Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) president Tomislav Karamarko said on Wednesday that by joining the European Union Croatia was forever crossing the line called the Balkans and that the originator of this notion had been Croatia's first president, the late Franjo Tudjman.
By joining the EU, we are returning home, leaving behind the geostrategic region politically defined as the Balkans, we never were nor will ever be Balkanites, he said at a rally of the HDZ-HSP AS-BUZ coalition for Croatia's election for the European Parliament.
We are leaving the Balkans and the unrest of that region, wishing them to calm down as soon as possible, Karamarko said, adding that said region had always been a source of instability and insecurity for Croatia.
He also said the HDZ would no longer let anyone bring into question Tudjman's historic role for the HDZ and Croatia.
