Slobodna As Bad Conscience

When the ruling party definitely blows away the only or one of the few remaining independent and opposition newspapers, not only no one will ask any difficult questions, but all the media will sing in unison the deafening propaganda eulogy of the authorities, which are becoming increasingly nervous as their failures are piling up and as their dirty intentions and servile policies become increasingly more obvious

by Josip JOVIC

Slobodna Dalmacija, Split, Croatia, May 2, 2001

The dismissal of the management of Slobodna Dalmacija is justified by alleged financial and similar reasons. Supposedly, no political concerns were involved. However, all those who tried to justify this takeover in this manner have fallen in the trap of their own contradiction, a spider web from which they cannot get out. They lied and liars always get found out in the end. Lies make small steps, so that each successive step cancels out the one before it.

Deputy Prime Minister Zeljka Antunovic criticized the former management claiming that it was incapable of presenting a program for recovery of the newspaper and that creditors found some of the proposals made by the former management laughable. The truth is quite different. The creditors accepted as many as two programs, there were several offers to buy the company, but the government obstructed everything, because the recovery of the company was not in its interest. The government wanted to prevent the recovery of the company in order to keep the control of the newspaper.

Coordinated Strike

The coordinated strike on the newspaper consisted of the dismissal of the management and a set up introductory interview with Zeljka Antunovic in a daily newspaper, as well as a press conference held at the Croatian Journalist Association, at which members of the journalist trade union rejected any involvement of politics but, of course, gave their support for an absolutely political decision, expressing regret that it hadn't happened earlier.

But they actually opposed the influence of the HSLS on the editorial policy of the newspaper, while they had no problem with SDP influence on the very same editorial policy. They are saints who oppose polygamy, they are monogamous, they oppose political parties but support the Party. They, furthermore, had daily contacts with the SDP representatives in Split, Sibenik, and Zagreb, preparing and persistently, for a year and a half, seeking a way to change the editors and the editorial policy. Vesna Podlipec, Marin Jurjevic, Vinko Bajrovic were contacted by the Split representative of the trade union leadership, and Ninic by the trade union leadership from Sibenik, and then all of them together visited Slavko Linic and Zeljka Antunovic.

President Stjepan Mesic also opposed meddling of politics into the editorial policy of a newspaper, but at the same time without blinking supported the dismissal of the management, repeating his assertion about the fascistoid nature of Slobodna Dalmacija expressing surprise that others did not realize and perceive that. He opposes the political influence, but it seems that in this case he only opposes the influence of the SDP because Racan is already causing too much trouble for him via Pavic's publications, and Mesic can only rely on Nacional and Republika.

Goranko Fizulic, during his visit to Trogir, also confirmed that the Slobodna Dalmacija case is primarily of political nature, while the democratic public TV totally ignored that. He asserted that the main problem of Slobodna are inherited debts, that the newspaper was making profit, and stated that he as the economics minister had never been consulted by anyone about the economic side of the problem and had never seen the proposed recovery program!?

Besides, the people and numerous political parties and organizations recognized the true goals and intentions of the ruling party. Simply, it is necessary to stifle the only independent, opposition newspaper in Croatia. That desire is getting stronger as the politics implemented by the Party is failing and as their ultimate intentions are becoming dirtier. They want to put out the last "freedom light", as our numerous readers refer to our newspaper, and turn everything into one big propaganda darkness and a foreboding deafening eulogy of the government.

Unpleasant Questions

Then without opposition they will without obstacles continue already started and well advanced process of de-Tudmanization and de-Croatization, return of all old KOS and UDBA agents to the most responsible positions in the state, sotonization of the Army, the Church and Croat emigrants; then the transformation of Croatia into a multiethnic state without borders will continue unopposed; then the policy of the selling of a golden glove for a plucked hen will continue unopposed; then Goran Strok, the son of Belgrade General Isidor, will without trouble get all the Dubrovnik and Adriatic pearls with assistance from his multiethnic friend Linic, the true ruler of the whole Croatian economy, that he knows from the time of the looting of Seus' treasure (and even Slobodna could become the property of that car racer and trusted individual); then no one will ask questions about the sale of INA, telecommunications, and land to foreigners, etc.

And not only no one will ask unpleasant questions, but everyone will also praise exactly that and such policy of spiritual and material destruction of the country. The Party has appointed its cadres to the oversight board, to the management, and tomorrow it will appoint its people to the editorial office. A year and a half of, according to many, light, will be denounced by the propaganda machinery and politicians of the ruling parties as darkness, fascism, nationalism, backwardness, and Ustashe ideology. The ideological prejudice based on which Croats were killed and sent to jails for fifty years is again at work. These prejudices resulted at one time with the destruction of the Croatian Literary Paper, Croatian Weekly, Croatian Economy Herald, Student Paper etc.

They've been asking us recently why we do not approach the international community, its bodies. But, why don't they approach us, if they care. And they don't. Their interest in the freedom of media is also selective. Nobody cares about democracy and freedom as such. Only democracy and freedom that work for our interests are interesting.

On the contrary, I am certain that that phantom community led by several Mason organizations that have weaved their web in our land as well, especially in the main media, is involved in the attempt to destroy Slobodna Dalmacija.

Petritsch and Slobodna

Specifically, I am talking about Bosnia-Hercegovina. We are the only newspaper that supports the right of Croats in the neighboring state, among whom we are the most popular publication, to self-determination, in opposition to violent and discriminatory policy that is led against them. And that is why it is necessary to remove us the way, for example, Erotel was removed.

Racan was obedient this time as well, the way he obeys and does everything they ask from him, from the arrest of generals to salaries for officials. That also explains the fact that he blatantly, and in a risky manner for him, broke the agreement with his main coalition partner.

Croatia is in general not ruled by the Croatian government, but by some powerful centers from outside Croatia. It is another issue that this government and president suit them. All those who will without questioning fulfill all their demands suit them. They need well trained bull-terriers that attack and bite everything that is self-aware, national, individualist, and that is why they were installed in power. Who are these people who are taking the fate of this country into their hands? The fate of her people, media, economic infrastructure... Who are they, where do they come from and whom do they serve? (...)

Translated on November 27, 2001