Croat Blocking Croatian NATO Accession In Slovenia

Although his mother is Serbian and father a Croat, Lovro Skrinjaric believes he is a Slovene.

Lovro Skrinjaric, famous as the president of the Slovene People`s Party (SSN) which is blocking Croatia`s NATO accession, commented an open letter addressed at Slovene media, which claims he is of Croatian nationality, the Vecernji list daily writes.

The letter states that Skrinjaric is actually son of a Croatian father and Serbian mother, however, he reiterated that he was born in Slovenia, that his father was born in Zagreb (Croatia) but has been living in Slovenia for 25 years. To those who say he is not Slovene, he briefly said that they are chauvinists and nationalists.

Lovro Skrinjaric believes that holding a referendum in Slovenia on Croatia`s NATO accession could only improve bilateral relations, and not complicate them. Thus, his party, which does not have a single councillor or a parliament representative, will have to raise 40,000 signatures by March 26.

Young Skrinjaric is not only the president of the SSN, but of Hervard as well, a patriotic association which Slovenes call the Hitler party. Many Hervard members are also SSN members, the Vecernji list daily writes.