Sandra Benčić, a parliamentary representative of the We Can party, provided her insights on the column of memory in Vukovar and other political events happening in Croatia for N1.
In her comments, Benčić clarified that the tradition of throwing wreaths into the Danube on the day after Vukovar is not meant to be a substitute for the SDSS not throwing a wreath but rather an honor to all civilian victims of the war, especially those who are still missing. She emphasized that finding missing persons is crucial and expressed concern about how difficult it can be for people to move on from past conflicts.
Benčić also addressed the tensions arising from different political parties commemorating the event differently. She stated that as long as no one is offended, each person and party have the right to commemorate as they see fit. However, she criticized certain political parties for engaging in what she termed as “a race to the bottom,” which only sows hatred and division rather than promoting unity.
She also expressed disappointment in politicians who organize booing of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and called it extremely inappropriate. Benčić raised concerns about the uncertain election date and criticized Croatia’s current institutions’ state, emphasizing that the next government must restore those collapsing during Plenković’s time.
Benčić advocated for a change in economic model by calling for green deindustrialization and creating better-paid jobs in specific industries. Finally, she praised her party for addressing challenging issues such as parent-educator measures and emphasized that policy should always focus on improving people’s quality of life.
Overall, Benčić’s commentary highlighted several key issues facing Croatia today, including finding missing persons, promoting unity through commemoration practices, restoring failing institutions, changing economic models towards sustainability, and improving people’s quality of life through effective policies.