Sunday Commentary: Priorities of Croatian Policy in the Western Balkans

Croatian foreign policy is caught between the desire to be perceived as a Central European country and state interests that are largely concentrated in the Western Balkans and burdened by the wars over the Yugoslav legacy from the 1990s.

In this context, Zagreb does not want to be seen as the leader of the Western Balkans. The goal is to use its privileged position as an EU and NATO member in creating EU policies towards our region and to realize its national goals in the negotiation process with the EU through a policy of conditionality.

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Željko Pantelić, Photo: TV Vijesti
Željko Pantelić, Photo: TV Vijesti
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

In Croatia, it is very common to view everything through the wars of the 1990s, and especially the history of the common space in the previous century. In other words, the wars of the 1990s are not viewed as a consequence of events during the 20th century, but rather are given a value judgment and historical collocation through the prism of the 1990s.

In the new Sunday Commentary, we also answer the following questions:

  • What are the three priorities of Croatian policy in the Western Balkans?
  • What does Zagreb want in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
  • Why is Belgrade an eternal rival for Zagreb, and Banja Luka an ally?
  • Why does Croatia look at Montenegro through the prism of its relations with Serbia?
  • What contentious issue with Zagreb should Podgorica avoid in the EU accession process?
  • Why can't Morinj be treated like the camps in Serbia during the early 1990s?
  • How does Croatia want to impose its view of history, especially the wars of the 1990s?
  • Why do certain circles in Montenegro support the Croatian narrative, including the vocabulary related to the 1990s?

Answers on Sunday at 6:15 PM and 10:30 PM on Television Vijesti.

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