Author: Snježana Ivić AUTHOR Snježana Ivić
TRANSLATION Lajla Mlinarić...


NO CURE FOR SLOVENIA

JUNE 24 2009 13:12h

Swoboda Confirms: Europe Has Given Up on Croatia

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EU’s message is that Croatia has to solve its problems with Slovenia itself. Swoboda says entry into the EU has been postponed indefinitely.

ZAGREB, CROATIA – We asked the European Parliament’s rapporteur for Croatia, Hannes Swoboda, what it means that the European Union has postponed accession negotiations with Croatia. Back at the beginning of the month he was sending optimistic messages to the public that he believed in a positive solution to Slovenia’s blockade of Croatia’s negotiations and that Croatia would access the European Union by early 2012. Today, he says differently.  

From 2007 to date unknown

The first date of Croatia’s entry into the European Union, on which former prime minister Ivica Racan counted on, was the year 2007. The current prime minister, Ivo Sanader, counted on the year 2009, then 2010, then 2012 and now:.. date unknown.

This decision means that Croatia has to find a solution together with Slovenia, which does not mean we are giving up on you. We are trying to find a way to find a solution between the two countries, Swoboda told Javno.

When asked if this meant that Croatia’s accession into the EU is being postponed until an unknown date, Swoboda said that Croatia had to be aware of the fact that its entry is being postponed until an undetermined time.

Asked if the message is that Europe has no solution for the problem between Croatia and Slovenia, he said that before a solution is reached, Croatia had to reach an agreement with Slovenia.