Tudjman or Milosevic?

Journalists have often written about the similarity between President of independent Croatia Franjo Tudjman and President of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milosevic, that they look like twins. In fact, both obviously like to rule in an emergency situation, both are irritated by the very fact of the existence of opposition, not to mention opposition claims on power, and both have done everything possible so that there will be no free press in their countries: in Yugoslavia editors of independent publications were simply butchered, and in Croatia the only independent newspaper was financed by a Soros foundation. Both Tudjman and Milosevic felt themselves to be fathers of the nation, and simultaneously in a free and easy manner looked after their own families’ interests.

However, currently the Tudjman epoch in Croatia is coming to an end. The condition of the President, long ill, is now in such a state that even Parliament, filled mostly by his adherents, had to declare him temporarily incapacitated and transfer his responsibilities to the Speaker. Observers are summing up the results of the Tudjman decade in Croatia’s history. And what do we have? In the next parliamentary and, most probably, presidential elections the opposition is expected to triumph. Moreover, the current leaders of the ruling party are also considered civilized European politicians without dictatorial inclinations. Croatia only has to turn over the Tudjman page and hurry on to Europe. In fact, the first President had been an authoritarian personality. But he has not lived according to the principle of apres moi le deluge.

And what will Milosevic leave the Serbs? A completely neglected, ailing country with a burned out international reputation. A country of dull comrades-in-arms, each of whom dreams of becoming a little Milosevic. A country where the opposition is unpopular, and some of its representatives are just as terrifying as the current Yugoslav president himself.

A country perpetually pregnant with revolt...

It is Central Europe where they make a choice between the Social Democrats and Liberals. In Southern and Eastern Europe, there is an eternal choice between Tudjman and Milosevic. Society is too used to authoritarianism to oppose it with democracy, so the most important issue is how the next “father” will treat the nation entrusted to him.

Ukraine has made its geographic choice. We are not in the center, and that is already clear. God grant, we are in the East, but not in Eurasia. But now we — actually not so much ourselves as our elite — must make a choice no less important.

The choice between Tudjman and Milosevic.