Politics
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They agreed - former presidents Drnovšek and Račan.
Slovenia : Croatia
The Great History of Small Disputes
06.02.2009
Since the disintegration of Yugoslavia in 1991, good neighbourly relations between Slovenia and Croatia have been strained because of several unresolved questions. The main issue has always been the question of the border, which finally led to Slovenia blocking Croatia’s EU accession process.
Slovenia and Croatia are, in fact, friendly countries; they are important trading partners with mutual investments. Therefore, solving open questions – with the border issue being the most important one – would be beneficial to both countries. Thus far, pleasing both sides has proven to be mission impossible, as neither side wants to withdraw their pretensions; i.e. both sides claim sovereignty over some pieces of land or houses and neither side wants to relinquish them. The most problematic border agreement between Slovenia and Croatia are the maritime areas and fishing rights in the Adriatic Sea: for years the Bay of Piran has been a place of conflict for fishermen, police and politicians from both sides. For Slovenia, the maritime border is not only of a national but also of a strategic nature. Slovenia’s direct access to international waters depends on the settlement.
The Controversial Dyke
Although it is the most problematic one, the sea border is not the only territorial issue that Slovenia and Croatia have been unable to agree on. Disagreements also occur along the Mura River in the northeast part of Slovenia. For example, in August 2006 Croatia unilaterally started the reconstruction of the flood protection dyke, which had been maintained by Slovenia since 1945. At the same time, Croatians started to construct a road in an area where the border had not yet been established, but the land is in Slovenian ownership. This dispute ended constructively: it was later resolved that the two countries would jointly reconstruct and finance the dyke on the river.
Diluted Agreement
Slovenia and Croatia had been struggling to resolve their border issues for more than a decade, and in 2001 it seemed that the two countries finally reached consensus. In July 2001, the prime ministers of Slovenia and Croatia, Janez Drnovšek and Ivica Račan, developed the so-called Drnovšek-Račan agreement. It defined the entire border between the countries, including the maritime border. According to the agreement, Croatia would get approximately one third of the gulf and a maritime border with Italy, while Slovenia would get a corridor to the international waters. However, Croatia later withdrew from the agreement.
The Power Plant
The two countries are also locked in a quarrel over the mutually-owned Krško Nuclear Power Plant. The facility was the first nuclear power plant in the former Yugoslavia; currently, it is jointly owned by Slovenia and Croatia. The leaders of the two countries agreed on equal ownership in January 2001. The joint management was to begin on January 1st 2002, and the plant was expected to start supplying Croatia with electricity by July 1st, but the connection was only established in 2003. Since then Croatia has been suing the Slovenian side for damages during the period when Krško was not supplying the power.
Disappointed Depositors
Another issue that remains unresolved is that of the claims by the Croatian savers of the defunct Slovenian Ljubljanska Banka. Some 130,000 Croats lost their savings in an estimated amount of EUR 170m after Yugoslavia disintegrated; Croatia holds Slovenia responsible for repaying the money. The bank was later renamed and recapitalized as Nova Ljubljanska Banka (NLB); presently, the biggest Slovenian bank. Slovenia wants the matter dealt with as part of Yugoslav succession agreements between the independent states that emerged from the former federation. The disappointed savers also sought their justice on the European Court of Human Rights, but it threw out their case.
No Mercy for Homes Demolished
More than one hundred Slovene-owned holiday homes were demolished in the Croatian region of Istria. These houses had been built illegally, but in 2002 Croatia started drafting new zoning legislation and Slovenian owners optimistically expected that they would be able to legalise their buildings; they even started registering their property at the land registry. According to the owners, they were paying real estate tax, but it seems that they were misguided. When the law was finally adopted two years later, their presumptions turned out to be wrong and around 3,000 owners of holiday properties received demolition orders. Most buildings were demolished by the owners themselves in order to avoid paying for the demolition.
Public Opinion Says Yes
Despite the recent disagreements between Slovenia and Croatia, the Slovenian public remains inclined to Croatia’s membership of the EU - nearly two-thirds believe Croatia should become a member. According to a poll, published by daily Dnevnik, the share of Slovenians favouring Croatia’s bid to join the EU stands at 63.4%, while 30.9% are against. Half of Slovenians blame the recent rise in tensions between the countries on Croatia, while a little less than a half say that both countries are to blame. Another poll published in Delo daily displayed similar results. (STA)
Croatian Skiers are Bad Boycotters
Despite the cooling of relations between Ljubljana and Zagreb, Slovenia remains a top ski destination for Croats. According to Croatian media reports, there were some 15,000 Croats spending the New Year holidays in Slovenia, mostly at the Kranjska Gora ski resort. However, the media also reports cases of Croats boycotting Slovenian ski resorts because of political disputes between the two countries.
A Small Glossary of the Slovene-Croatian Territorial Dispute
Brioni Agreement
A document that formally resolved the Slovenian War of Independence, signed on July 7, 1991 between Slovenia and SFR Yugoslavia under the political supervision of the European Union. Its Article 4 affirms the border situation as it was before the declaration of independence, when federal state of Slovenia had jurisdiction over the entire bay.
Dragonja
A river entering Piran Bay, which represents a natural border between Slovenia and Croatia. However, a strip of land on the left bank of Dragonja, extending into the beach of Piran Bay is recorded in the Slovenian land register. An additional problem in negotiating the border direction comes with many different unstable channels that enter the delta of the river.
Drnovšek-Račan Agreement
An agreement reached on July 20, 2001, when the prime ministers of Slovenia and Croatia, Janez Drnovšek and Ivica Račan, defined the entire border between the countries, including the maritime border. According to that agreement, Croatia would get approximately one third of Piran Bay and a maritime border with Italy, while Slovenia would get a corridor to international waters. However, the Croatian parliament has not voted to ratify the agreement.
Zmago Jelinčič
Nationalist politician, chief of the party SNS, known for provoking Croatia, claiming that Croatian politicians are “cattle” and that entire region of Istria should belong to Slovenia.
Franco Juri
Politician, Zares member of parliament and cartoonist, who takes the softest stance on Croatia, claiming there is no judiciary or political arguments for the veto, just a nationalist demagogy
Joško Joras
A Slovene national activist whose house is situated on the left bank of the Dragonja, a disputed zone currently under Croatian jurisdiction. Fighting for his rights, Joras is known for his sometimes eccentric actions, which have led to his arrest by Croatian authorities several times. He unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the Slovenian parliament.
Mura
A river passing eastern Slovenia, a segment of which represents natural border to Croatia. The meandering nature of a current in flatlands causes occasional changes in its flow, making certain nationally registered lands appear on either side of the river, depending on the time of the year.
The June 25 Society
A group of hard line “patriots”, named after Slovenian Independence Day, associated with SLS party and led by Marjan Podobnik, former deputy and poultry businessman. Their major concern is not giving up an inch of Slovenian land. They are hell-bent on ejecting Croatian police forces from the property of Joško Joras, provoking border guards and organizing rallies in front of Croatian embassy.
Piran Bay
A 19-square kilometre bay, a part of Trieste Bay, represents the southern end of Slovenian territorial waters. The bay is divided between Slovenia and Croatia at a yet undetermined and disputed line. Croats call the bay Savudrijska Vala (Savudrija is a Croatian town facing Piran on the other side of the bay).
Trdinov Vrh
A peak with the Croatian name of Sveta Gera (1178 m) is the highest hill of Gorjanci range with a telecommunications and an army facility. The hill represents a natural border. Currently held by the Slovenian Army, it is claimed by Croatia.