beyond – staged and implemented by former communists and their mates, including the head of Istrael’s branch of Simon Wiesenthal Centre – filled with hateful lies.

From left: Miljan Brkic, Gordan Jandrokovic, Zeljko Reiner
HDZ’s deputies of Croatian Parliament
Will these men manage to keep in check
the small-town-mayor-
turned-speaker-of-parliament
Bozo Petrov if once again he goes rogue against government leadership?
Photo: Patrik Macek/Pixsell

Although Andrej Plenkovic as designated PM has made it abundantly clear that he will not be influenced by anyone’s pressure in naming the ministers of his government and that the ministers will be those persons he himself chooses one can only pray and hope that his choice for culture minister is Zlatko Hasanbegovic. Having demonstrated some good insight and analysis skills so far one can only trust that Plenkovic has come to a realisation that by not naming Hasanbegovic as minister also means that he is joining the posse of liars against Hasanbegovic and also means joining the posse of anti-Croatian propaganda. Plenkovic’s move in the next couple of days will be interesting to watch because all eyes in Croatia and beyond seem fixed upon this very issue of whether Hasanbegovic is to continue as culture minister. If he does appoint Hasanbegovic then Croatia has a new lease of life for positive moves towards ridding Croatian public administration and associated processes of communist regime’s progress-stifling remnants. If he does not appoint Hasanbegovic then Croatia’s reputation and daily reality are at a terrible loss and suffer a damaging setback in moving forward from the burdens of history that must be cleared – not swept under the carpet. Not naming Hasanbegovic as minister will also mean that Plenkovic either directly or vicariously agrees with the false allegations of neo-fascism/revisionism made against Hasanbegovic and Croatia. And so I wonder if the imminent announcement of new government ministers will feel like the door has just been kicked open (with unexpected and niggling surprises) or that it has just been opened – with the right mix of people eloquently showing through. Ina Vukic, Prof. (Zgb); B.A., M.A.Ps. (Syd)

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Andrej Plenković, Bozo Petrov, Bridge of independent lists, Croatia, Croatian Bishops Conference, Croatian Democratic Union, Davor Ivo Stier, Gordan Jandrokovic, HDZ, Miljan Brkic, Most, new Croatian government, Social Democrats, victims of communist crimes, Zeljko Reiner, Zlatko Hasanbegovic

Croatia: Trials And Tribulations Of Celebrating Independence

October 9, 2016 by inavukic 15 Comments

Croatian Parliament Friday 7 October 2016
Celebrating 25 years of independence
Centre left: outgoing PM Tihomir Oreskovic
and Zeljko Reiner, President
of Croatian Parliament
Photo: sabor.hr

During the 1990’s in Croatia people knew that for a state to have its own parliament also meant that the state was independent and sovereign. Long gone are the days, though, when in celebration of 30th May (1990) the Croatian Statehood Day/Day of Independence jubilation spread across Croatia and its diaspora like wildfire and one cannot but notice nostalgia for the jubilation to return. Indeed, a dose of such nostalgia could be felt in the speech given at the reception hosted by the outgoing Speaker of Parliament Zeljko Reiner on Friday 7 October in honour of 8th October 1991 – the date when the Croatian parliament voted to finally sever all ties with Yugoslavia. On that day, 25 years ago, Croatia said its final goodbye to communist Yugoslavia.

“…When the moratorium date of the decision for independence of Croatia expired in 1991, Yugoslav Army planes bombed Banski Court (Croatian government offices) in an attempt to assassinate Croatian president Franjo Tudjman. Croatian parliament session had to then be moved to another location in Subiceva St … and not in its normal Parliament building (across the city square). At that time Croatia was unarmed, under the UN embargo preventing it to secure weapons and under special lack of will to help Croatia. The pressure for us to give in was terrible. The war was imposed and led on our territory; against all citizens … it was a fight for all or nothing. The newly established democracy and multi-party system were placed into jeopardy. It was because of the fact that we had visions of freedom and a democratic Croatia, and because there was unity that we managed to achieve it … the path was hard and filled with pain for more than 15,000 lives lost. We must never forget that more civilians were killed in their own home than soldiers on the battlefield…” said Reiner at the ceremony, emphasising that no one would ever again be allowed to threaten Croatia, and continued:

