RAČAN:

SDP’s election list was a large surprise within the party and the public. One of the largest controversies was the decision by Ivica Račan to place the vice president of SDP, Slavko Linić, from Rijeka, at the head of the list for the X election branch in Split.

NACIONAL: Many are convinced that Linić was purposefully sacrificed when he was sent to the specifically discordant election branch. – When I saw that there are so many general politicians in the X election branch, from Sanader and Budiša to Pašalić, I decided to place the economically oriented Linić on the list because he is a man of sharp tongue and moves. I was convinced in Split, where they cheered me on, that he is the right competitor for other candidates. Linić has courage: when he is attacked and threatened, he rejects protection. The people who threw eggs at him were disappointed when he turned towards them and greeted them. That is the real Linić. In Dalmatia, Linić and our list has no competition.

NACIONAL: There will not be many current representatives in Parliament?
-It is no longer enough that a Parliamentary representative is devoted to SDP and that the party can depend on him. It is important that the representative is independent, competent, and publicly represents SDP’s politics. That is shown by our different individual profiles. In Parliament, we had representatives that were loyal and disciplined, but they were not creative. From the current representatives, we expect that they are dedicated to work in the party, such as Branko Tušek. The members that are entering into Parliament are expected to develop and take over responsibility in the party.

NACIONAL: You do not expect that from Mirko Filipović CroCop? – Mirko Filipović is a successful sports star who has done a good job in representing Croatia. If he was a candidate for HDZ, they would not attack him and HDZ oriented press would not defame him because he is on the SDP list. That young man has the right to evolve and to make mistakes. In two conversations, I did not perceive that he has any left wing principles. He is a sportsman; he will know how to fight for an increase in sports activities among youth.

NACIONAL: And Severina’s appearance brought about many controversies? – If she sang for HDZ, no one would have commented. I am “concerned” to tears for those that support HDZ who question SDP’s rock soul, and how the party’s rock ‘n roll soul could arrange Severina. The voting body of SDP is not only made up of rockers, there are also many that like Severina. Her appearances were well accepted. SDP surprised many in their decision. As soon as the party cross the line and entered “foreign” areas, a problem emerged because we did not want to enter space that others assigned for us. We cannot expect SDP to get rid of the pre-election rules of the game which would damage us. We did not want to give other party’s the advantage.

NACIONAL: That cost you a fair amount of money… – Many claimed that Severina received €200,000. That is not true: all gatherings, including the one in Zagreb, cost €200,000 in total together. Severina is not the largest expense. No one has asked how much HDZ’s operations cost: commercials on television, in newspapers, on billboards, and the wages of their entertainers. HDZ spends twice as much as us.

NACIONAL: Several people claim that SDP’s campaign is defensive, and that you act as though you do not want to win? – We want to remain in government and I am convinced that we will succeed. SDP did not accept the dominant negative concept of the pre-election campaign; we will in no way accept HDZ’s style. Our campaign is positive, we do not attack political competitors, and we only speak out against insinuation. I am one of the leaders in Croatia, but I cannot imagine that SDP would create a cult figure in the same way that HDZ is trying to do with Sanader. There are two completely different individuals on the political scene. HDZ’s television commercial is a socially realistic method of promoting Sanader as the new Tuđman, as the concept of the leader that belongs to the past. The context of Tuđman’s period cannot be renewed, and Sanader does not have Tuđman’s leadership characteristics. Individuals who are seeking a new leader will enjoy HDZ’s campaign and they will say that ours is defensive. All those that believe that HDZ needs a modern democratic leader will accept SDP’s campaign.

NACIONAL: Who will vote for SDP? – Our voting body is urban, independent, educated, and mature; they live from their work and do not seek anyone to lead them. I avoid the traditional division- workers, intellectuals, and peasants. That is not the political structure of modern society. Victims of the radical right wing can be manipulated workers, peasants, and intellectuals. That is why I do not use classical definitions which are determined in the layers of the right and left wings. Social democratic orientation is not made up of defined social positions. Tony Blair and Gerhard Schroder are not left wingers in the former fashion. Nor am I.

