Hodžić: How I defended BiH's borders in the Croatian Parliament

It cannot and must not be discussed in the Croatian Parliament about the establishment of a third entity in BiH, a country that is independent and sovereign, and that is why I interrupted that discussion, stated Nedžad Hodžić, a member of the Croatian Parliament, in an exclusive interview for the bh. news agency Patria (NAP).

Last week, Hodžić, as a representative of the Bosniak minority in Croatia's highest legislative body, had a heated debate with numerous MPs from the left and right opposition, who were calling for a Croatian third entity in BiH.

In a statement to NAP, Hodžić says he is somewhat disappointed that he has not received any support from BiH in these efforts, nor does he have contact with BiH politics from his home country. Hodžić warns that while official Zagreb does not have a clear stance on the third entity, the opposition from HDZ Croatia and to the right openly advocates for a third entity "as a second step, and then some third step that I don't want to talk about at all."

- A third entity cannot be discussed in the Croatian Parliament. I reacted as someone whose home country is BiH. A sovereign country cannot be spoken of in such a way. That is why I requested a break and stopped that discussion; it is beyond what is permissible, especially since history tells us about the negative experience of discussing BiH's borders outside its borders – Hodžić tells NAP.  

No one, as he points out, denies Croatian politicians and MPs the right to talk about the problems that Croats in BiH have or do not have, but not in this way.

- I am disappointed with my colleagues from the left spectrum who spoke like that, but the Speaker of Parliament also told me that he does not think it is a problem to talk about it, but I think it is. During the war, Croatia had a policy towards BiH that was not friendly, and that is why President Ivo Josipović apologized, and that is why Milanović directed Croats in BiH to Sarajevo, not Zagreb – says Hodžić.

According to him, Prime Minister Zoran Milanović is a friend of BiH, and his arrival in Mostar at the beginning of the unrest had some negative connotations in the media, but Hodžić says that he is a true friend of BiH and did not intend to send political messages along these lines.

- That line was crossed, and I requested the session be adjourned. I will continue to defend BiH in the Croatian Parliament because the citizens of BiH deserve only attention and help, and certainly not such discussions. If the reorganization of BiH is to be discussed, then the entire territory of BiH must be put on the table. Croats are the majority in Herzegovina, and they were also in Posavina. But now, one cannot discuss even a millimeter of territory with RS, while in FBiH, a transformation is being sought – says Hodžić.

Speaking about the mood of Croatian politics towards the demands for a third entity, Hodžić says that the ruling left coalition is much more transparent and wants a functional state.

- But from the center to the right, from HDZ to the right, the policy is quite unfavorable towards BiH as a country of equal peoples and citizens; there are still opinions that in the second step there should be an entity, and then some third step – warns Hodžić.