Croatian President says Finland, Sweden can not join NATO before electoral law changes in BiH – EURACTIV.com
Finland and Sweden can not join the NATO alliance as long as Bosnia and Herzegovina does not change its electoral law, President Zoran Milanović said on Tuesday. The statement sparked strong reactions from Croatian Prime Minister Andrei Plenković, while the Foreign Ministry in Zagreb reaffirmed its support for Finland’s NATO efforts.
The Croatian parliament “may not ratify anyone’s accession to NATO” until this law has been amended, Milanović told the press. Finland and Sweden’s NATO accession can be discussed, but it is “a very dangerous adventure”, the president also said, according to TV N1.
It is “dangerous charlatanry”, he added.
“For my part, let them join NATO … but until the issue of the electoral law in BiH is resolved, until the Americans, the British, the Germans, if they can and want to, force (Bosnian officials) to change the electoral law in the next six months and give Croats their fundamental rights, Sabor must not ratify anyone’s accession to NATO, “said Milanović.
“For me, it is an important national interest for the Croatian state, the nation and the people, that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a functioning state,” he added.
Prime Minister Andrei Plenković was quick to react, saying that Milanović could block Sweden’s and Finland’s accession to the NATO summit, but if he is a “tough guy” he should do so before US President Joe Biden.
“Let him block immediately, like someone sitting at NATO summits, why he is transferring it to Parliament,” Plenković said.
At the same time, Finland’s Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto has contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Europe and asked anxiously what the Croatian President’s statement means, EURACTIV’s media partner Jutarnji list reported.
Late last night, the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs twittrade as Haavisto discussed with his Croatian counterpart Gordan Grlić-Radman and the latter confirmed that Zagreb supports NATO’s open door policy, and if Finland decides to apply for NATO membership, the Croatian government and parliament will be positive that Finland walk with.
At the same time, Tuomas Forsberg, head of the Helsinki College of Advanced Studies in Political Science in YLE’s topical program on Tuesday, said that attempts – like those from the Croatian president – were trying to milk the political situation, which means NATO applications from Finland and Finland. Sweden, did not come as a surprise and was even expected.