President Milanović at Commemoration for Ivica Račan: Honesty in politics is important
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović attended a commemoration on the 15th anniversary of the death of former Croatian Prime Minister and Social Democratic Party (SDP) President Ivica Račan, whom he described as a man with a strong character who was fair and honest – a “good guy.”
“He was honest, he held together the SDP, my party, our party, which made a politician out of me, because without it and without him I would not be one. Honesty is important but it is not a guarantor of success in politics. It often guarantees that others will ridicule you, consider you weak, inconsistent and incoherent. But, that party truly lived such a life and functioned that way. It is like that today. Today, I cannot speak with the enthusiasm and passion with which I spoke all these years. I can only wish for the SDP and all other parties to be more honest, as Ivica Račan was, for it to be a party of people who can be described using the words ‘good guy’ – that was my impression of Račan,” President Milanović said, describing the former Croatian Prime Minister and President of the SDP, who passed away on 29 April 2007 after battling a serious illness.
President Milanović also recalled the moment when Ivica Račan informed him that he was ill. “There was no drama, despair or existential panic, nothing. ‘Listen, I have cancer. I’m leaving now and I’ll see you’. And every day after that, and after I scored some political victories, not a day went by that I didn’t think – if it wasn’t for him… what he created and the way he made room for all of us, for me in particular, there wouldn’t be me, either,” said the President, adding that Ivica Račan was a fighter.
“What would Ivica think today of a Europe that has changed? There are no more great social democratic or great Christian democratic and people’s parties. What he considered to be the standard, a pattern according to which Europe breathes and pulsates no longer exists. What would he think about the war in Ukraine, about the Russian attack on Ukraine? He would certainly not be one-dimensional and he would certainly not copy from Russian propaganda or from hysterical British conservative tabloids. He would have his own view of the situation and consider it thoroughly,” President Milanović emphasized, concluding that fifteen years ago the departure of Ivica Račan meant “the departure of a leader of a major party, in a small country still struggling for its status, which it achieved harder than others. Let’s not forget that Ivica was a good guy, that’s what’s most important.”
Apart from President Milanović and SDP President Peđa Grbin, former President of Slovenia Milan Kučan also spoke at the commemoration. Head of the Office of the President Orsat Miljenić, Adviser to the President for Human Rights and Civil Society Melita Mulić and Secretary-General of the Office of the President Dinko Suton were at the event alongside President Milanović.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Tomislav Bušljeta