NACIONAL: Is SDP a left wing or a center party? – SDP is a moderate left wing party.

NACIONAL: How much more experienced are you today than when you took over the government? – Without a doubt I am much more experienced. I am still learning. I will not make the same mistakes or failures again; based on experience, I will discover better solutions. I will insist on a different concept of a smaller and more efficient government, pay more attention to large projects, and waste less time on small issues. I will not allow Ministries to become empires. The future government will speak one language in one voice.

NACIONAL: Are you satisfied with what you have done? – Do the comparisons alone. The country is more stabile than it was four years ago; we have stabilized the democratic system, marked the internal and foreign political path, especially towards the EU and NATO, and defined the basic development projects. I feel sorry for the opposition because they have nothing to offer. That is why HDZ is offering a bridge on Pelješac or a tunnel through Biokovo.

NACIONAL: What does SDP offer to its possible coalition partners?
-Not the principle of “accept our program and we will be partners”. If we were to say this, it would be fairer to offer them a place within our party. We need to show our capability of mutual recognition and preparation for compromise. SDP spent a long time refusing to issue the preliminary elections. We estimated that it would be dangerous during the period where we just emerged from an authoritative system because the democratic institutions were not strengthened. We were afraid that a longer crisis would damage democracy, or result in chaos. Because of that we watched our backs, taking over responsibility for that which we were not to blame for: we wanted to protect the stability of the country. Now, when the stability has been implemented, we are no longer afraid of the preliminary elections. Why wouldn’t the government last one year, or a year and a half, in the country? That is why we will no longer be a self-sacrificing partner.

NACIONAL: Why does the public not recognize your success? – After 3 January 2000, there were ambitions which resembled illusions that a lot could be done in a short time. These expectations were not realistic. That is why many are not satisfied. Who still remembers the general insolvency, delays in pensions, shopping in foreign countries, 500,000 unemployed individuals; who still remembers our isolated country, poor tourism results, and negative growth rate? Standards of living are better, but people want more. During HDZ’s rule, no one considered taking a loan with usurious interest. We opened this opportunity, and because citizens were not able to borrow money in the past, it was difficult to remain realistic. Many went too far and now it is difficult to return their loans. At the beginning of 2000, banks had over 37 billion kuna in savings; today they have 93.5 billion kuna. Last year, 75,000 cars were imported; there are many who purchased above their means.

NACIONAL: What did you mean when you said that Croatia is being re-Tuđmanized? – The political circumstances of Tuđman’s government are well known: the Patriotic War, aggression, creation of a country, human sacrifice, and the international fight for Croatia’s recognition. Tuđman had the state borders but he was not a democrat. That is why we had the element of a cult figure. That, in part, was acceptable through the conditions in the fight for freedom and independence but it did not suit the after war development. A one man government can be somewhat understood during war, but not afterwards. I now notice that HDZ is attempting to restore the position that Tuđman once held. That is why we are listening to topics that could not even be heard in Tuđman’s period, but in the 1930’s.

