Worried about the future of Croatian culture, the Kulturnjaci 2016 initiative wants to know whom the parties would nominate as Culture Minister if they win the forthcoming parliamentary elections.
In order to prevent “another devastating six months like the ones during the former government”, the Kulturnjaci 2016 initiative published a list of demands to political parties and future Croatian government seeking, among other things, that the parties indicate possible candidates for Culture Minister before the elections, reports Index.hr on July 12, 2016.
“It is evident that in the previous period they have tried, and have partly succeeded, in destroying the standards which had been built by both left and right governments for decades”, said Urša Raukar on Tuesday. “It was absolutely clear that Culture Minister Hasanbegović was nominated directly by then HDZ president Tomislav Karamarko, with the clear intention to ideologically subjugate the important area of culture”, said Raukar, adding that the Minister tried to put under his direct control all cultural institutions established by Parliament.
“Such a blitzkrieg on Croatian culture has not been seen in 26 years of Croatian independence”, said Raukar. “Culture, education and science are the foundations without which there is simply no development”, she added.
“We insist that culture must be a part of pre-election party manifestos, and not just a formality in their electoral programmes”, said Sabina Sabolović. They also demand the adoption of a national cultural strategy and an immediate end to all changes of laws and appointments in the field of culture.
“Caretaker Minister Zlatko Hasanbegović is still appointing members of various cultural councils. He knows they will be dismissed later by the new Minister, but he is doing it in order to give himself an excuse to launch attacks in the future for alleged purges”, concluded Raukar.
