{"id":43572,"date":"2026-05-30T21:40:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-30T19:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.predsjednik.hr\/?post_type=news&p=43572"},"modified":"2026-06-01T09:42:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T07:42:10","slug":"president-milanovic-croatia-is-unique-as-the-only-eu-country-that-defended-its-state-through-armed-struggle-and-bloodshed","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.predsjednik.hr\/en\/news\/president-milanovic-croatia-is-unique-as-the-only-eu-country-that-defended-its-state-through-armed-struggle-and-bloodshed\/","title":{"rendered":"President Milanovi\u0107: Croatia is unique as the only EU country that defended its state through armed struggle and bloodshed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cIn Europe after 1990, European states achieved their independence and freedom without violence and without arms. Almost all of them did so incomparably more easily than Croatia. Croatia\u2019s path was, in fact, unique\u2014undesirably unique\u2014but there was no alternative. That is why the Croatian case is unique, and why we have the right\u2014especially those of you who took part directly\u2014to consider ourselves exceptional,\u201d said the President of the Republic of Croatia and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanovi\u0107 at a ceremonial event marking the 35th<\/sup> anniversary of the establishment of the Zagreb Reserve Brigades and the City of Zagreb Defenders Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Addressing members of the Zagreb brigades, President Milanovi\u0107 explained that \u201cwe as a nation, and you as individuals, are special\u201d because this was a generation that defended its state through armed struggle and bloodshed. \u201cIn none of the nearly 30 member states of the European Union do people talk about the things that we are discussing here today. There were no gatherings like this today, nor last week, in Ireland, Sweden, Estonia, or Portugal. Nowhere in the European Union. That is why you are special, and why you deserve special recognition,\u201d President Milanovi\u0107 told the veterans gathered at the ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking about Croatia\u2019s struggle for independence, President Milanovi\u0107 also recalled that Croatian statehood dates back centuries. \u201cFrom the very beginning, when we sought international recognition and fought for Croatian independence, we argued that under the 1974 constitution Croatia was a state with its own territory. That right was ultimately recognized. Yet despite that statehood\u2014which in Croatia\u2019s case stretches back centuries, including through institutions such as the Croatian Parliament\u2014Croatia did not, in practical terms, have its own army or diplomacy. And if you are a state without an army, you command less respect. The army was essential,\u201d said the President, adding that the Croatian Army was built in just a few months thanks to people who lived, worked, and many among them bled for Croatia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the most important political decisions in Croatia\u2019s recent history, President Milanovi\u0107 highlighted the adoption of the Christmas Constitution in December 1990, \u201cwhen virtually the entire Parliament adopted the Croatian Constitution by acclamation and there was no partisan division,\u201d as well as the referendum of 25 June 1991, \u201cwhen the Croatian people as a whole\u2014and the political nation, if you will\u2014turned out to vote in the most direct expression of political will and chose an independent Croatia that would sever all constitutional and legal ties with the former state.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to President Milanovi\u0107, speakers at the ceremony included retired Major Branko Bartolec, wartime assistant commander of the defence of the City of Zagreb; Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Toma\u0161evi\u0107; President of the Zagreb City Assembly Matej Mi\u0161i\u0107; envoy of the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament Ante Deur; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Croatian Veterans Tomo Medved, who also attended as the Prime Minister\u2019s envoy; and Damir Pavlek, representative of the Coordination of Zagreb Reserve Brigades and President of the Homeland War Veterans Association of the 149th<\/sup> Croatian Army Brigade. The programme also featured cultural performances and readings on the history of the Zagreb Reserve Brigades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Milanovi\u0107 was accompanied by Marijan Marekovi\u0107, Adviser to the President of the Republic for Homeland War Veterans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia \/ Filip Glas<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cIn Europe after 1990, European states achieved their independence and freedom without violence and without arms. Almost all of them did so incomparably more easily than Croatia. Croatia\u2019s path was, in fact, unique\u2014undesirably unique\u2014but there was no alternative. That is why the Croatian case is unique, and why we have the right\u2014especially those of you who took part directly\u2014to consider ourselves exceptional,\u201d said the President of the Republic of Croatia and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanovi\u0107 at a ceremonial event marking the 35th anniversary of the establishment of the Zagreb Reserve Brigades and the City of Zagreb Defenders Day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":43571,"template":"","news-cat":[],"class_list":["post-43572","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPresident Milanovi\u0107: Croatia is unique as the only EU country that defended its state through armed struggle and bloodshed - President of the Republic of Croatia - Zoran Milanovi\u0107<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.predsjednik.hr\/en\/news\/president-milanovic-croatia-is-unique-as-the-only-eu-country-that-defended-its-state-through-armed-struggle-and-bloodshed\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"President Milanovi\u0107: Croatia is unique as the only EU country that defended its state through armed struggle and bloodshed - President of the Republic of Croatia - Zoran Milanovi\u0107\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cIn Europe after 1990, European states achieved their independence and freedom without violence and without arms. 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