“Let this anniversary be an incentive to bring back to our citizens the hope and confidence and to start the recovery of the country that will bring happiness and satisfaction to all its citizens. This requires patriotism, strength of will, determination, wisdom and responsibility, as well as courage, just like in the Homeland War. I am confident that the call for the new session of Parliament, which will most likely be constituted next week, with the new government will achieve that…”

Croatian President
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic
Photo:Dragan Matic/ Hanza Media

President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic sent a message marking the 25th anniversary of Croatia’s final severance of all ties with former Yugoslavia: “We are allowed to be and we must be proud of our young state, which emerged from many centuries of battles for freedom. We have achieved a great deal in our 25 years of independence. After the harsh experiences living under the totalitarian regimes and dictatorships we have successfully developed a democratic culture, we have built institutions, we have become a notable member of international organisations and institutions. Our students, innovators, business people, scientists, doctors, artists, sports people and many others achieve notable success across the world… this is the day when with respect we remember all those who had contributed to the realisation of that historical goal, starting with the first president dr. Franjo Tudjman and the Croatian veterans, who had during those days defended (Croatia) from the most grave aggressive attacks,” said president Grabar-Kitarovic.

And so, one needs to wonder why with such great speeches and messages from the tops of Croatia’s leadership one comes across very little cheer in the streets, among the people? Could it be that persistent and often underhanded injections of communist resistance to a free and democratic Croatia have severely dampened or shattered the joy Croatians used to express on Independence or Statehood Day particularly during 1990’s? Observing all this, one is justified in saying that the minute the former communists/ left wing political parties entered into government after Franjo Tudjman’s death in early 2000, prompted by former communist anti-Tudjman president Stjepan Mesic, started contemplating upon ways of watering-down the elation for Croatian independence celebrations, the celebration moods would start falling and relative coldness set in.

Croatian first president
Franjo Tudjman
at the inauguration of
the Croatian Parliament
30 May 1990

Croatia’s first president Franjo Tudjman had considered that the most important date to celebrate for an independent Croatian nation should be in remembrance of the day when, after the first post-WWII free and democratic general elections the Parliament of Croatia (that would usher Croatia out of the oppressive federation communist Yugoslavia) was inaugurated – that was 30th May 1990. Indeed, given that actual exit or secession from Yugoslavia was achieved through a multistep process it would only be logical and fair that the very same process was celebrated on the date it started, rather than on the date it finished. For years 30 May was a holiday and a celebration in Croatia and abroad filled with joy and pride. Tudjman died in late 1999 and the former communists decided to abandon 30 May as the Day for celebration Croatian Statehood and Independence; these communist killjoys knew what they were doing: bring confusion among the people about the day/date independence should be celebrated – bring in the element that would eat away at the celebratory joy and confidence in the good for what had been achieved.

And so, we arrive at today’s confusion as to which date of the three possible is best to celebrate Croatia’s independence – this purposefully staged confusion has its roots in the 2002 sessions of Croatian parliament when the centre-left majority passed a new law in regards to the public holidays, remembrance days in Croatia. Suddenly 30th May was out and 25th June came in as the date to celebrate Croatian Statehood/Independence Day. The former communists (who as a reminder did not want Croatian independence in the first place and many walked out of the Parliament in protest, in 1991) in 2002 ushered in 25 June (1991) as the day to celebrate. They had all commenced a political lynch based on lies against Franjo Tudjman even before his death and now that he was dead – they concocted an opportunity to remove 30 May celebrations from the people; remove the date that was associated with so much positive emotion for Croatian freedom and independence and the leader who made it happen. 25 June 1991 had been the date when the Croatian parliament (inaugurated 30 May 1990) proclaimed Croatia’s independence from communist Yugoslavia and, as a matter of interest, at the European Union’s request the decision was frozen for three months (the three months that saw the escalation of terrible attacks, ethnic cleansing, murder against Croatia by Serbs and the Yugoslav Army).

