Outgoing Croatian premier blames EU, Slovenia for "lunatic theatre"

Jul 5, 2009, 10:08 GMT

Zagreb - Outgoing Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader blamed the European Union for allowing Slovenia to create a 'lunatic theatre' to block his country's path to European Union membership, local media said.

Sanader, who stunningly resigned his post as the premier and the head of his Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) earlier this week, was referring to a border row over which Slovenia, a EU member state since 2004, blocked Croatia's accession negotiations.

Speaking Saturday at an HDZ congress at which his deputy Jadranka Kosor was elected as the new party head, Sanader sent a message to Slovenia, the western neighbour and former sister-republic in the Yugoslav federation.

'There will be no sale of Croatian territory. Despite your anti- European policies of blackmail - you will not succeed,' he said. 'Croatia will join the EU and Slovenia will have to vote for it.'

Sanader also sharply addressed Brussels, asking it to 'end this blockade, this lunatic theatre Slovenians are trying to create.'

When he resigned, saying he wanted out of politics, and named Kosor as his successor, Sanader gave no concrete reason for his step, but hinted at the stalled EU talks as a factor.

Many local observers however said the two-time premier made a political maneuver to avoid the fallout from the economic meltdown expected in Croatia in the latter half of the year, after which he may return.

Kosor, 56, was set to become Croatia's first female prime minister in a parliament session due to begin Monday.