NACIONAL: Which are? – “We have a leader that we should make sacrifices for.” HDZ has thrown everything on one person. With that they have given Sanader a large advantage, but have strategically damage to the party. To offer Croatia, at the beginning of the 21st century, a new Tuđman is absolutely unacceptable. Croatia does not need a one man government, whether it is called Račan, Mesić or Sanader. The attempt to re-Tuđmanize Croatia is an unproductive task because we cannot repeat the historical situation. That is damaging politics because it teaches people to be led. A democratic society demands citizens that think with their own minds, who are not easily led. Apart from that, can you imagine a coalition government where a cult figure will lead? I can’t. The democratic Croatia requires different figures than those that are promoted by HDZ. This form of re-Tuđmanization cannot pass. I never used a black or white approach to evaluate HDZ’s government. We supported several aspects and criticized others. Otherwise, I am aware that DC and HSLS are more extreme than HDZ in many standpoints. That is why every judgment is an unjustified accusation that everything is dark and the beginning of a crisis. HDZ members, the crisis was four years ago and today the crisis is in your minds. HDZ’s slogan “Pokrenimo Hrvatska (Get Croatia Going)” communicates with the reality four years ago when we were isolated and had a negative growth rate, when 500,000 people were unemployed, when insolvency ruled, when pensions arrived late, when there was no development or development projects. The results that we achieved prove that we got Croatia going. These positive processes can only be stopped by HDZ. It would be better that we compete on how to solve problems quicker with solutions of higher quality, and not say that everything is dark and that HDZ will turn the lights on. Look at the way in which HDZ is planning to do this: they say to pensioners, we will not return the pensions that were stolen during our ruling period, but we will take away the monthly television bill of 50 kuna per month. That is ridiculous! We already returned 7 pensions, we can return more. I remind you: in the past, pensions totaled 37% of the average pay, today they total 43%, and tomorrow they will reach 50%. They say that they will lower taxes and at the same time separate more money for social welfare. HDZ intends to change the tax structure so that the most poverty stricken layer pays the most taxes and the wealthiest less. Where is the social justice? All this shows the large difference between SDP and HDZ and citizens really need to think about who they will vote for.

SANADER:

The president of HDZ, Ivo Sanader, has faced a common question over the past several days on how different HDZ is under his leadership from the HDZ of 2000.

– When we entered the opposition on 3 January 2000, I realized that we needed to change exactly what the voters did not like and did not trust. That is why I entered the challenge for the president of the party in April 2000. I believed that HDZ was able to learn from its mistakes, while not bringing into question that which was created at the head of the Croatian government which were historical political goals: the creation of an independent country as well as international affirmation through international recognition and entrance into the UN and European Council, opposition towards aggression, the creation of a strong armed forces as a prerequisite for freeing occupied regions, peaceful reintegration of Podunavlja and reconstruction of the country. However, politics is such that people always seek new results and new discoveries, which they have the right to seek. Due to the fact that I spent the years of formation learning about democracy in the western world, I knew that I had to take strong action and bring about difficult decisions if I wanted to return credibility to HDZ. That is the reason why today’s HDZ is very different to the HDZ from 2000. In our party, there are no members that are responsible for the loss of the elections and the loss of HDZ’s reputation. Today’s HDZ does not want unnecessary discussions about the past, we do not want to lose time on unnecessary conflicts with political competitors; today’s HDZ has turned towards the future. I am interested in the future of Croatian citizens, I am interested in what my party and I can do for average Croatian citizens.

NACIONAL: HDZ, in the past, was charged with arrogance, insults, exclusivity, and primitivism… – I would like to say personally as the president of the party that I insist, first of all, on tolerance and the cultural dialogue, whether it relate to personal plans or the work plan of the political party. For me, political parties in Croatia are not enemies, but rivals in a fight for the voter’s trust. I know all of HDZ’s party organizations of the field; our members are fair Croatians that love their country and accept the principles that we decided on. If it was not that way, they would not have selected me twice for the president of the party and they would have not given me strong support. Those that do not feel that way or act similarly have been expelled from the party; we will do the same with future members. HDZ today is a modern Croatian center party and right center party. For us, the European People’s Party, which has been called our association, shows that nationalism and democratic Catholicism does not mean reactionism, primitivism or Balkanism. It is something else. That which has counted until now and has been proven to be good is valued by us and we are open to new ideas, even though those new ideas need to be proven effective. That is in the heart of modern Croatia and European conservatism. HDZ is a party that gathers all layers in Croatia and whose program is based on love of the country, principles of democracy and the Catholic civilization, as well as other values that are the tradition of Croatian people. We exclude and judge each form of radicalism, extremism, and xenophobia.

