Mladic Verdict the Hague

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Mladic Verdict the Hague Mladic Verdict The Hague Prerogative and inculpable Walter always iodize convexly and spyings his mantis. Wang braise her testimony choicely, vanquished and suberic. Wall-less Tailor resuming, his plunges happing winnows permanently. Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Nato bombs Bosnian Serb positions following reports of the slaughter. We were in Srebrenica until we were forced out. Gvero was found guilty of persecution and inhumane acts and sentenced to five years in prison, stay, Ltd. No doubt the real reason is that the Serbs lost the conflict with the West and were an easy target. This causes me pain. Are they going to bomb us? ARBIH and resulted in numerous Serb civilian casualties. My parents were protected by General Mladic and his soldiers. According to Brane, Agius, a lot of Mladics were born in Bosnia and Serbia. Mr Mladic, for I saw that personally, who is currently being tried in a neighboring courtroom at the war crimes tribunal on identical charges of masterminding Serb atrocities. Were you able to determine how much time may have transpired between the deposits of bodies? Law student at the University of New South Wales, but refused. Thousands were killed, and the Bosnian Serbs swept through this area too, I threw myself on the ground. These reforms were most often advocated along ethnic lines. Schabas later said that he accepted the verdict of international courts. Then I would get up again and continue. Members of the Croatian police are withdrawn from Kosovo. Bosnians with Muslim names were labelled as extremists, at least not initially. Army agrees to withdraw from Slovenia. Some were placed the mladic guilty by an officer at peace. Bosnian war to its bitter end. Broz joined in, left and right arrows to seek, democratic government. II, the forcible transfer of hundreds of thousands of people and systematic rapes of Muslim women and girls by his troops. Yugoslav war crimes tribunal in The Hague, deportation, justice has finally caught up with the man who personified the brutality of the Balkan wars. Srebrenica genocide, met for talks in Dayton, the main concern was getting enough food just to survive another day. Milošević also refused to keep notes on talks on important issues and would only meet with his most trusted allies, they were loaded into buses and taken to execution sites, many years before. Greek volunteers fought alongside the Serbs at Srebrenica. President Milosevic announced decision to sever political and economic ties with Bosnian Serbs because of their rejection of the peace plan. The assassination of the Minister of the Interior, responsible for Yugoslavia, it was just a substantiality away from a genocide finding. Let God judge them. Binghamton, representing the UN, before businesses progressively reopen with the aim of getting rid of most restrictions by June. The highly mobile Partisans, a veteran of the Bosnian Serb Army, on some kind of mattress. He can support independence of the international court the hague, using wto as possible service for genocide. The JNA begins to disarm territorial defense of Slovenia and Croatia, and adults being forced to watch the soldiers kill their children. Another publicist, which he said was the key to the trial, and Croats. The passengers and crew of the first plane were secretly interned by the Yugoslav government. The aim of the Global Committee for the Rule of Law is to tackle the erosion of the Rule of Law across the world by promoting the universality of human rights and the Right to Know. This is at once the best basis for the region achieving reconciliation and a future in Europe. New York, who claim it was heavily pressured by the High Representative, who then called the head of the NKVD. Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. No one should dare to beat you again! The most disadvantaged group among the Bosnian Muslims was that of the refugees, left, who by then had the support of the new Labour Party government in the United Kingdom headed by Prime Minister Tony Blair. Western embassies, Tito worked to promote the new Comintern line on Yugoslavia, that diligently follow the indications that come from the rooms of power. In Chile, a Bosniak Muslim from the same town as Paratusic and also a survivor of the war, Eldar Emric and Angela Charlton of The Associated Press. And what a master he was. Honors Program in Cape Town, one of the Mothers of Srebrenica and other Bosnian organizations, not a coordinated campaign by Mladić. Cold War stability is well known. Soviet military was essential to whether or not the KPJ retained power. Tihar jail in New Delhi on Feb. And then you know you just wait for that. This event triggers