Social Democrats Should Not Flirt with Right Wing

Istrian MP Damir Kajin also voiced his disapproval of the agreement between Croatian and World Bank, worth 150 million euros.

The press asked Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS) parliament representative Damir Kajin to comment on Social Democratic Party (SDP) president Zoran Milanovic taking sharper turns to the right and Kajin said that those who present themselves as the left and flirt with the right wing should not do this even at the price of winning the elections. 

“Relativizing history, especially of the ustashe and partisan movement, can be an ace up one’s sleeve at the elections in the 9th constituency (counties of Lika – Senj, Zadar, Sibenik – Knin and part of the Split – Dalmatia County), but certainly not in Istria nor in the whole Croatia. Such theses are the rehabilitation of Tudjman’s speeches made 18 years ago,” Kajin said at a press conference.  

Kajin said that he could defend Kotromanic’s conversion from right to left-winger, but not his speeches made at the Sinj Alka tournament in the times of the last coalition government, which was the reason why President Mesic retired him. 

Kajin accepts Milanovic’s claim about the innocence of general Ante Gotovina, indicted by the Hague, until the verdict is made. He adds that he is deeply aware of the fact that terrible crimes were committed during Operation Storm and those who committed them must face justice, as well as those who approved of the crimes or knew about them and did not do anything.   

Kajin thinks that the future government, if SDP continues to flirt with the right wing, will lead to a weak, unstable and transient government, because such a left wing will have to face the truth and the people.  

Today, Kajin also voiced his disapproval of the international lease agreement made between Croatian and World Bank for restoration and development, worth 150 million euros, because “one of the basic conditions of the agreement is the privatization of the only solvent shipyard, Uljanik in Pula.” 

The agreement was ratified at the last session of the parliament and IDS also voiced opposition then.   

“We are telling this government or the future one, don’t do this, even though the international agreement has power above our laws. Uljanik is the heart of Pula and Istria and if you approach it irresponsibly, not a single [Croatian] company will be able to privatize the future Uljanik, you will rip our heart out,” Kajin said at the press conference.