Yes to the EU

Maja Sirola

But wasn't the result just a foregone conclusion anyway? Definitely not!

Croatia’s road to the EU has not been an easy one. There have been long and difficult years of negotiations, marked by border disputes with Slovenia. Judicial reforms, recognition of minority rights, and a crackdown on corruption were necessary for Croatia to become a viable EU candidate. There were also fears about national identity and sovereignty, and also about possible restrictions on the local produce. 

“Croatia’s road to the EU has not been an easy one."

And then in April last year, thousands of Croatians took part in anti-EU protests in the main town square in Zagreb. There were demonstrations. There were marches. The EU flag was torn, set alight and burned. The country that had been so keen to join the EU when it applied for membership in 2003 seemed to have changed its mind — drastically.

What had led to such anti-EU sentiment? On 15 April, 2011, the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague sentenced the Croatian Army General Ante Gotovina to 24 years in prison. The conviction was greeted with disbelief and anger by the whole country. Even the government stood behind the former general.

His conviction sparked a wave of anti-European protests by Croatians in Melbourne, New York, Vienna and, of course, Germany, which is home to a large Croatian community.

Had the referendum taken place last April, the result would have been very different. 

Ante Gotovina’s conviction was such a shock because he is regarded by the majority of Croatians not as a war criminal, but as a hero. Towards the end of the bitterly fought War of Independence (1991–95), in August 1995, Gotovina led his troops towards the last Serbian enclave on Croatian territory in the Dalmatian hinterland around the old town of Knin. This was the final chapter in the war against Serbia.

The so-called Operation Storm was a decisive victory for the Croatian forces. Within three days the whole area became once again part of Croatia. In the aftermath of the victory, however, Serbian civilians were murdered and many had to abandon their homes. The date 5 August marks the victory and the end of the war, and is celebrated as a national holiday in Croatia. 

Ante Gotovina is aware of the widespread support he has at home. In spite of his conviction, which is under appeal, he believes that Croatia’s future lies within the EU. On the eve of the referendum, in an unexpected letter, he urged his countrymen to vote “yes” because he would be doing so, too.

Croatia’s “yes” sends a positive signal to the EU, but also to the former Yugoslav countries — Montenegro, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Serbia — who have also applied for EU membership. It is also a clear message to the world that there is a future in a strong and united Europe.

Croatia will become the 28th member state to join the EU on 1 July 2013. Let us hope it then can lay its ghosts to rest.