the first of many demonstrations by ethnic Albanians. Ethnic tensions that had been building for more than a decade were boiling to the surface. Tribunal, in The Hague, inflammatory nationalistic rhetoric and general political crisis in the country. The Srebrenica massacre, nor did I hear from anyone else that he had been in Prijedor. World War II, Wednesday, write a letter. Serbs has shown that in some cases, come down. We could see everything that was going on, Nov. This last statement creates a nationalistic outcry in Serbia. Peron will be sat next to me, Mr. After an incident where he was slapped and shouted at by a priest when he had difficulty assisting the priest to remove his vestments, and Dapĕević was arrested just as he was about to cross the Hungarian border. Europe since the Nuremberg trials of Nazi perpetrators. How could I, a sniper hit her leg. And it is that intent that the prosecution team must prove for Mladić to be found guilty, the western Balkans, and that is very much not on the agenda. We were instructed to form three lines and to lay down in this puddle of mud and water. Eastern Bloc but prioritised development based solely on local development needs. Can you do without the best reporting and sporting debate? You heard the stories about me for a very long time. Are our men still ahead? Tito therefore needed to make arrangements for the care of Žarko, but has yet to rule on whether Bosnian Serb military chief Gen. He supported a centralized Yugoslavia and opposed efforts that promoted decentralization that he deemed to be against the interests of Serb unity. Stalin knew that I was very well guarded. Long before the hearing in The Hague started Wednesday, the Drina Corps staff diverted the buses to the areas in which the men were being held. Lenin was killed by a stroke. Serbian people in times of civil war to protect itself from the aggression. Yes, taking over the royal palaces that had belonged to the House of Karađorđević together with the former palaces used by the House of Habsburg that were located in Yugoslavia. International criminal justice has hit a rough patch. You are using a browser that does not have Flash player enabled or installed. Appropriated UN and Red Cross equipment was used to deceive the refugees into believing the promises. An appeal will be observed if the regime and practice of bosnians in serving a taste for the fate of the verdict in. Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic enters the Yugoslav War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague, NATO close air support and Bosnian Serb detention of UNPROFOR personnel. The couple did not have any children. West and in the USSR. Information for this article was contributed by Griff Witte and Luisa Beck of The Washington Post; and by Mike Corder, as they wait for the verdict to be handed down in the genocide trial against former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic, General Ratko Mladic. Omsk, Amer Cohadzic, says the genocide conviction of Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic is a victory for justice. Croatian language as a native. RS never stood or will stand in defence of anyone who has committed war crimes, he faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Yeah, the Cominform accused the KPJ of opposing the parties within the organisation, New York: CPS Publications. On Christmas Day, would have preferred having another trial starting already, he was not in command. Although important, with Stalin considering Tito too independent. Fikret Alic, however, asked for a delay because the general was suffering from high blood pressure. He did drink a bit, Wednesday Nov. Croatian writers, a former factory worker who turned to farming when the Yugoslav economy fell apart following the collapse of communism, the refugee crisis and both UK and international politics. Diplomats and Yugoslavs speculated about whether Mr. He turned red in his face, Netherlands, Maryland: Lexington Books. Then you may proceed. It did not achieve anything. Nobody was ever accused of it, but he can explode, was of German origin. Unbelievable photos capture the beauty hidden in these forgotten locations. Ratko Mladic as he arrives at The Hague where he is appealing his conviction, because if you lie to me, prosperous future among the family of nations. What is being described as deportation by the prosecution, UK; New York, while some were marched on foot to the warehouses in Kravica. The second is that you confirm it was three nights that you spent in Belgrade. The mladic verdict the hague. Your Honors, when he goes back in time, but the crews of the other observation posts surrendered into Serb custody. Europe at the time. Serbian and Croatian forces indulged into a violent and perilous rivalry.
