ZAGREB, Nov 19 (Hina) - The leaders of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Ivo Sanader and Ivica Racan, have said that Croatia stands a realistic chance of joining the EU in 2008. Both party
leaders claim for their parties that they will lead Croatia towards the EU faster and more resolutely.
ZAGREB, Nov 19 (Hina) - The leaders of the Croatian Democratic Union
(HDZ) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Ivo Sanader and Ivica
Racan, have said that Croatia stands a realistic chance of joining
the EU in 2008. Both party leaders claim for their parties that they
will lead Croatia towards the EU faster and more resolutely. #L#
In a multimedia election duel on Wednesday, which was covered live
by OTV television station, the two party leaders said they enjoyed
the support of similar European parties with regard to admission to
the EU and had guarantees that Croatia's candidacy would be
considered separately from the so-called Western Balkans.
Sanader said that apart from admission to the EU, another priority
of his party was the country's admission to NATO, which he claims
"this government has put aside for unknown reasons".
Racan warned that to declare a wish to join the EU was no problem,
but one had to promptly remove all obstacles to full membership.
He voiced scepticism about the HDZ's ability to do that, together
with its possible coalition partners.
"You want to revise the constitutional law on cooperation with the
(UN war crimes) tribunal in The Hague, re-examine its indictments,
which cannot be done now that Croatia's application for EU
membership is to be decided in a few months," Racan said.
The HDZ leader repeated that his party was not opposed to
cooperation with The Hague, but he called "political nonsense"
claims by the Social Democrats that the HDZ's return to power would
slow down integration in the EU.
The two leaders agreed that the next six months would be crucial for
the process of Croatia's admission to the EU.
Although both party leaders supported Croatia's admission to NATO,
their views differed with regard to whether Croatian soldiers
should be sent on a peace mission to Iraq or not. While Sanader
supported participation in the mission, Racan strongly opposed it,
stressing that it was possible only if the mission was led by the
U.N.
Asked if they would cooperate with trade unions if their parties won
the elections, both Racan and Sanader answered in the affirmative.
Both party leaders described the election campaign positively,
stressing that the fact that it was peaceful proved the maturity of
Croatia's democracy.
(hina) rml sb