Democracy „the Hungarian way“ and Russia and Turkey as its role models is being discussed for quite some time now, and it raises conserns among civil society organizations in Europe, especially having in mind recent events in Hungary. Meanwhile, the EU does not have this concerns in mind – they want the new commissioner for DG Education and Culture (DG EAC) to be Tibor Navracsics – member of Fidesz party and acting Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government of Viktor Orban who advocates for completion of liberal democracy.
Given the fact that the Hungarian government conducts raids against organizations who fight for protection of human rights and against the corruption, under the motto „they are all foreign agents“, recently established Platform for international citizen solidarity CROSOL which monitors Croatian foreign policy, expressed its shock with the proposition of mr. Navracsics for the DG EAC commissioner.
Navracsics is former minister of justice and public administration in Orban’s government, and few years back he played an important role in making the new Constitution that limited basic human rights in Hungary. He is also a member of Fidesz. It is a hipocracy that he is a candidate for the Commission, and with that in mind CROSOL handed out protest letters to Croatian MEPs and they gave their promise to actively and critically approach to the hearing of Navracsics in the Commission.
Will there be a re-run of „red, yellow and green devils“ in Croatia?
CROSOL members also handed out solidarity letter to MEPs and announced a protest that is going to take place next week in front of the Hungarian embassy in Zagreb.
„It is a disgrace that any member of the EU conducts repression toward organizations of civil society“, said Sanja Sarnavka from Managing Board of CROSOL. The President of CROSOL Gordan Bosanac added that „the EU cannot have legitimacy if some of its members within their borders do nasty things“. Rada Borić, another Managing Board member, explained how „Hungarian government imprisoned female civil organizations which are being financed from Norvegian EEA civil fund. We remember the red, yellow and green devils in Croatia, and the past follows us today when tax Administration denies tax relieves according to value judgment instead law. It brings out the fear in us and we can’t help to ask ourselves who is going to decide about donations in the future?“
And the Croatian MEPs say…
Their vote is going to depend on the hearing of mr. Navracsics, but also on the oppinion of their political family in the EP.
On the other hand, CROSOL is sadisfied that Neven Mimica from Croatia is nominated for DG DEVCO committee in the European Commission. Marina Škrabalo greeted that sector and said that „it is a 900 billion euros worth sector, and the EU is the main donnor of development aid in the world – it gives 60 percent of all the aid. Development policies tackle most important world problems and tries to introduce ethics in the sectors like like international trade, financial market, energetics and business sector. Mimica can bring additional values because he has an unique Croatian experience – being a country that up until recently recieved aid.“
Citizens of Croatia can express their solidarity and raise voice agains the repression in Hungary by signing this link:
http://www.esurveyspro.com/Survey.aspx?id=ed23ae97-2927-4f60-874f-1313f9a30958
The list of organizations that already signed:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1H3IjTMscKT63zUTPfA5zL5lF89RpByjsJiL-E9xe2Ac/edit?usp=sharing
CROSOL urgeS all citizens to send e-mails to their MEPs and demand that they deny the trust to the commission candidate Tibor Navracsics.