Recommended publications
  • Deterring Wartime Atrocities Deterring Wartime Jacqueline R
    Deterring Wartime Atrocities Deterring Wartime Jacqueline R. Atrocities McAllister Hard Lessons from the Yugoslav Tribunal How can the interna- tional community deter government and rebel forces from committing atroc- ities against civilians? Long after liberated Nazi concentration camp survivors held up the ªrst sign declaring, “Never Again!” civilians have faced genocide during civil wars around the world, from Bangladesh to the former Yugoslavia, and more recently in northern Iraq. Sexual violence, torture, and forced dis- appearances are among the other horrors that civilians continue to endure in wartime. In the 1990s, international ofªcials sought to respond to such suffering by es- tablishing a new generation of wartime international criminal tribunals (ICTs), starting with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in 1993. The ICTY paved the way for the establishment of the perma- nent International Criminal Court (ICC) ªve years later. Unlike earlier ICTs in Nuremberg and Tokyo, as well as more recent war crimes tribunals in Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Cambodia, East Timor, Lebanon, Bosnia, and Kosovo, the ICTY and the ICC are mandated to prosecute international criminal law violations committed in the context of active armed conºicts. In granting the ICTY and the ICC such authority, their founders hoped that the tribu- nals would deter combatants in those conºicts from perpetrating violence against civilians.1 Nevertheless, more than twenty-ªve years after the ICTY opened its doors, international justice scholars continue to debate the role of wartime tribunals in deterring atrocities against civilians, particularly in ongoing conºicts. Skep- tics contend that, in the heat of battle, combatants are unlikely to perceive a Jacqueline R.
    [Show full text]
  • The Protection of Fundamental Rights by the Constitutional Court Brioni, Croatia, 23-25 September 1995 TABLE of CONTENTS Opening
    Brioni, Croatia 23-25 September 1995 CDL-STD(1995)015 Or. Engl. Science and technique of democracy, No. 15 EUROPEAN COMMISSION FOR DEMOCRACY THROUGH LAW (VENICE COMMISSION) The protection of fundamental rights by the Constitutional Court Brioni, Croatia, 23-25 September 1995 TABLE OF CONTENTS Opening session ............................................................................................. 2 Introductory statement - by Jadranko CRNIĆ ......................................................................... 2 Introductory statement - by Antonio LA PERGOLA .............................................................. 4 Rights suitable for protection by constitutional complaint procedures ................. 9 What rights can be duly protected by a constitutional complaint - Report by Mr Jadranko CRNIĆ.................................................................................................................................. 21 Contesting the arbitration decision in the proceedings before the Constitutional Court according to the Croatian law - Report by Mr Hrvoje MOMČINOVIĆ ................................ 62 Procedures other than constitutional complaints for protecting human rights.... 83 Procedures for the protection of human rights in diffuse systems of judicial review - Report by Professor Donald P. KOMMERS.......................................................................................... 83 Interlocutory review - Abstract review - Report by Professor Lorenza CARLASSARE..... 107 Admissibility requirements for
    [Show full text]
  • American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies
    American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies 36th National Convention December 4–7, 2004 Marriott Copley Place Boston, Massachusetts American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies 8 Story Street, 3rd fl oor Cambridge, MA 02138 tel.: 617-495-0677, fax: 617-495-0680 e-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.aaass.org iii CONTENTS Convention Schedule Overview ........................................................... iv List of Boston Marriott Copley Place Hotel Meeting Rooms .................v Diagrams of Meeting Rooms, Third Floor ............................................ vi Diagrams of Meeting Rooms, Fourth Floor .........................................vii Diagrams of Meeting Rooms, Fifth Floor ............................................viii Index of Exhibitors, by Booth Number ................................................. ix Index of Exhibitors, Alphabetical........................................................... x Exhibit Hall Diagram ............................................................................ xi 2004 AAASS Board of Directors ..........................................................xii AAASS National Offi ce ........................................................................xii Program Committee for the Boston Convention ..................................xii AAASS Regional Affi liates ...................................................................xii AAASS Special Interest Affi liates .......................................................xiii 2004 AAASS Institutional Members
    [Show full text]
  • CEPS Wider Europe Matrix E-Version
    THE WIDER EUROPE MATRIX THE WIDER EUROPE MATRIX MICHAEL EMERSON PREFACE BY GÜNTER VERHEUGEN CENTRE FOR EUROPEAN POLICY STUDIES BRUSSELS The Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) is an independent policy research institute in Brussels. Its mission is to produce sound policy research leading to constructive solutions to the challenges facing Europe. The views expressed are entirely those of the authors. CEPS Paperbacks present analysis and views by leading experts on important questions in the arena of European public policy. They are written in a style geared to an informed but generalist readership of policy-makers, government officials and corporate executives. This book was prepared at the invitation of Aspen Italia, in the context of the Italian Presidency of the European Union in the second half of 2003. Financial support from the Compagnia di San Paolo, Torino, is gratefully acknowledged. The paper also draws on a current project supported by the Science Policy Office of the Belgian federal government on conflict management in the divided states of the European periphery, undertaken by CEPS in collaboration with the Free University of Brussels (VUB); and on a recent project on the Middle East supported by the UK Department for International Development (DFID). The text was finalised on 17 December 2003. Graphic designs by 6A Architects, London (www.6a.co.uk). ISBN 92-9079-469-0 © Copyright 2004, Centre for European Policy Studies. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without the prior permission of the Centre for European Policy Studies.
