The clouds of corruption

Dark clouds of corruption and the shadows of its deadly consequences are gathering on Croatia’s typically sunny sky. Last week’s bombing in downtown Zagreb that killed Ivo Pukanic, one of the country’s top media moguls, was a grim reminder that despite Croatia’s progress in transition reforms and its status as an EU candidate, not all is well. As the Time points out,

The attack has cast doubt over whether Croatia can curb rampant corruption and organized crime, and achieve its goal of joining the European Union next year. (…) Pukanic’s murder caused an outcry, not just because he was an important player, but because it revealed the extent of the connections between politics, crime and corruption in the former Yugoslav republic.

The assassination was described by the police as a “professional hit.” Pukanic was the owner and the editor-in-chief of Nacional, a popular weekly that often exposed corruption in the country’s politics. At the same time, he himself was also widely suspected of corrupt dealings with politicians and mobsters. That blurry line between politics, cronyism, and organized crime unfortunately is a common problem in transition countries. In its extreme form, it can hijack the democratic process and essentially undo all the major reforms meant to strengthen accountability and the rule of law.

Has the current high-profile crime wave in Croatia gone too far? That remains to be seen, but it certainly jeopardizes the reform progress, the vibrant tourist industry, and the changes of fast EU membership.