Croatia 2012 EU Referendum
Why 71% of Croats did NOT say yes to EU on the referendum?
So what actually happened in Croatia on January 22nd, 2012?
Yes, there was a referendum held in Croatia on which Croats have been asked if they wish to join the European union (discover).
As widely reported, 66% of those who voted said yes, we want to join the EU.
That first impression is implying that after almost a century Croatian people decided to leave behind a memory of a traumatic 20th century union experiment in the south of Europe. Second impression is that Croats decided to end its newly gained independence from the previous union and replace it with the European union after only 20 years of self rule.
Some will argue that Croats decided to join the Europe that they were not part of since 1918, the year when central-European Austro-Hungarian empire was destroyed in the flames of WWI.
But, once one looks closely at the numbers you will find out that only 44% of eligible Croats voted on this referendum. Turns out that 15% of all eligible Croatian voters were against and only 29% of all eligible voters were for the future in the European Union.
What does, or does NOT, think the majority or 56% of Croats?
Whatever the reason, how did majority of Croats forget only 17 years after the Serbian aggression on Croatia and the end of the War of independence what they were fighting for and defending (democracy – one that in 1990 75% of eligible voters chose and with their vote ended the rule of the communist dictatorship)? How come not many care anymore, especially since majority felt at least some form of a pain, if not in the 1990s then during the 72 years of one or another kind of a dictatorship in the same unwelcome union?
At the same time, while defending democracy and the freedom to vote on a free and democratic elections, also was gained freedom for Croatian people, some will go far back in time and say for the first time since the last Croatian king passed on in 1102. How is then all that sacrifice and time worth nothing?
That newly gained freedom was exercised in a high numbers on the first few democratic elections just as on that first referendum of Independence held in 1991.
How is it possible that democratic vote became so unimportant to Croatian people in such a short time span and why?
Should one look at the political leadership as the problem, at those people who ran the country in the past 17 years, since the most of the territory was freed in Croatian version of a D-day military action, in Oluja 1995?
Who are the people Croats are voting for in the past 17 years?
By looking at their names, chances are slim to non to find a name of a politician who personally, or whos family member, hadn’t been in some kind of a political position during the communist era, no matter the party she or he is in at the moment.
So, one may ask yet another question; Are Croats once again fed up with the old establishment, their empty promises, failed attempts at job creation, ever present corruption while serving mostly foreign interests? All that may be reminding the Croats of those days prior to 1990, when those same people predominantly followed orders from Belgrade, communist dictatorship doctrine, while running bankrupt socialist economy, from 1945 until its final collapse in 1989?
One thing is sure, they succeeded in getting majority of Croats, who were fighting for return back to Europe just a two decades ago in such a large numbers, to, not only not to care about joining EU but, it looks like, they no longer care about future of Croatia as well, at least 56% of those old enough to vote but didn’t, and 15% who said NO to EU.
Are the Croatian politicians only ones to blame?
A lot happened since first democratic elections in the Spring of 1990 and 2012 referendum, in some instances of a great importance to the Croatian people. Croats may felt that EU, and in some cases rest of the World, have turned their back on them and have made unjust decisions, some of them very recently.
Are there any external reasons that may got to 71% of Croats?
What decisions did EU, World and the International community made in the past 22 years that majority of Croats may not like?
First…
… and obvious one is the arms embargo on the country during the Serbian aggression on Croatia, from 1990-95(98) – aggression on Croats by at the time the fourth largest army in Europe, in the hands of Serbs and Serbia.
Second…
… could easily be – Most recently, EU member Slovenia‘s blockade of Croatia’s EU talks until Croatia puts aside the Law of the Sea Convention so that through the arbitrage Slovenia could get a chance to take the ownership over part of the northern Adriatic sea that otherwise they can’t get or does not belong to Slovenia in any way they put it.
Third…
… one may be most important to Croats. ICTY prosecution of defenders of Croatia that ended with a first-degree verdict and the jail sentence in 2011 for Croatian top generals, as well statement that military action named Storm’95 (Oluja ’95) is a “criminal enterprise“, military action that had put to the stop 5 years long Serbian aggression and occupation of 35% of Croatian territory, where from around 400.000 Croats were ethnically cleansed and 15.000 killed by Serbs (numbers representing victims in Croatia only)?
At the same time the world can see that action Storm’95 brought the peace and freedom to Croatia but also has played an important part that brought the end to a four year long Serbian aggression on Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Forth
Let’s be realistic, who on Earth would except this decision by ICTY after one look on what Serbs have done to Croatia and Croatian people from 1990-95 (and throughout the 20th century)? Croatian army in 1995 brought the freedom to its land and its people full 50 years after most of EU countries gained their freedom. Communist dictatorship was’t freedom, not only for Croats but for other countries in the southern and eastern Europe.
Freedom was finally gained after two short lived military actions in 1995. Both have produced minimal casualties on the enemy side and there was no need to attack the aggressor country or to bombarded it into a submission, as NATO did in 1999 while helping Kosovo Albanians .
Closer look at democracy in action
Democratic vote on a referendum should help politicians make an important decision. That’s exactly what had happened, most of those who voted got their way – something 56% of Croats can learn from.
Still, question remains, should decision made by less then 1/3 of eligible voters be valid, since majority or 56% of eligible voters did not vote?
Campaign
We have heard anything and everything said by the politicians who claim to be better than others, from the lies to occasional truth (for everything else there is TRUTH in the LEAKS), so words spoken by at the time Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vesna Pušić, do not come as a surprise. Only a few days before the referendum she said; “vote yes or there will be no retirement check next month”?
Let’s hope, lesson’s learned!