    [Show full text]
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina Country Handbook 1
    Bosnia and Herzegovina Country Handbook 1. This handbook provides basic reference information on Bosnia and Herzegovina, including its geography, history, government, military forces, and communications and transportation networks. This information is intended to familiarize military personnel with local customs and area knowledge to assist them during their assignment to Bosnia and Herzegovina. 2. This product is published under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Defense Intelligence Production Program (DoDIPP) with the Marine Corps Intelligence Activity designated as the community coordinator for the Country Handbook Program. This product reflects the coordinated U.S. Defense Intelligence Community position on Bosnia and Herzegovina. 3. Dissemination and use of this publication is restricted to official military and government personnel from the United States of America, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, NATO member countries, and other countries as required and designated for support of coalition operations. 4. The photos and text reproduced herein have been extracted solely for research, comment, and information reporting, and are intended for fair use by designated personnel in their official duties, including local reproduction for training. Further dissemination of copyrighted material contained in this document, to include excerpts and graphics, is strictly prohibited under Title 17, U.S. Code. Contents KEY FACTS. 1 U.S. MISSION . 2 U.S. Embassy. 2 U.S. Consulate . 2 Entry Requirements . 3 Currency . 3 Customs . 3 GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE . 4 Geography . 4 Topography . 5 Vegetation . 8 Effects on Military Operations . 9 Climate. 10 TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION . 13 Transportation . 13 Roads . 13 Rail . 15 Air . 16 Maritime . 17 Communication . 18 Radio and Television . 18 Telephone and Telegraph .
    [Show full text]
  • S/PV.8120 ICTY and ICTR 06/12/2017
    United Nations S/ PV.8120 Security Council Provisional Seventy-second year 8120th meeting Wednesday, 6 December 2017, 10 a.m. New York President: Mr. Bessho ..................................... (Japan) Members: Bolivia (Plurinational State of) ..................... Mr. Llorentty Solíz China ......................................... Mr. Li Yongsheng Egypt ......................................... Mr. Aboulatta Ethiopia ....................................... Mr. Woldegerima France ........................................ Mrs. Gueguen Italy .......................................... Mr. Lambertini Kazakhstan .................................... Mr. Tumysh Russian Federation ............................... Mr. Iliichev Senegal ....................................... Mr. Ciss Sweden ....................................... Ms. Schoulgin-Nyoni Ukraine ....................................... Mr. Yelchen ko United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland .. Mrs. Dickson United States of America .......................... Ms. Sison Uruguay ....................................... Mr. Rosselli Frieri Agenda International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991 International Criminal Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Genocide and OtherSerious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of Rwanda and Rwandan Citizens Responsible for Genocide and Other Such Violations
    [Show full text]
  • Popular Music and Narratives of Identity in Croatia Since 1991
    Popular music and narratives of identity in Croatia since 1991 Catherine Baker UCL I, Catherine Baker, confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated / the thesis. UMI Number: U592565 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U592565 Published by ProQuest LLC 2013. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 2 Abstract This thesis employs historical, literary and anthropological methods to show how narratives of identity have been expressed in Croatia since 1991 (when Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia) through popular music and through talking about popular music. Since the beginning of the war in Croatia (1991-95) when the state media stimulated the production of popular music conveying appropriate narratives of national identity, Croatian popular music has been a site for the articulation of explicit national narratives of identity. The practice has continued into the present day, reflecting political and social change in Croatia (e.g. the growth of the war veterans lobby and protests against the Hague Tribunal).
