Tomorrow afternoon I will speak at a conference dealing with the hidden aspects of golf development in Croatia, and so I have been mulling over my talk for a few days now. How to shape it? Where to place the emphasis? At the moment I am leaning toward talking about my experiences upon my return to Croatia after so many years abroad, mainly in America and England. My surprises, that is. These were shaped over the last few years by events in Motovun, Istrian peninsula, and Croatia as a whole, in that order. 

The first thing I would like to say is that I have been surprised by the lack of democracy in my new home. Golf development came to Motovun through opaque processes of spatial or physical planning followed by vetting of the environmental impact statement submitted by the investor. The Croatian law requires only a minimum of democratic involvement in these interrelated processes. Throughout, the municipal, regional, and national authorities involved stubbornly stuck to that bare minimum. Although golf development would have a tremendous impact on Motovun and its surroundings, reaching well beyond the municipal boundaries, few people in the area have ever complained about the lack of democratic decision making. 

The second thing for tomorrow’s conference is my surprise at the extraordinary openness of the lobby supporting golf development in Motovun, Istrian peninsula, and Croatia as a whole. I have been quite stunned by the fact that the same law office in Pula brings together as clients municipal and regional authorities involved and investors in golf development. The same law office has shaped the law regulating golf development in the country, as well. Besides, they are representing the mayor of Motovun and the municipality in two separate suits for libel brought against me. Such a transparent network of client relationships would be unimaginable in democratic environments I have witnessed in America and England. 

Of course, my two surprises are two sides of the same coin. Opacity of decision making and transparency of power are actually inseparable. In short, Croatian democracy has a long way to go. But this is what worries me slightly about tomorrow’s talk. Will anyone at the conference understand what I am talking about? More to the point, will anyone understand my two surprises? Coming from this country, most participants are likely to conclude that I am hopelessly naïve about everything that has been happening to me ever since my return to Croatia.

Addendum (March 26, 2009)

Everything went splendidly at the conference early this afternoon. The trick with my talk was to start by admitting that I was hopelessly naïve concerning Croatian affairs of all sorts. This timely admission made all the difference. There was much laughter, too.