It is exactly five months since the mayor of Motovun declared at a packed town meeting that such meetings would be called every three months from now on. The promise appeared in the local newspapers, too. More, it appeared in the very title of the article reporting on the event. By the way, the town meeting was called by an organization that promotes democracy in Croatia. The mayor himself would never even dream of it. I have been reminding him of his promise ever since, but to no avail. None whatsoever. Copies of my missives went to the organization that called the original meeting, as well as the local newspapers, but no-one seems to care much about promises made by politicians. Judging by the shrugs of everyone I know in Motovun, they are as good as meaningless. Only a fool such as myself would take them at their face value. Put differently, democracy is but a pipe dream in Croatia. And this is how things are likely to remain for many more years in spite of numerous boasts of our cunning politicians.