BRIBE AND RULE

In order to finance their "classes", which actually exist and can be easily identified within the social structure, although the author of the "class theory", Zlatko Canjuga, was ridiculed because of this, HDZ had to raise enough money, at any cost. This resulted in rapid metastasis of the state budget, and in turn the destrustion of economy and lives of the people. In 1994, which was the first year after inflation had been restrained, the state budget was 24 billion Kunas, while in 1999 the state has spent almost 50 billion Kunas. The class of civil servants is best payed in the country: with the latest wages increase their salaries will be 4628 kunas per month. The most favored class is, without any doubt, the one in uniform: policemen's pensions are 2.3 times higher, and the army pensions 27 times higher than those of industrial workers.

by Milan GAVROVIC

Feral Tribune, Split, Croatia, November 29 1999

Everything passes, only interests last. It seems that, on the eve of the elections, only the authors of "The HDZ Electoral Lexicon" still don't understand that the power of fear and hatred, they so persistently cling to, isn't as strong as it used to be. Nevertheless, no one can know in advance how many voters are still attracted by this language of hatred. One thing is certain: the ruling party can always count on those who know what they get, and what they lose. In distinction from emotions, they can always count on money.

That's why those that mocked Canjuga's class thesis, which he explained at the last party congress, are wrong. Despite the usual good customs, he was even told in his face that he was a fool. Nevertheless, he gave a good explanation of something that already existed in the society; namely, not only the theory, but also the practice of HDZ social organisation based on interests and money.

The breakdown of tycoon privatisation annulled the construction of the new medieval age - the idea of 200 rich (noble) families ruling the country, under the mace of an electoral despot. The role of the imagined feudalists-capitalists was taken over by the party state. After this, the new order established spontaneously; it was necessary to determine who is Jupiter, and who is an ox, who is the first in the village, and who is the second in the town, in one world- who belongs to which class. The party state secures adequate standard and privileges for the classes it relies upon.

In order to finance their classes, which actually exist, and can easily be identified within the society structure, HDZ had to raise enough money, at any cost. This resulted in rapid metastasis of the state budget, and in turn the destruction of the economy and lives of the people. In 1994, the first year after inflation had been restrained, the state budget was 24 billion Kunas, while in 1999 the state has spent almost 50 billion Kunas. The first budget mentioned was in the time of the tycoon economy. This year's budget is the pinnacle of the class organisation of the society, and hopefully its swan song as well.

(UN)HAPPY NATION

During the tycoon era, the happy nation's ears and eyes were full of castles, villas, boats, planes and helicopters, not to mention cars. Everything was financed with the money of the plundered former communal property [drustvena svojina in original; a fuzzy ownership category from the former Socialist system, implying ownership ofthe whole society over some assets]. Some other signs of inequality remain unnoticed now, and those inequalities are being payed by the taxpayers - by loans and selling off of the rest of the people's property. For example, the total sum of wages for 50 thousand civil servants was 4.7 billion Kunas for the last nine months (data by the Payment System Service). At the same time, the total sum of wages for 260 thousand people working in the manufacturing industry was 4.9 billion Kunas. One member of the administrative class costs five workers in the industry. No qualification, no real or fake master's degrees can justify such great differences. The only explanation for this is that HDZ considers the administrative class five times as valuabe as the one which, besides workers, consists of engineers, technicians, designers, sales representatives, accountants, even managers.

Although this isn't written in "The HDZ Electoral Lexicon of HDZ", which is said to be the result of sweat and inspiration of two HDZ's poetic souls, the party is very well aware of where its real foothold is. That's why the Government had to say its historical "No!" to the International Monetary Fund, which required limiting administrative salaries six months ago. At the time foreign sources of credit were quickly drying up. Nevertheless, the Government didn't flinch. People from HDZ were fully aware that to strike their own classes would be a suicidal move. That's why the IMF's request was interpreted as pressure from those countries that want some other, and not HDZ's Croatia. To tell the truth, even with IMF's approval HDZ would have had hard time winning any new foreign loans.

It was obvious that members of trade unions representing administrative workers were in fear. They are now seeking some sort of a guarantee from the opposition, but they're obviously clever enough to know what they can expect. Who will guarantee their privileges for the future? A prominent opponent of trade unions, American Nobel Prize winner for economics Milton Friedman, was convinced that the present situation in Croatia was a strong argument for his theory that trade unions put labor market in disorder. As an example he mentioned physicians, who , according to him, grabbed more than they deserve. Various government employees in Croatia are in a very good position today. But, this is not the result of their struggle through trade unions, but of politics: organisation of society based on classes, just like the position of physicians is based on human weakness, and not their activity through a trade union.

