16 Feb 2011

Frying Big Fish in Croatia: Continued

The Croatian authorities have issued an international arrest warrant for former Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, soon after he left the country amid a corruption inquiry, announces the BBC.

Immediately after his speech on the anti-corruption reforms initiated during his mandate (2003 – 2009), I saw Mr Sanader avoiding to respond a question coming from a Croatian journalist, which proves to be highly relevant today: “Mr Sanader, you are pending an investigation on corruption charges. If an arrest warrant would be issued on your name today, would you go back to Croatia to stand trial?”. This was taking place in early September 2010 at an international event in Austria. No point in words; Mr Sanader served us the answer yesterday, when he fleed Croatia.

Among other things, reforms in Croatia were supposed to be an example for other countries in the region that aspire towards European Union integration. Today, the speech of the Montenegran Minister of European Integration on good governance reforms in her own country makes complete sense: “We do what we have to. They ask for good governance reforms we do it.” Now I am wondering what the Albanian or Bosnian governments are getting out of all of this.

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Author: Sinziana – Elena Poiana

*Disclaimer: This article presents the views of the author and it is not the official position of the institutions supporting this project.