Plenkovic gives lecture on relations with France, EU, Bosnia

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on Tuesday held a very well attended lecture at Sorbonne University on the topic of Croatia and the future of the European Union, including relations with France, Croatia's journey to the EU and its future goals in the EU, the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and other current European topics.

Before the lecture, the rector of the Paris Academy and chancellor of the Paris Universities, Gilles Pecout, presented Plenkovic with the Paris University decoration "Medaille de la Chancellerie des universites de Paris".

Addressing those attending the lecture - students and other guests - Plenkovic presented a brief overview of Croatia's journey from its declaration of independence to membership of NATO and the EU.

He underlined the very good relations with France and expressed a wish for their further overall strengthening.

Speaking of the current situation in the EU, Plenkovic said that major changes were happening, both in member states and globally. He mentioned migration and its impact on election processes in European countries and the new positions of the USA, China and Russia.

The EU must be able to respond to those challenges by securing instruments for its affirmation on the international scene, he said.

Speaking of the issue of Croatia's accession to the Schengen area, he said that it should be viewed as a strategic issue through the prism of general security in the EU, adding that Croatia was faced with growing pressure from migrants on its borders.

For the migrant route crossing Southeast European countries to be controlled as well as possible, it is necessary to continue with the implementation of the Turkey-EU agreement and step up cooperation with Southeast European countries, the Croatian PM said.

He said that the decisive moment for the EU's future would be the next elections for the European Parliament, set for late May 2019.

"Until then we have to find a way to respond efficiently to the propagation of populist policies and fake news. We need to find a response to euro-skepticism that encourages new divisions and foments the feeling of insecurity without offering appropriate and efficient solutions. It is crucial to offer citizens a credible and responsible alternative that can respond to their expectations and concerns and guarantee them safety and prosperity," said Plenkovic.

Exactly because of this it is important to elect responsible politicians rather than those who use the European Parliament as a platform for their own promotion, with the sole aim of bringing into question all achievements made through joint effort in the past 60 years, he said.

Equality of constituent ethnic groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina compromised to detriment of Croats

Speaking of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Plenkovic said that it was not a classic nation state but a three-nation state of equal constituent nations - Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats, which respects the rights of all citizens.

"That equality was one of the conditions set in 1991 by the international commission chaired by Robert Badinter for the country's international recognition. Today that equality has been compromised to the detriment of the Croats, whose constitutional and democratic right to elect their legitimate representative to the country's three-member presidency has been denied. In fact, the Bosniaks, three times more numerous than the Croats, have elected their own representative and the Croat representative," said Plenkovic, pointing to the need to urgently change the country's election law so that all constituent ethnic groups could elect their legitimate representatives at all levels of government.

Croatia's presidency comes at sensitive time

Speaking of Croatia's coming presidency of the Council of the EU in the first six months of 2020, Plenkovic said that it would come at a sensitive time, after Brexit, in the wake of adoption of the EU's multiannual budget and after the formation of the new European Commission in line with the results of elections for the European Parliament.

"Still, we look forward to making our contribution to further building Europe and promoting it among our citizens," said Plenkovic.

Text: Hina

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