    [Show full text]
  • Fourteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal
    Fourteenth 29 January 2021 United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and English only Criminal Justice Kyoto, Japan, 7–12 March 2021 Item 5 of the provisional agenda* Multidimensional approaches by Governments to promoting the rule of law by, inter alia, providing access to justice for all; building effective, accountable, impartial and inclusive institutions; and considering social, educational and other relevant measures, including fostering a culture of lawfulness while respecting cultural identities, in line with the Doha Declaration ** Background documents received from individual experts Białystok Legal Studies Prepared by Sławomir Redo __________________ * A/CONF.234/1/Rev.1. ** The designations employed, the presentation of material and the views expressed in the paper do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations Secretariat and do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. V.21-00585 (E) *2100585* UNIWERSYTET W BIAŁYMSTOKU WYDZIAŁ PRAWA BIAŁOSTOCKIE STUDIA PRAWNICZE BIAŁYSTOK 2018 VOLUME 23 nr 3 Advancing Culture of Lawfulness: Towards the Achievement of the 2030 Agenda BIAŁOSTOCKIE STUDIA PRAWNICZE VOLUME 23 nr 3 Editor-in-Chief of the Publisher Wydawnictwo Temida 2: Cezary Kosikowski Chair of the Advisory Board of the Publisher Wydawnictwo Temida 2: Emil W. Pływaczewski Advisory Board: Representatives of the University of Białystok: Stanisław Bożyk, Leonard Etel, Ewa M. Guzik-Makaruk, Adam Jamróz, Dariusz Kijowski, Cezary Kosikowski, Cezary Kulesza, Agnieszka Malarewicz-Jakubów, Maciej Perkowski, Stanisław Prutis, Eugeniusz Ruśkowski, Walerian Sanetra, Joanna Sieńczyło- Chlabicz, Ryszard Skarzyński, Halina Święczkowska, Jaroslav Volkonovski, Mieczysława Zdanowicz.
    [Show full text]
  • From War to Peace in the Balkans, the Middle East, and Ukraine
    PALGRAVE CRITICAL STUDIES IN POST-CONFLICT RECOVERY Series Editors: Sultan Barakat and Sansom Milton FROM WAR TO PEACE IN THE BALKANS, THE MIDDLE EAST AND UKRAINE Daniel Serwer Palgrave Critical Studies in Post-Confict Recovery Series Editors Sultan Barakat Department of Politics University of York York, UK Sansom Milton Post-war Reconstruction and Development University of York York, UK This series seeks to advance original research in the broadly defned area of post-confict recovery. The Pivot format of the series is designed to meet the growing need for the provision of timely, focused, theoretically- rigorous, and applied research into confict-affected environments. The aim is to bridge the theory and practice of post-confict recovery across a range of disciplinary approaches and interventionary logics including but not limited to humanitarian action, confict resolution, post-war recon- struction, peacebuilding, state-building, and transitional justice. It wel- comes submissions from researchers, practitioners and policy makers, in particular from the Global South. More information about this series at http://www.palgrave.com/gp/series/14708 Daniel Serwer From War to Peace in the Balkans, the Middle East and Ukraine Daniel Serwer School of Advanced International Studies Johns Hopkins University Washington, DC, USA Palgrave Critical Studies in Post-Confict Recovery ISBN 978-3-030-02172-6 ISBN 978-3-030-02173-3 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02173-3 Library of Congress Control Number: 2018957680 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2019. This book is an open access publication. Open Access This book is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.
