In the article headlined "I've made an Alliance for Europe with Racan and the other opposition leaders," Sanader says the alliance is not a coalition between his Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) or Ivica Racan's Social Democrats (SDP), or any other coalition, but cooperation in the accomplishment of a strategic foreign policy objective.
The aim of Sanader's call for cooperation is to form the best and politically most responsible negotiating team so that "we can secure the best possible terms of admission to the EU".
Sanader says that all HDZ bodies considered and fully endorsed his call.
"In order to test this notion of a 'national consensus on the EU' or the Alliance for Europe I first held talks with... Ivica Racan, the president of the strongest opposition party, and presented my ideas," Sanader writes, adding that Racan's answer was positive and that Racan then presented in writing the SDP's positions on the negotiating process as well as constructive suggestions.
In that respect, Sanader refuted an article in Friday's Jutarnji List saying that the resignation of Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul was one of Racan's conditions for the establishment of the National Committee on EU Negotiations.
Sanader says the purpose of his article is to elaborate some possibly insufficiently familiar facts.
He says that a great contribution to the finding of the best solutions for Croatia during the upcoming EU entry negotiating process was made by party leaders Zlatko Tomcic of the Peasant Party, Ante Djapic of the Party of Rights, Vesna Pusic of the People's Party, Ivan Jakovcic of the Istrian Democratic Party, Vladimir Jordan of the Pensioners Party, Jozo Rados of Libra and Vesna Skare-Ozbolt of Democratic Centre, parliamentary committee chairmen Milorad Pupovac, Neven Mimica and Gordan Jandrokovic, and Parliament Speaker Vladimir Seks.
Sanader writes that the SDP is the HDZ's biggest political rival and that it is natural that their cooperation elicits various comments even though it focuses on an important project. He says this cooperation has had a positive influence on Croatian politics because it bears witness to the maturity of the two parties.
Sanader concludes by saying that only full cooperation and an active approach by the aforementioned parties, as well as by representatives of trade unions, employers, the academic community and the President's office, can guarantee the success of the entry talks.