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IsEuropelosingtheBalkans?,MiljenkoJergović
Opinion&Analysis
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onlyarerelationsintheWesternBalkansworsethanatanytimeinthepast20years,
butCroatiaitselfisevenlesspro-Europenowthanitwaswhenitwasnegotiating
tojointheUnion.TeprocessofCroatia’sde-Europeanisationisshocking,all-em-
bracingandradical.Itisfarmorethanjustaquestionofmarginalpoliticalgroups
andisolatedextremists;itinvolvesthegoverningeliteand,indeed,thestateitself.
InFebruarythisyearseveralhundredneo-Nazis(membersofalegalpoliti-
calpartycalledtheA-HSP[orAutochthonousCroatianPartyofRights])held
amilitary-styledrillonZagreb’smainsquare,inasignofsupportfortheAmerican
President,DonaldTrump.Tegatheringwasgivenapoliceescort,eventhough
therewerenosignsofacounter-demonstration.Tegroupmarchedthroughthe
citycentrecarryingAmericanandCroatianflags,alongsidethebannerofthe
NPD,(theGermanNationalDemocraticParty),oneofthemostexplicitlyneo-
NazigroupsinEurope.
TeAmericanembassyreactedwithastatementrecallingAmericancasualtiesin
theSecondWorldWar,addingthatitwasagrossinsulttodisplaytheAmericanflag
inthecontextofaneo-Nazirally.TeCroatianPresident,KolindaGrabar-Kitarović,
wasthenexttorespond,butinsteadofcondemningthegathering,shedescribed
itasamarginalphenomenonthathadattractedmoreattentionthanitdeserved.
Tiswasmerelythelatestinaseriesofincidentswhich,ratherliketheprobing
movesinafootballmatch,havebeenincreasinginfrequencysinceCroatiabecame
amemberoftheEU.Tepacehasquickenedsignificantlyoverthepast18months,
mainlyduetothearrivalofaradicalright-wingcoalitioninpowersupportedbythe
localCatholicChurch.Teultimateaimofallthisactivityistoreversetheoutcome
oftheSecondWorldWar–70yearsaftertheevent–todenounceanti-fascistpar-
tisansascriminals,proclaimtheUstaże(Croatianquislings)andNazisasliberators,
andtoridpubliclifeofallminorities–whetherpolitical,social,sexual,religiousor
ethnic.Humanrightsaretoberadicallycutback,oratleastsubjectedtothemoral
codesoftheCatholicChurch,doingawaywiththerighttoabortionanddemonising
anyonewhomightprotestagainstit.Anti-fascism,overthelastfewyears,hasbecome
adirtyword.Whensomeoneisdescribedasananti-fascist,forinstance,itusually
comeswiththesuggestionthattheyarealsoanenemyofCroatia.Notionssuchas
liberalismandleftismfarejustasbadly–andthelesssaidaboutatheism,thebetter.
Readyforwar?
Insuchanatmosphere,whatdoestheconceptofEuropeactuallymean?And
whatdoEuropeanvaluesmeanforCroatiaanditspoliticalleaders?Tereisno
directanswertoaquestionframedinsuchtermsbecauseconceptsliketheseare