8 October (1991) also became a public holiday in Croatia and this was to celebrate Independence Day or the day when Croatian parliament severed its entire links to former Yugoslavia. Increasingly over the past fifteen years it appears as though having two days as public holiday to celebrate Croatia’s independence but not the original date of 30 May has achieved the goal intended by the former communists: many people don’t feel confident which of the two dates (25 June or 8 October) should be the “right” one to celebrate and, hence, apart from several events organised by the veterans, sadly, not much celebration occurring in the streets this past weekend!

If one was to heed the words said by the President of the Croatian Parliament, Zeljko Reiner, last Friday one would need to conclude that no hope or confidence like the ones present at the beginning of the independence could be brought without bringing back that glorious date of 30 May to celebrate. In the past couple of days a suggestion to that effect has been made by one of the original members of parliament, Vladimir Seks, who also suggested that a referendum on the issue of the date on which Croatian independence should be celebrated is the best way ahead. I do disagree with this strongly and besides the fact that Croatia is too poor to be in the position to pay for a referendum on that matter, 30 May is when Croatia started functioning independently with its new parliament and that date should be celebrated as the Day of independence. Independence is one single concept and reality even though it usually is achieved via separate events of processes. So, Croatia would do well to start recognising that fact and stop confusing its people as to which event in the process to independence means more than the other. 30 May 1990 is the date from which Croatian road to independence truly started and so this date should represent independence – no referendum needed. Ina Vukic, Prof. (Zgb); B.A.,M.A.Ps. (Syd)

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Croatia, Croatian Independence Day, Croatian Statehood Day, Franjo Tudjman, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, Zeljko Reiner

Croatia – Momentous Day For Victims Of Communist Crimes

August 28, 2016 by inavukic 16 Comments

From Left front: foreign and internal affairs minister Miro Kovac, minister for culture Zlatko Hasanbegovic, defence minister Josip Buljevic, minister for employment and retirement Nada Sikic
Photo: vlada.gov.hr

23 August was the Day of Remembrance for the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes in Europe and this August 23rd 2016 the Croatian Parliament devoted itself to this remembrance for the first time since its independence and secession from communist Yugoslavia in 1991. Minister for the culture Zlatko Hasanbegovic representing PM Tihomir Oreskovic, foreign and internal affairs minister Miro Kovac, defence minister Josip Buljevic, minister for agriculture Davor Romic, minister for social politics and youth Bernardica Juretic, minister for employment and retirement Nada Sikic, minister for science, education and sport Predrag Sustar, members of parliament, diplomatic core representatives, members of the academic community and religious and business representatives made this day a truly great one for Croatia.

This has been a truly momentous day for Croatia’s democratic government.

This is so because the former communists, who call themselves antifascists even though they hold nothing in common with world’s anti-fascism due to the multitudes of crimes committed in their communist name and regime, holding power in Croatia throughout this past quarter century have been fighting fiercely against even the notion that communism left many innocent victims behind it, let alone acknowledging the awful truth of horrendous communist crimes and purges. The European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism was established by the European Parliament Declaration of 23 September 2008 while the same parliament confirmed August 23 as a Europe-wide day of remembrance for the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes by its resolutions dated 2 April 2009 on European conscience and totalitarianism. In 2011, Croatia’s lawmakers adopted a declaration designating 23 August as a memorial day for victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes but observance of this event, a commemoration, was never before brought into the chamber of Croatian parliament, instead gatherings occurred at the many mass grave and pits sites where remains of victims of communist crimes lay. The Croatian parliament 30 June 2006 passed a declaration on the condemnation of crimes committed during the totalitarian communist regime in Croatia 1945-1990, which states that all totalitarian communist regimes were without exception marked by mass violations of human rights.

