The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party leader Tomislav Karamarko has said that his party is re-awakening and that the spirit of the 1990s is being re-instilled in the HDZ.
"All this means giving rise to pro-Croatian sentiment," Karamarko said on Saturday during an election convention of the Club of the HDZ founders after the club's leader Djuro Perica, who was elected for the three terms, announced his "political retirement".
During his speech, Karamarko, who came at the helm of this strongest opposition party in May 2012, said that they were not some other HDZ but the HDZ that had effaced corruption and thievery and that had reinvigorated patriotism and honesty.
When it came to the defeat of the HDZ at the last parliamentary elections, Karamarko said that the cause of such developments had been "a shameful process of de-Tudjmanisation since 2003".
Removing the heritage of Franjo Tudjman, the first Croatian President and the HDZ founder, from the HDZ means de-Croatisation of the Croatian society, the HDZ president said.
He also criticised the current left-wing ruling coalition "for disintegrating the state"
He recalled that the current authorities decided that the parliament would no longer be a sponsor of commemorations of the victims of Bleiburg.
In May 1945, after the victory of Tito's Partisans, thousands of soldiers of the Nazi-styled Independent State of Croatia (NDH) and civilians withdrew to the Bleiburg field, hoping to surrender to allied forces in Austria. However, they were returned and handed over to Yugoslav Communist authorities and many were killed during so-called death marches back to Yugoslavia, while a smaller number were killed by the Partisans without trial in the Bleiburg field.
Karamarko also criticised the governing coalition over "its ideological attack against the Catholic Church " adding that the attacks through "the fourth module of health education is also an attack against our children".
As for Croatia's admission to the European Union, scheduled for 1 July, the HDZ chief said that "we must join (the bloc) with our name and surname an not as a separated segment of Yugoslavia".
As for the HDZ economic platform, he said the party would present it in the next three weeks' time.
