Antonija Petričušić: Slow Consolidation of European Values: Endangered Minortiy Rights after the Croatian Accession to the EU

Summary of Antonija Petričušić’s presentation given during the roundtable Justice, Equality and Diversity in Croatia (English and Croatian Version):

Antonija Petričušić believes that European values ​​should be the guarantee of stability, but today they are exclusively normatively based, which allows for their different interpretation and rise of populist ideas, or skepticism. She discussed the additional criteria that European Union imposed on Western Balkan countries during their accession period. On the basis of these critera, the countries of the Western Balkans were meant to show their willingness and ability to change their legislation and institutional framework, while other countries that previously joined the European Union did not have these requirements. She pointed out that there is a widespread perception that the accession process applies only to political elites, not the entire population that does not show a committment  towards values. Political elites, on the other hand, need to show the minimum of “normative optimism” towards values ​​and will be considered ready to follow them. She states that in Croatia historical revisionism is present which stimulates proliferation of extremism against minorities. According to Petričušić, the values ​​are still not consolidated in the Croatian society and that requires an active involvement not only of politicians, but also of other social actors as well.

Antonija Petričušić smatra da europske vrijednosti trebaju biti jamac stabilnosti, ali da su one zasad isključivo normativno utemeljene što ostavlja prostor za različito tumačenje i porast populističkih ideja, odnosno skepticizma. Raspravljala je o dodatnim kriterijima za ulazak u Europsku uniju na temelju kojih su države Zapadnog Balkana morale pokazati volju i sposobnost da promijene svoje zakonodavstvo i institucionalni okvir, za razliku ostalih zemalja koje su ranije pristupile Europskoj uniji. Istaknula je problematičnom činjenicu da je percepcija kako se proces pristupanja odnosi samo na političke elite, ne na cjelokupnu populaciju koja, na taj način, ne pokazuje odgovornost prema vrijednostima. Političke elite , s druge strane, trebaju pokazati samo „normativni optimizam“ prema vrijednostima te će se smatrati da su ih spremne slijediti. Navodi da u Hrvatskoj dolazi do historijskog revizionizma što potiče bujanje ekstremizma prema manjinama. To je dokaz da vrijednosti još uvijek nisu konsolidirane u hrvatskom društvu i da je potreban aktivan angažman ne samo političara, već i ostalih društvenih aktera.