Failure to support Croatia’s entry to EU is hypocritical

HAD the International Criminal Court existed in 1922, Michael Collins, Tom Barry, Sean Haughey, Dan Breen and, possibly, Eamon de Valera would almost certainly have been forced to answer to it following the war of independence.

This scenario makes Ireland’s failure to support Croatian entry to the EU, until the arrest of national hero Ante Gotovina, both hypocritical and absurd. The facts are that Croatia tried to leave the Yugoslav federation, which bore a great resemblance to the then United Kingdom of Britain and Ireland (for English dominance, read Serb) in 1991 and that Belgrade sent in the Yugoslav People’s Army (read Black and Tans) to resist this move.

The Serbs raped and pillaged their way across the land until halted at Karlovac. The west delivered only words, not actions, while the ill-equipped Croats stood alone against Slobodan Milosevic’s troops.

In 1995, with the approval of the EU and United States, Gotovina was at the vanguard of Operation Storm which liberated the Serb-controlled areas in a lightning offensive - indeed, his volunteers were trained by US and European special forces.

This might sound eerily familiar to those with a grasp of Irish history, so why is the Irish Government following the British example and opposing Croatian EU entry? Can we not support a small Catholic country that stood alone against a much stronger rival as it sought independence, as Ireland did?

The EU’s stance on Gotovina is sickening. First, it supports him and arms him (belatedly) and now it seeks its pound of flesh.

In Zagreb, nationalism is again on the rise and support for entry has fallen from around 80% to 45%.

There is a valid argument that Croatia would benefit from rejecting membership as they will lose manufacturing jobs to lower cost economies like Poland, Romania, Latvia and Slovakia and the fear wealthy westerners will effectively buy up the beautiful Adriatic coast.

But EU membership would bring stability, and that is a positive thing.

However, if Brussels continues to alienate Croatia, and Serbia, there is a strong likelihood that the Balkan tinderbox will ignite again. Is that what Bertie Ahern wants?

Remember, the issue of Herzegovina is still unresolved and the treatment of Catholics in Bosnia is less than desirable. As the famous Derry song goes: “What’s done is done, and what’s lost is gone and gone forever.” It’s time to forget the Balkan wars and look to the future.

Maybe then, to paraphrase de Valera, “the small nation that stood alone” can have its place at the EU table.

Bryan MacDonald

Cloydagh

Ballinabranna

Co Carlow