Last Thursday's bombing murder in Zagreb of Ivo Pukanić, owner and editor of the Croatian weekly Nacional, and the paper's marketing director, Niko Franić, has left the government scrambling for ways to revamp efforts against organized crime, and outside observers speculating on exactly how much damage the past month's carnage has done to Croatia's bid to join the EU. Pukanić's murder comes only weeks after Ivana Hodak, the daughter of a Zagreb attorney, was shot and killed in downtown Zagreb. That case sparked wide outrage and received international attention, prompting Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader to replace the country's top police official and its interior and justice ministers. Both cases have been tied, at least tentatively, to ogranized crime.
EU Membership Imperiled
On Friday, the European Parliament's rapporteur on Croatia, Hannes Swoboda, told AFP, "The government must succeed in its efforts to bring about order and so eliminate the apathy demonstrated in these last months and years, or there will no early entry for Croatia into the EU."
A European Commission progress report on Croatia is scheduled to be released next month. Croatia began EU membership talks in 2005 and was aiming for full accession by 2011.
On the same day that Swoboda commented about the EU possibilities, Sanader convened an emergency session of the national security council, which included Croatia President Stjepan Mesić, security ministers and the leaders of all parliamentary parties.
"We will fight organized crime or terrorism — whatever is behind this murder — to its very end," Sanader said after the security council's meeting. "From now on, no criminal can sleep calmly."
Emergency Laws Implented
Sanader also announced a new set of emergency laws that will provide law enforcement with more power in combating organized crime. Among these will be the formation of a special department within the National Police Office that will work with underground informants, have greater access to tax and customs records, and will be provided with sophisticated surveillance equipment.
“Definitely the best Croatia has, its best people, will be included and are already included in solving this and all unsolved cases. This is not only a case of combating organized crime. We will not let them, a state of justice will win,” Sanader said.
Questions About Pukanić Protection
Pukanić, whose paper has courageoulsy reported on organized crime and government corruption, survived an assassination attempt in April outside of his residence in Zagreb. Pukanic was under police protection until two months ago, when, said Interior Minister Tomislav Karamarko, he requested its removal. Nacional, however, has claimed that Pukanić faced “police pressure” to accept the withdrawal of 24-hour police protection.
Police have so far announced no suspects in the Pukanić and Franić killings, in front of Nacional's offices. Krunoslav Borovec, a senior police official, said authorities had questioned 150 people, and were exploring a wide range of motives, “from banal ones to those with organized crime background.”
Croatia Roiled by Murders
Published: 29 October 2008
By Michael