NACIONAL: What guarantee do you offer that HDZ will not act in the same fashion as they did at the beginning of 2000 which brought about the defeat in the Parliamentary elections? – I repeat that there are no longer members in the party that shadow over the achieved political goals that Croatia achieved with Tuđman under HDZ’s leadership. We want to return the trust of Croatian citizens in government institutions and politics. That is one of the assignments that will be without compromise. Of course, I cannot guarantee that there will not be individuals in the future that will not answer to their call or responsibility but during the final days of the campaign we will bring about a Behavioral Code where we will sanction distance from positions and we will exclude membership for those that violate the law, Code or good behavior, or participate in any misuse of their position or dishonorable operation. We are interested today in modern Croatia and we are open to the challenges. We are not burdened by the past, but we are learning from it to prevent a similar trap in the future.

NACIONAL: Many believe that you personally and many of your colleagues represent one form of politics, and a larger portion of the party represents a different form of politics. Precisely put, that a portion of the leadership in the party is reformed but the base is not. – That is not true. You saw an example in the VIII general Parliament for HDZ, and all Parliamentary election branches, where HDZ gathered over 40,000 individuals, party representatives and activists, and that the program that I presented was accepted immediately and recognized as the program where HDZ will receive its credibility among the Croatian public. Believe me, if this was measured, I have more support throughout the country and membership than among several current Parliamentary representatives. Today, HDZ functions as a decisive team; we have one form of politics. In forming our politics, we had different, sometimes opposing views but we agreed on one viewpoint and we are representing it. That is the method in a democratic system. HDZ is not only the strongest party; it is also the most stable political force.

NACIONAL: Your political opposers, even the president of SDP Ivica Račan, say that you are creating a cult figure? – I do not agree with these statements. On one hand, this shows the losing mentality of SDP, and on the other hand, complete ignorance of modern political trends in the world. All leading parties in modern world politics followed a model of personification in their election campaign within the past fifteen years. In other words, the leader of the political party represents and is responsible for the work of the party, so it is logical that they are seen most in political advertising. When the labor party in the past two elections won over the conservatives in Britain, they led a similar campaign with Tony Blair. The same situation is found in the case of last year’s German duel between Gerhard Schroder and Edmund Stoiber, or in Spain’s case the win by Jose Marije Aznar.

NACIONAL: Many suspect that HDZ will not be capable of changing their opinions towards The Hague or guaranteeing the return of refugees and their property. – I have already stated several times that HDZ will completely cooperate with The Hague, based on the UN Resolution, Constitutional Law on cooperation with The Hague, and MKS Statute. I do not leave any space for any conflict here. It is logical that cooperation includes the possibility of conflict on the points where we see an attempt at reinterpreting history, which is foreseen in all mentioned documents. With regard to the return of refugees and the return of their property, the Croatian public remembers that in the VIII general Parliament, HDZ invited all Serbians and other citizens of Croatia to return to their homes and I once again guarantee the return of their personal property. I repeated that several days ago in an interview with one of the leading world agencies, France’s AFP.

NACIONAL: While the public has an understanding for your decisions to expel rigid members from your party, there is the question of why you expelled liberal members of the party such as the two former premiers Nikica Valentić and Zlatko Mateš. – The individuals that you mentioned did an excellent job of filling the positions that the party gave to them. I told Nikica and Zlatko, and others that are not on the list for the new Parliamentary alliance, that the party is depending on them and that we will have a respectful relationship with each former high ranked official that did a good job of filling their positions for Croatia and its citizens. HDZ will not forget any of its former members, and we will ask several of them to assist us in solving new issues that have been placed before us. We need their experience. However, over the past 13 years, a new arising has occurred of young HDZ politicians who will take over the future of the party tomorrow; Croatia needs to offer them a chance. It is interesting to me that for the past three years reporters have been asking if there will be new faces on the party lists, and when we fill the lists with young individuals they ask where the old members are. That is how it goes. I do not believe in the criteria of old or new politicians, I believe in good or bad politicians.