By marking the Black Ribbon Day, Croatia joined most of the EU member states that, in accordance with a recommendation by the European parliament, advocate contemplation of delicate and complex issues from our collective past as well as its preservation so that next generations could learn from it and build coexistence based on democracy and respect for the fundamental rights.

Zeljko Reiner
Speaker – Croatian Parliament
Photo: Hina/ Tomislav Pavlek/ tp

Croatian Parliament Speaker Zeljko Reiner said on 23 August 2016 that crimes committed by Nazis, Fascists and Ustasha in WW2 had been prosecuted and punished while crimes “committed by Communists against tens of thousands Croats” had never been prosecuted nor punished.

Addressing the commemoration, Reiner further said that the Communist regime resorted to repression in an attempt to send into oblivion the existence of Croats and some Jews, Germans and members of their ethnic groups “who were killed only because they had a different opinion“. Reiner accused the Communist regime of persecuting and killing intellectuals, middle class members, clergy and nuns or the wealthy only to confiscate their property.
“In that, everything was wrapped up in a veil of silence and fear because the regime to its very end cruelly punished all who dared to speak about that… Instead of deserved punishment the criminals received medals, apartments and villas that were stolen from their victims, top positions not only in politics but also in administration, in companies, universities… Even in verbal condemnation of communist crimes we lagged by years behind other countries who previously had communism and had implemented lustration – they shone a light upon the dark era of their history and Croatia had not done that.”

Reiner went on to say that a kind of “deja vu ” of Nazi-Fascism happened in the form of spreading a Greater Serbia idea in 1990’s and the aggression against Croatia, and he called for bringing an end to manipulations with historical truths.

He called for “shedding light of the truth” on that dark side of Croatia’s recent history. “Generations brought up on untruths, on myths by which attempts are made to justify or at least minimise communist crimes and on keeping silent about the crimes have no future because, as St Paul had said a long time ago: ‘Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness”. That’s why the European Parliament called upon all communist and post-communist parties in their member state countries, who had not already done so to review their communist history and their personal past, to clearly distance themselves from crimes perpetrated by totalitarian communist regimes and fully and clearly condemn them.”

Reiner said that the Croatian parliament expressly gives its support to democracy and all the values and human rights upon which it rests. “In doing so the Croatian parliament follows and promotes that which was expressed by the citizens of Croatia at the beginning of the last decade of the last century and for which more than 15,000 veterans had lost their lives.”

Croatian president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic
with Nikola Stedul
survivor of 1988 assassination attempt in Scotland
by Yuogoslav communist secret police
Photo:Neja Markicevic/Cropix

On the same day, 23 August 2016, Croatian president Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic bestowed a medal of honour “Stjepan Radic” to the former Croatian political émigré and victim of the 1988 attempted assassination in Scotland by Yugoslav Communist Secret Police UDBA Nikola Stedul for his exceptional and long-lasting fight for national and social rights and the advancement of the Croatian people. On that occasion president Kitarovic emphasised how it is time to “morally and politically condemn the Yugoslav communist regime as totalitarian and to implement judicial processes in order to determine the guilt for the worst kinds of state terror committed during those times”. I do hope that president Grabar will work harder at influencing the Croatian government and parliament into actually delivering the means by which the judicial processes she talked of will be possible and unhindered.

What a great thing it was to see that day when the Croatian Parliament consisting of many representatives that are directly associated with the past communist regime either through personal functions/job or as children or grandchildren of highly positioned communist operatives in former Yugoslavia actually got to remember the victims of communist crimes. Somehow though, the loudly calling for shedding of light upon those crimes in the Parliament, which actually is The place for the passing of laws that would enable such a lustration, does not leave one with full confidence in such a prospect of due justice. Unease niggles on. It’s election time in Croatia and former communists and pro-Communists are pushing to get elected into the new government. If they are successful, Croatia’s path to reckoning with communist crimes will once again be shoved backwards into corridors of darkness and injustice. Ina Vukic, Prof. (Zgb); B.A., M.A.Ps. (Syd)