N1 reporter Mirela Bačić interviewed the Member of the European Parliament Željana Zovko about the situation in Strasbourg after the Tuesday terrorist attack, Global Compact on Migration, accepted in Marrakesh and Declaration on the Position of the BiH Croats, expected to be adopted in the Croatian Parliament.
“We spent almost the whole night in the European Parliament building in Strasbourg, which was blocked after the terrorist attack in the Christmas Fair. Members of the Parliament were allowed to leave the building only around 3 a.m. on Wednesday to be escorted to the hotel by armed security guards and with top security measures applied.” – said Zovko for N1 TV.
“It’s upsetting when you know the murderer is out there.” – said Zovko to N1 reporter Mirela Bačić.
Zovko gave a negative reply to the question whether she believed that the terrorist attack was a sign that the European Union had actually failed in the fight against terrorism.
“The fight against terrorism is a long-term process. France is a perfectly organised country. It is now in the state of war and we have to fit into such a mode of fighting terrorism. Terrorism is a phenomenon we have to live with on a daily basis and it will not change in the future. It is somewhat easier for us, who experienced the war, to live with that. Our colleagues, who did not, have been slowly adjusting to the reality in which no one is safe.” – says Zovko.
Marrakesh Compact
The UN Global Compact on Migration, the so-called Marrakesh Compact, was accepted on Tuesday in Marrakesh. The Croatian public was widely divided on the issue of this Compact.
“The Compact was under attack of a misinforming and malicious campaign, which tried to represent it as something what the Compact is simply not. The Compact actually represents a package of measures enabling the EU to protect itself from irregular migration and make the third parties to accept the key measures necessary for stopping the migration safely at the very source.” – explained Zovko.
“Stampede never helps, not even in the highest panic. We have to learn how to recognise the political refugees in the manner precisely defined by legislation.” – says MEP Zovko. She added that the Compact was not binding for the parties, as stated in the preamble.
Asked whether the prime-minister Andrej Plenković agreed to accept the Compact under the pressure of an ultimatum from Berlin, as the only way for Croatia to join the Schengen area, Zovko replied firmly: “Absolutely not!”
“It is in Croatia’s more than in anyone else’s interest to have regulated controls of migration. Croatia has the most sensitive borders with the Balkans, which is really a tinderbox. Regulations must disable refugees smuggling from the non-visa regime countries to Croatia. Croatia really needs the global approach, because it cannot protect itself on its own.” – explains Zovko.
Declaration on the Position of the BiH Croats
Zovko touched upon the issue of the Declaration on the Position of the BiH Croats, the reason why the two countries have recently been exchanging sharp words.
“I welcome all the actions of the prime-minister. He is the first prime-minister and the first President of HDZ, who openly stood up for the BiH Croats at the international scene and for their right to be a part of BiH and to build their country, for which many of them gave their lives. That community is a connective tissue of BiH, which is the best possible shield for the Republic of Croatia.” -as of Zovko.
Asked why the EU does not understand that, Zovko replies: “There has been overall lack of communication and explanation of these issue for very long. It is simply not possible to mend something overnight. No one, but eleven Croatian MEPs sent a letter to Mogherini to escalate the problem to the highest level. The prime-minister Plenković has been tackling this issue in the best possible way. This is a security issue for the entire European Union, including Croatia. Absolute equality of constituent nations is the question of the future of South Eastern Europe. We do not want the EU to be balkanised.” – said Zovko.
Source : http://hr.n1info.com/Vijesti/a355101/Zovko-za-N1-iz-Strasbourga-Nije-svejedno-kad-znate-da-je-ubojica-na-slobodi.html