For sure All European people look with great interest to what newest member of Eu can say about the Union. First impressions are always very important. According to the new MEP Nikola Vuljanic, who joined the EUParliament in 2013 when his country joined the European Union “The Parliament looked like complete chaos at the beggining. After some time I discovered it was a well organised system”. Here Vuljanic’s thoughts about European Union and about places with most difficult situations near EU (Bosnia and Ukraine).

Professor Vuljanic, who teach English and Croatian Studies at the University of Zagreb since 1973, is a member of the Confederal Group of the European United Left and comes from the Croatian Sabor where sit in the mandate 2003-2007 and from 2011 to 2013.

How could you describe the track that your country has made to join Europe?

The negotiations lasted for a long time – some ten years. Anyhow, I think the pressure EU exerted on Croatia served the purpose, a lot of things have changed in the country that would not have been changed were it not for the lenghty negotiations (and from time to time quite unpleasant). We have learned to make compromises and live by them.

What Europe can give to Croatia and what Croatia can give to Europe?

In my opinion, the most important thing Croatia can get from the EU is a firm set of rules (not only economic ones, as a matter of fact I think they are the worst part of the deal, but primarily the ones concerning the rights of the citizens, minorities of all sorts, political and, generylly, world-view rules), together with the mechanisms to press us to obey these rules. Economic and financial support are also importants, but they depend upon our ability to respect and obey the above rules. Entering the most developed and (whatever the oponents say) the most most prosperous association in the world is a chance that should be grabbed and used. On the other hand, Croatia can offer, apart fom its natural beauties and resources, a new spirit of a contry that has gone through quite a different history than any other country in Europe, experiences of living in different associations and preserving our cultural and national heritage intact, which makes us resistant to numerous dangers of globalisation.

If you have to explain in a tweet what Europarlament is, what could you write?

Political body where general political matters are settled among the representatives, and balance of national and political interests set.

Could you tell us something about your short experience in Brussels and Strasbourg?

The Parliament looked like complete chaos at the beggining. After some time I discovered it was a well organised system (apart from being chaotic from time to time). I like the idea of trying to find compromises as the essence of the politics, as it gives everybody a proper chance to contribute to the final product. As far as I could see, personal impact is much more important than the affiliation to a political group or party. I like it, as it offers an opportunity to everybody to do his/her best, as opposed to national parliaments where belonging to a party is the only important thing. The scope of the work is so huge that you have to specialise, otherwise you are lost. Apart from this, I am delighted with the workings of the technical support, from the group to the committees and Parliament staff, quite different from the national parliament I used to work in before.

If you will be elected again in the Europarlament wich will be the first thing you could do in the new mandate?

Complete my staff both in Brussels and in Zagreb, and decide upon the committees I would like to work in. As we came to the parliament by the end of the mandate, there was not much choice – we took what was left. It will be different now, I suppose. I would also like to continue the work I started in this mandate on progress reports of Balkan countries.

Who do you think could be a good president for the new EUCommission?

A candidate that would have the strength and stamina (nerves as well) to do two things – keep the Union going rather smoothly and at the same time trying to change some important directions – primarily abolish and forget austerity policy and deal with growing social injustice in the Union. Of course, this means somebody from the left, somebody young enough to cherish the ideals and experienced enough to put them in practice.

In these days the situation in a potential candidate to join Europe, Bosnia, is quite difficult. In your opinion Bosnia in ready to be really a candidate to Europe and Europe could help to fix the situation there?

Bosnia & Herzegovina is a candidate to join EU, as all the European countries that wish to join are. EU will not be completely functional until ALL the countries that wish to join do so. Of course, the speed of joining varies. B&H is in a horrible economic and political situation and key issues should be resolved before the formal procedure starts. EU has taken part of the responsibility for the country by being involved in Dayton agreement and organisation of the country. It should help both politically, by insisting on revising the Dayton agreement (peace agreement that cannot as such be a sound basis to organise a country) and, of course, economically, be organising a conference on Bosnia and finding means to, at least partly, right the wrongs done in the course of criminal privatisation in the country. However, the solution should be found in B&H, not anywhere else.

How do you judge the situation in Ukraine?

Chaotic at the moment. The only rational solution I see is enabling the Ukrainian people to have their say in the elections. What they decide should be the future of Ukraine, not what is said by Moscow, Brussels or Washington. I am concerned about the level of possible (and present) violence, but I think it is still not too late to eliminate fascist provocators and give the Ukrainins a chance to define their future in a peaceful manner.

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