NACIONAL: Doe your economic program radically turn away from your past economic politics or will it be founded on continuity? – That which has proven effective will not be changed: stability of the exchange rate and prices is the only thing that is still present and that connects us to Europe. However, the tax politics and economic politics with foreign countries during the past four years should not be continued. The unresolved public finances have brought about a accumulation of the debt, and the stagnating export and growth of the GNP is based on spending and financing from foreign countries which has brought about an enormous growth in the foreign debt. That is what we will change. We have a developed a precise program of lowering taxes and contributions; we will increase employment and bring about an increase in the living standards. The tax reforms will have the goal of: lowering taxes and contributions from wages and on wages, lowering tax inefficiency and ecological contamination, creating a balance between job positions and capital, promoting small and medium sized business with tax reforms, disposing of administrative barriers and connections with large corporations, and lowering the number of licenses and time required for their issuing. We also plan on stimulating export with a “quantum leap”, shifting one level higher in development, implementing a higher standard of living, reforming HBOR which should take over the role of EXIM Bank, strengthening loans for export and taking over the role of bank guarantees. We want to achieve a decrease in the growth of the foreign debt by exchanging a portion of the shares in the government portfolio with new long-term bonds placed on the national market, as well as other measures. We will form a “regional development base” in Zagreb, Osijek, Rijeka and Split in which we will connect universities and research centers, as well as local government and companies, and with that stimulate knowledge as the basis of production. We have a range of measures in agriculture because I am convinced that it is not necessary to import food; this year alone, we imported approximately $1.2 million USD in food.

NACIONAL: Due to a consensus in basic political issues, many claim that there is not a noticeable difference between SDP and HDZ. – It is logical that we agree on entrance into the EU and NATO, which are large political issues. I will remind you that, with a consensus, our proposal for the Declaration on the Patriotic War was decided, and that the Resolution on Croatia’s entrance into the European Union was brought about in Parliament based on our suggestion. It is good that we agree on the large issues that face Croatia’s future. It is not good when we differ in opinions on the Patriotic War as the newest part of Croatia’s history. I have attempted several times to have them recognize the key historical role of Dr. Franjo Tuđman in creating Croatia’s independence and freedom in the 1990’s. I appealed to respect towards Croatian defenders because they carried the Croatian fight for freedom on their backs. Which country would Račan or any other government lead if it was not for Croatian defenders? I appeal to all political parties to reach a consensus on the need for demographic redevelopment, because the statistical facts are devastating. Croatia is dying out, more people die each year than are born. In 30 years, if this trend continues, we will have one million citizens less in Croatia. I appeal that Croatian emigrants are not excluded but included in public, political, economic and social life in Croatia. I appeal to the protection of the Croatian family, Croatian youth, and that conditions are created so that young people seek their prosperity in Croatia. There are important questions that I oppose in the badly led immature politics of SDP.

NACIONAL: Račan says that your win would mean a slowdown in Croatia’s entrance into the EU? – That could enter the records of political stupidity. At the same time that I officially spoke with the current president of the European Union, Italian Premier Berlusconi, and with the future president of the European Union, Irish Premier Bertie Ahern, who will take over presidency on 1 January 2004, Račan’s comment came out of space. With both I spoke firstly about Croatia’s perspective for entrance as a permanent member of the EU and, of course, on HDZ’s politics; I received complete support. I met several times with Gunther Verheugen and we share the opinion that Croatia should enter the EU as soon as possible. It is especially promising that I have the opportunity to say during this interview with Nacional that Verheugen has special discussions with HDZ during his visit to Zagreb. Due to the fact that I was at the pre-election campaign in Dubrovnik, I was represented by prof. Dr. Miomir Žužul and Mr. Božo Biškupić and they reported that the discussions were successful. With that, perspective entrance for Croatia into the EU after HDZ’s victory will improve.