Slovenia Cannot Block Us until 2015

At this moment we are in a stalemate and a way out has to be found through diplomacy behind closed doors, Vesna Pusic said.

ZAGREB, CROATIA – Despite the increasing tensions surrounding Slovenia’s blockade of Croatia’s accession negotiations to the EU, because of which a possible postponement of accession until 2015 has been mentioned, Vesna Pusic, chairwoman of the National Committee for Monitoring Accession Negotiations, is not especially worried. 

- Although the dispute with Slovenia has slowed us down, postponing our accession for such a long time is not possible, primarily because it would affect the Union’s expansion policy. Then the consequences for the EU would be  much wider than just regarding Croatia and Slovenia. It is true that at this time we are in a stalemate from which we should find a way out through diplomatic channels, behind closed doors. Unfortunately, such diplomatic activity is currently not being conducted between Croatia and Slovenia and it should. The demarcation issue is important, but it should be solved separately to Croatia’s accession into the EU. Since Pahor himself believes there is no need for talks to include anybody from the European Union in the talks regarding the border between Slovenia and Croatia, one can conclude that they too believe that this is exclusively a Croatian-Slovene problem and this chance should be taken.

How is it possible that the European Union has no response to such conduct by one of its members? Prime Minister Sanader dubbed the Slovenian blockade a precedent. 

- There have already been such situations, which is why the European Union insists on the Lisbon Treaty according to which decisions would be made by a double majority, and not by consensus, according to the current rules established in Nice. But the Lisbon Treaty is still not in effect. Ireland has not adopted it and will decide on it again at a referendum in autumn. But their referendum depends on the same guarantees they are seeking be included in the accession agreement for Croatia. The European Commission cannot draw up an accession agreement for Croatia until the negotiations are completed and that is where the catch is. Will the Irish consent to turning out at the referendum without our accession agreement being defined? I do not believe they will accept that because it is natural that they are seeking firm guarantees from the EU, not just promises. All that is left is for us to reach an agreement with Slovenia and out diplomacy must think two or three steps ahead. This is a real diplomatic job that needs to be done.

Will you pose the question of omissions that have led us in such a position at the National Committee meeting? 

- We will certainly convene at the end of next week when the chief negotiator will answer what our situation with Slovenia is, but we have a lot of other business. There are still numerous issues that we need solving, such as constitutional changes for which we do not have political consensus and 102 votes are needed for them – Pusic explained.