President Milanović at Croatian Defence Academy: Decision-Making in EU must remain on the principle of unanimity, abolishing this principle would be detrimental to Croatian national interests
The President of the Republic of Croatia and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces attended a promotions ceremony of new Croatian Armed Forces officers at the “Dr. Franjo Tuđman Croatian Defence Academy”.
At the promotions ceremony of new Croatian Armed Forces officers, which was attended by the Chief of the General Staff Admiral Robert Hranj, the Deputy Commander of the Dr. Franjo Tuđman Defence Academy Brigadier General Blaž Beretin, numerous CAF senior officers and family members of the new officers, President Milanović bestowed first officer’s ranks upon students of the Basic Officer School and cadets, and presented Decisions on the War College students’ schedules as well as gold medals of excellence in training to the best students.
In congratulating the new officers, President Milanović said that five years ago when they began their training for Croatian Army officers the world seemed to be at peace. “There were signs of turbulence, but times were not as they are today. A war is going on and in a way Croatia is involved. That war has to end one way or another. I am confident without Croatian victims and without anyone dragging us into something we don’t want”, he noted.
President Milanović told the new Croatian Armed Forces officers that “they are standing on the shoulders of giants who won the war for the country in a fierce fight and not in a lottery”, referring to the Croatian defenders. “We are a small people, not a secondary people. You are the only army in today’s European Union and NATO whose predecessors had to fight bearing arms without anyone’s help in order to create our state. And Croatia comes first. Everything else in which we participate – the European Union, NATO – demands our loyalty and commitment, but only after Croatia, which is most important and must be protected!”, the President stated.
Talking about the current situation in the world, the President warned that today there is no discussion or dialogue, yet a few decades ago, there was even communication between two big militarily and ideologically opposed blocs, America and Western democracies on one side and the Soviet Union on the other. “At that time the leaders of the superpowers would meet and talk, sign treaties on limiting of nuclear weapons, banning tests”, he noted, adding that dialogue was possible then even though the enemy was more dangerous than today, bigger and more ideologically unacceptable. “There is no dialogue or communication, those are the times we live in”, he stated, and repeated that we must be “loyal and benevolent to the Alliance to which we belong, but oriented on ourselves and our interests”.
Furthermore, the President said that every Croatian politician, public employee even soldier and officer must always reflect on Croatia’s position in the Europe and the world. “Among European and NATO armies, there are few armies such as the Croatian Army that is quite aware of its place in the order of things, relations and government in the country and among the people. The Croatian Army is not politicized. In the Croatian Army one knows well and makes a distinction between the army and politics because it is led by people, senior Croatian officers who are aware of the army’s role. That is the defence of the homeland”, President Milanović underlined.
In terms of the defence of national interests, he underlined the importance of the principle of unanimity in decision-making within the EU so that small member states such as Croatia would not be marginalized and outvoted when major decisions are being made. Stressing that the soldiers cannot and should not talk about this topic, President Milanović explained that it is up to the politicians to take this into account.
“We must be prepared to defend our interests in given circumstances, not allow ourselves to be marginalized. That’s an important topic. The European Union has its way of decision-making. As for security and defence, which is the foundation of a state, decision-making is based on the principle of unanimity, there is not outvoting. Those are the rules that have been in force for decades in the EU and those are the rules under which we and all other states have joined the EU. Today there is a very strong tendency and pressure by some larger states to abolish unanimity and decide by a majority or a large majority of votes. This would mean by the will and majority of the few largest. I am against that and will fight against that because I consider that a fraud. It would be betraying the reasons we joined the EU, and would be detrimental to Croatian national interests. This is a matter of freedoms and a lack of freedoms, war and peace, life and death. Decision-making by the principle of unanimity must remain in the EU, if this were to be abolished and if we were to get even closer, that would become a state with a centre in Brussels, far away from Zagreb. And our voice will not be heard at all. We didn’t join the EU and NATO to end up without having the basic elements of a state”, President Milanović warned.
The President of the Republic of Croatia and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović issued Decisions on bestowing first officer’s ranks of the Croatian Armed Forces. The rank of Second Lieutenant was bestowed upon 58 cadets, 22nd generation students of the “Andrija Matijaš Pauk” Basic Officer School and 27th generation of Croatian Air Force military pilots. They are: Corporal Marko Bukva, Ante Beljan, Marko Čulina, Jure Grgić, Maurizio Ivetić, Luka Lukić, Mate Marinčić, Mislav Petrović, Luka-Stjepan Vojvodić, Ronald Matej Žlabravec, Ana Antolić, Adriana Bulat, Ana Šimunić, Corporal Ivan Kraljević, Corporal Ivan Kubišta, Alen Pirc, Marin Zubak, Private First Class Helena Baričević, Lovre Pedić, Antonia Budimir, Ana Marija Neretljak, Siniša Buršić, Alen Čokić, Viktor Holjevac, Goran Horvat, Borna Kuri, Corporal Roko Mihaljević, Luka Milardović, Joško Petričević, Alen Valić, Matija Zorko, Josipa Marinčević, Private Second Class Damir Sučić, Private First Class Alen Zorbas, Corporal Tomislav Babić, Fran Horvat, Corporal Mateo Birkić, Corporal Luka Đudarić, Corporal Luka Horjan, Luka Banović, Private Second Class Matej Gavranović, Walter Han, Corporal Dario Jurčević, Marko Matoković, Corporal Branimir Šikić, Private Second Class Ivan Štivić, Igor Andrijević, Petar Galović, Dominik Kuhar, Corporal Dalia Teskera, Private First Class Krešimir Čelik, Corporal Krešimir Dubinko, Robert Gašić, Hrvoje Ljubić, Private Second Class Mario Župan, Jurica Mijatović, Paško Mužić and Irma Gračić.
In this 2022-2023 academic year a total of 130 students successfully completed their studies at military schools, including 19 women and 20 foreign students; ten from Bosnia and Herzegovina, three from Montenegro, one from the Republic of Kosovo, four from the Republic of North Macedonia and two from the Republic of Slovenia.
The President of the Republic of Croatia and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces bestowed gold medals of excellence for their studies to the best students. The gold medals of excellence were bestowed upon Major Saša Đerić, the best student of the 31st generation of the Interbranch Command-Staff Training; to Corporal Ivan Kraljević, the best student of the 22nd generation of the Basic Officer School, and to Master Sergeant Christian Bičanić, the best student of the 21st generation of the Senior Non-commissioned Training School.
Furthermore, the President of the Republic issued a Decision on the Appointment and Schedule of Armed Forces Officers following completion of the “Ban Josip Jelačić War College” to Colonel Franjo Hrala, Colonel Jozo Stažić, Colonel Tomislav Vacenovski, and Colonel Marin Žunić.
Alongside President Milanović was the Adviser to the President for Defence Ivica Olujić, the Special Adviser to the President for Homeland War Veterans Marijan Mareković, the Head of the Military Office of the Cabinet for Defence and National Security of the Office of the President Rear Admiral Predrag Stipanović, and the Aide-de-camp to the President of the Republic Colonel Vlado Čulina.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Ana Marija Katić