USE OF CHRISTMAS

There are many more civil servants, people paid by the Government, than 50 thousands of them working in the administration. The most often mentioned number is 200 to 250 thousand people. These people are all those whose salaries will increase next month by 12%, and who will receive one thousand Kunas bonus for Christmas, and 400 Kunas bonus for each child. That's why Christmas is the ideal time to hold the elections, not only because of the Croats working abroad. From that moment, those 50 000 civil servants (without the army, police, health, education...) will become the best paid class in the country. With their average salary of 4132 Kunas per month, they were the second best paid employees in the country, right behind the traditionally best paid bank and insurance companies clerks with their 4291 Kunas (the data by the Payment System Service). After the 12% increase in December, the average salaries for the administration employees will be 4628 Kunas, which means that the civil servant will finally become the best paid profession. So, it's true that power and money come together.

Except for the civil service, banks and insurance companies, the following professions are paid above the average: health, education, electricity, water and gas utility companies workers, telecommunications etc. In short, all those employed by the government, directly, or indirectly through public companies or banks. Their salaries are regularly paid, they are given vacation and Christmas bonuses and, and, most importantly, they don't have to be afraid of losing their jobs, which cannot be said for all other working people. At the same time, people working in industry are paid 9% less than the Croatian average, in catering business 18% less, construction workers 19%, and salesmen as much as 23% less than the average. They can only dream of all other benefits and privileges, that are secured for the state's favourite classes. Mrs Vesna Kanizaj, who was very influential once, didn't become a marginal, even forgotten person by chance. Between then and now, the state budget has doubled. During the last three years, wages for the so called "non-productive" professions have increased by more than 70%, which is twice more than the increase in the "productive" professions.

FAVORITE CLASSES

How much do favorite classes, those in uniforms, get paid? This can be surmised indirectly, through their pensions. According to the public data (published also by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce in their analysis) pensions of the retired employees of the Ministry of the Interior [Police] are 2.3 times higher than the workers' pensions, and army pensions are even 2.7 times higher. There are more than 150 000 privileged pensioners. The highest "ordinary" pension is lower than the average pension received by the war veterans. An average pension, together with the 6% increase and additional 100 Kunas, was 1304 Kunas in April. At the same time, average army pension was 3519 Kunas, and average war veteran's pension was 5159 Kunas.

According to the criteria of the Ministry of Defence, there are already 350 000 war veterans, 36 000 more in the Ministry of the Interior. All clerks, secretaries and military courts clerks are included in this category. They certainly expect to retire under the same conditions. They also buy cars without paying customs duty and tax. 50 000 people have the so-called 100% concession, and, together with those who have 80% concession, there are already more than 70 000 such people.

HDZ has a good reason to count on those people to be their voters. They objectively are the HDZ's classes, although a lot of these people actually don't think in the pattern of "The HDZ Electoral Lexicon". Everything passes, only interests last. And there are bills to pay, and family to feed every month.

In opposition to them, at the very bottom of the HDZ class society there's a mass of unemployed workers (in a month there will be 350 000 of them) and 170 000 of those who work, but don't receive salaries. Those untouchables, if they work in big companies, jostle with the police (2.3 times higher pensions), trying to get to the Presidential residence. Those working in small companies keep quiet, endure and wait.

POVERTY SECTOR

Naturally, the class society cannot survive today; its bills simply cannot be payed in the modern society. That's why the production declines, and, with its decline dry up sources of funding for all these privilege. The total consumption in the country in the first six months has been reduced by 6%. The turnover in retail has been reduced by 7.6%. Last year, an average paid bill was 25 to 28 Kunas, while this year this amount has dropped to 15 to 25 Kunas. People don't pay many bills. Households already owe 86 million German Marks for electricity.

Two years ago, the owners of checking accounts in banks spent around 400 million Kunas of the so-called allowed overdraft. Now, people spend almost 750 million Kunas, even though the interest rate is 22%, such as in the Zagreb Bank. Only in this year of rapid economic decline, the use of allowed overdraft has increased by 40%. One has to live. In the meantime, the Kuna has lost value (6.8% in a year), and all loans now include a foreign exchange downpayment. The corresponding payments are consequently higher.

Not only poor are becoming poorer. The whole country is sinking into poverty. Surveys show that most voters consider the economic situation of the country and their life standard the two most important issues. This should the outcome of the elections, if they are free and fair. People from the HDZ classes, even if they vote as they are expected to, cannot do anything about it.

Translated by Feral Tribune in December 1999