THE FAR RIGHT IN CROATIA (March 18, 2014)
When Nazis assaulted the Soviet Union during the World War II, many Ukrainians joined them against the Russians. There are thus few surprises about the close ties between the far right in Ukraine and Germany nowadays. The parallel with the then Kingdom of Yugoslavia is obvious enough. When Nazis assaulted it in the same war, Croatians joined them against the Serbs. But where is the far right in Croatia today? It would be more than welcome not only by the far right in Ukraine, but also in Slovakia and Hungary, as well as some other countries now squarely in the European Union, such as Romania and Bulgaria. As ever, the far right in Croatia is badly out of tune. For better or worse, they are lost in space. When it comes to geopolitics, they cannot see beyond Serbia. So many months after Croatia’s accession to the Union, I cannot but wonder about their future (“Hip Hip Hooray!,” July 1, 2013). Come to think of it, they must be looking for political cues from good old Germany. It seems that the neo-Nazis there are not up to par, either.