Croatia

Croatian Swing To The Right?

The conservative government promised swift reforms, but instead there is in Croatia a dispute between the various Camps. Here, Minister of culture Hasanbegović and a hat in the center.

The past catches up with Croatia again and again. But the current Ideologieschlacht, the Balkan country splits, it was only by a cap so properly fueled. The headgear, black, and simply, would not have been remarkable – would not be a shiny “U” sewn on have been: a Symbol of the Ustasha regime, which during the Second world war on Hitler’s side had fought and cruel crimes against Serbs, Jews and Roma perpetrated. The prominence of the mentioned cap, but has mainly contributed on the head of Zlatko Hasanbegović was sitting. He is the newly appointed Minister of culture of Croatia.

Weekly Novosti with Hasanbegović-photo (above left)

The photo dates from the mid-Nineties and was in the extreme right-wing journal, the “independent state of Croatia” was published, where the young Hasanbegović the Ustashas in several articles as “heroes” and “martyrs” celebrated.

What the thing piquant power: The photo has now been calculated by the weekly newspaper “Novosti” published in, a newspaper, whose editor at the national Council of the Serb minority in Croatia sitting. The national Council was already just by the highest authority accused Croatian Nationalgefühle to offend.

The liberal part of the Public saw in Hasanbegović has always been a Nazi sympathizer. His calling to Ministers, from left-leaning Intellectuals as evidence that the new centre-Right government has definitively with all those who want to settle want, the less national minded than themselves.

Restoration or left-mongering?

“Hasanbegović is a message”, says about the left author and historians Dragan Markovina. The controversial Minister was precisely because of its nationalist convictions have been called. Order to serve the Croatian democratic Union (HDZ), the right-most spectrum of the electorate. “The HDZ is committed, any positive interpretation of the socialist period to prevent. So also in the field of culture only coordinated opinions,” said Markovina DW.

Hasanbegović even tried first of all, the incriminating photo as a malicious Assembly to dismiss. As well as his praise to the Ustasha Regime publicized, have been, switched to the today, 42-Year-old attack: “It is a political Manipulation, a 20-year-old Statements from my youth and student life.” He, his party and government are democracy and anti-fascism faithful.

Critics buy him such an explanation is not. In Croatia is of Polish conditions, and speech, and of a “civil war of interpretations”. All Exaggerations says Ivo Banac, a former politician and history Professor at the American University of Yale. “In Croatia operates an organized Lobby, the Minister at any price from the government want to distribute. It is an attempt, within the governing coalition, quarrel and provoke new elections, and to enforce, the may the social Democrats back to Power would bring,” said Banac.

The dispute is to the Medienfinanzierung

A Thesis, which not only Banac represents: The social democratic previous government had the financing of the so-called non-profitable media – most of it small Internet-portals. The Minister of culture Hasanbegović the money for these media no longer want to spend, make him a target. “There are 95% of the media, the extreme left-hand positions. The have also, occasionally, the social Democrats criticized, but are particularly critical with the HDZ,” said Banac.

New Croatian Prime Minister Tihomir Orešković

Dragan Markovina, even for a left Portal writes, is because of a different opinion: “Here, it goes to portals, the most of journalists were launched that have lost their Jobs. The Internet now make good work, post, informed criticism and resent so that the religious and nationalist Conservatives.” Also, Markovina further, none of the 600,000 euros in the year, the small media overall, the budget would, in relation to 20 million for the promotion of the commercial press.

Reforms to rear employed

Minister of culture Hasanbegović is now the second member of the new government, the resentment. Only a few days after his appointment, had the Veteranenminister Mijo Crnoja his Post spaces, which is why he is in the Internet sarcastic “Six-days-Minister” is called. Crnoja had requested a “list of traitors” to create, so the Croatian citizens, during the so-called “Patriotic war” against the Serbian Aggression between 1992 and 1995, your Patriotism is not sufficient proof would have.

This caused violent protests: thousands of citizens contributed voluntarily in a spontaneously invented the “Verräterliste”. In Public, it rained the Rücktrittsforderungen. The reason why Crnoja the government actually had to leave, but it was profane: The media revealed his opaque loans and the dubious appropriation of a plot.

With resolute economic reforms, the new Prime Minister Tihomir Orešković announced, the current ideological fights in Croatia is not much to do. While the General unemployment rate is 17.5 percent and youth unemployment at 44 percent, divided the Hasanbegović-cap company instead of a look into the future, remained in Croatia, in the employment of me of his own past.