EU divided over whether to start Croatia talks

[VetLegion]

EU stalls over talks with Croatia

European Union countries have failed to agree on whether to start entry talks with Croatia, which has not yet handed over a top war crimes suspect.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4337777.stm

Basically, a postponement of talks seems likely.



UK and Netherlands are being a pain in the ass, while Austria and friendly central European countries are pushing in our favour.


Conspiracy theories abound here as people compete to give a better explanation for why Brits are hating us. Nobody knows for sure.

Well let me tell you one thing! We're going to enter EU sooner or later and hopefully we'll remember who our friends were!

[Spiffor]

The EU should start negociations with Croatia anyway, but it should handle the issue Turkey-style. I.e. "You do what we tell you or you'll never be in".

I actually think the new negociation style (where the candidate country is not sure to join in the end anymore) is a good idea, because it will avoid disappointments with the quality of would-be members

[Dauphin]

Re: EU divided over whether to start Croatia talks

Originally posted by VetLegion
UK and Netherlands are being a pain in the ass, while Austria and friendly central European countries are pushing in our favour.

My God, Austria doesn't care about War Criminals!

[Pekka]

Nah just good cop bad cop.. then again, EU could never play that, since there's no cooperation to a level needed, or friendliness .

"which has not yet handed over a top war crimes suspect."

What is the deal with this, why are they not handed over yet?

[molly bloom]

Re: EU divided over whether to start Croatia talks

Originally posted by VetLegion




UK and Netherlands are being a pain in the ass, while Austria and friendly central European countries are pushing in our favour.


Conspiracy theories abound here as people compete to give a better explanation for why Brits are hating us. Nobody knows for sure.

Offer United Kingdom residents free tacky Club 18-30 holidays to some of your better nudist beaches, and free pints of brandy at airports.

That should do it.


(I'm sure you haven't forgotten, how a previous British Tory government were very well-disposed to Serbia-Montenegro. They wanted a 'level playing field', and it had nothing to do with the privatization of state services, I'm sure :

Following extensive negotiations with possible buyers in which an important role was played by Douglas Hurd, Pauline Neville-Jones and Lamberto Dini, an agreement was reached in July 1996 for the sale of Telecom for about 1.5 billion deutschmarks. The buyers, Italy’s Telecom Italia and Greece’s OTE, paid the money into an account in a Cypriot bank while for its part NatWest Markets received a commission of 30 million deutschmarks from the Italian and Greek buyers. The sales contract itself was for the rest of Miloševiæ’s term in office kept as the strictest state secret. Not even the Ministers of Telecommunications were allowed to see it.

http://www.southslavjournal.com/milo...miljcovic.html )

[Wernazuma III]

Re: Re: EU divided over whether to start Croatia talks

Originally posted by Dauphin


My God, Austria doesn't care about War Criminals!

What a well founded analysis.

[Sava]

while Austria

of course... ex-Nazi's are sticking up for ex-Nazi Collaborators...

[VetLegion]

Originally posted by Spiffor
The EU should start negociations with Croatia anyway, but it should handle the issue Turkey-style. I.e. "You do what we tell you or you'll never be in".

I actually think the new negociation style (where the candidate country is not sure to join in the end anymore) is a good idea, because it will avoid disappointments with the quality of would-be members

Hey, I agree wholehartedly , but since it's my ass on the line, I disagree wholehartedly

[VetLegion]

Originally posted by Sava
of course... ex-Nazi's are sticking up for ex-Nazi Collaborators...

What do you mean by Ex?

Sieg heil!

[VetLegion]

Originally posted by Pekka
Nah just good cop bad cop..

A bit of that, yeah.

"which has not yet handed over a top war crimes suspect."

What is the deal with this, why are they not handed over yet?

Gen. Gotovina is in hiding. It's a big controversy here. The government is saying he is not in Croatia, that they are doing everything to find him and they can't, so he must be somwhere else. He's also an ex French foreign legion member, so there is speculation that he is in France, Italy, Paraguay or any number of places where he has contacts.

British have spies in Croatia and are claiming that Croatian government is not doing everything it can to catch the fugitive, which they claim is indeed hiding in Croatia, but have no proof of it either.

It is a condition for Croatian EU talks to start that we extradict this guy to Hague.

Problem with that is, if someone spotted him on the street, he/she probably wouldn't call the police anyway. He is considered a hero by many, and is being accused on basis of command responsability articles of the Hague statute which are widely considered unfair here.

[VetLegion]

molly,

Yeah, I know about the famous sale of Serbian Telecom. I pull it as an argument all the time, when some leftist wannabies start claiming that Milosevic was taken down by the West because he was the "last socialist in Europe" . I didn't know Douglas Hurd was involved though.

[atomant]

Being half croat, i think they should hand him over. If he is innocent, that will be established. If not, serbia stands a better chance of being admited.

[Atahualpa]

UK and Netherlands are being a pain in the ass, while Austria and friendly central European countries are pushing in our favour.


Conspiracy theories abound here as people compete to give a better explanation for why Brits are hating us. Nobody knows for sure.

I guess ideological differences play a less important role. It has been pushed lately with turkey, but if same could be said for croatia - I don't think so.
I think it's more economic reasons. Croatia is a big money-hole for the coming years.
Ultimatively though, with the possibility of turkey joining, croatia will eventually become a member sooner or later.

[Wernazuma III]

For me, not even talking to Croatia based on an individual case would be complete BS. If Croatia would simply ignore the Hague court, I'd agree. If there's proof that Gotovina is in Croatia, hand over the intelligence and if Croatia doesn't act, make it public. If there's no proof, this is somehow similar to the WoMD claim before the Iraq war. Someone's hiding the real reasons for not wanting Croatia in the EU.
I lament, however, that what Vet says is true, that the fact that Gotovina is a hero among many is the more disturbing part. Croatian warry nationalism is disturbing (very disturbing, and I must know as I live within the radius of Croatian sports hooligans...), but then again, that's no reason not to start talks. In Turkey, there are severe human rights issues, but talks are made. Imagine Austria or Germany had blocked Czech Rep. or Slovenia from entering because of the Benes and Avnoj-decrees - THE HORROR (don't get me wrong, I'm not arguing that should have been done). In some EU members there are also issues, like the "compassionate conservative catholicism" (is this euphemism better, Hereson? ) in Poland or Italy's goverment's problem with the rule of law etc.
Not even starting talks with Croatia on accusations in single case is absolutely unfair.

[Atahualpa]

I don't think nationalism should be seen as problem. In fact I think it's necessary as a counterbalance to the EU consuming everything part.
I've been very much in favor of the EU and I still am, it's the only tool to build a politically and economically competitive europe for the future. But I am much less of a fan of standardization over europe and the silent destruction of the different cultures. We shall always remain a multicultural society, the only thing needed is more respect and I think going hard against nationalism will just create a sharper and colder atmosphere and produce much more dangerous nationalism.