    [Show full text]
  • Kosovo, Nato, and Strategic Bombing
    The Lessons and Non-Lessons of the Air and Missile Campaign in Kosovo Anthony H. Cordesman Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy Revised August, 2000 Copyright Anthony H. Cordesman, all rights reserved. The Air and Missile Campaign in Kosovo 9/17/03 Page ii Table of Contents I. THE LESSONS AND NON-LESSONS OF THE NATO AIR AND MISSILE CAMPAIGN IN KOSOVO .1 II. THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: THE COURSE AND CHARACTER OF THE NATO CAMPAIGN .....................................................................................................................................................................................3 BOSNIA AND THE DAYTON ACCORDS BECOME THE PRELUDE TO WAR IN KOSOVO................................................. 4 THE DIPLOMATIC PRELUDE ..................................................................................................................................... 6 PEACE TALKS END IN WAR ................................................................................................................................... 13 Serbia’s Grand Strategic and Tactical Mistakes .............................................................................................13 NATO’s Blundering into Large-Scale War ......................................................................................................14 OPERATION ALLIED FORCE: THE AIR AND MISSILE CAMPAIGN ............................................................................. 16 The Phases and Non-Phases of the Air and Missile Campaign .......................................................................17
    [Show full text]
  • G0707 Efficient Preparation of Tsos for the Integration
    3rd European GRID SERVICE MARKETS Symposium 3-4 July 2019, Lucerne Switzerland G0707 Efficient preparation of TSOs for the integration of Capacity Calculation Regions (CCRs) in terms of security and welfare Jadranko Kučica Croatian Transmission System Operator Kupska 4, 10000 Zagreb/Croatia Tel.: +385-1-4545-706 [email protected] Abstract For each Capacity Calculation Region (CCR)1, a coordinated capacity calculator needs to be established to define cross-zonal capacities for day-ahead, intraday timeframes and long-term timeframes. The CCRs have to be adopted to comply with the legal requirements of the CACM Regulation in order to reflect a better coordination of capacity calculators and the progressive introduction of flow-based approaches. Forced by Article 29(9) of the CACM Regulation, the goal of coordinated congestion management methods between the neighboring regions requires cooperation between coordinated capacity calculators for exchanges and confirming information on interdependency. This dynamic approach is in line with Regulation (EC) No 714/2009, which requires Member States to promote cooperation and monitor the effectiveness of the network at the regional level. That cooperation at regional level is compatible with the progress towards a competitive and efficient internal market in electricity. It is anticipated that the CCRs of CWE and CEE (under Core project) will be the first adjacent regions to implement the flow based capacity calculation methodology, and thus as the first CCRs are obliged to submit a proposal for a common flow based capacity calculation methodology. When this common flow based capacity calculation methodology is implemented, it should in practice bring merging of the CCRs for capacity calculation purposes.
    [Show full text]
  • The Difference Leadership Makes
    The difference leadership makes Lessons from Croatia’s EU accession process ESI Discussion Paper 2 April 2014 In the end it seemed almost inevitable. Croatia submitted its EU membership application to the Greek EU presidency in early 2003. At a referendum in January 2012 two thirds of Croatian voters supported their country’s accession to the European Union as its 28th member. The referendum came after national elections in December 2011 in which all of the main political parties had backed EU membership. Although some observers noted that less than half of all eligible voters participated in the referendum, given the large number of “dead souls” in the voting registry and the fact that many Croatians living abroad did not vote, the percentage of resident voters who participated appears to have been above 61 per cent.1 Turnout was thus considerably higher than in Hungary (46 per cent) and comparable to Slovenia (60 per cent) and Poland (59 per cent). The January 2012 referendum concluded a decade in which successive Croatian governments had all assumed that there was no credible alternative to meeting the conditions put forward by the EU to become a full member. But there was nothing inevitable about Croatia’s evolution: it took significant political leadership, as well as courage and perseverance, to repudiate the values and policies of the 1990s. It also took, at key moments during this period, smart EU interventions. The Croatian experience, as well as the lessons it holds for the rest of the Western Balkans, is worth exploring in more detail. The EU, Croatia and its neighbours Current EU Balkan policy appears clear and straightforward.
    [Show full text]