Ivan Lovrenovic

* Bosnia has lately been described as a genuine small sized Yugoslavia.

The parallels between Bosnia and Yugoslavia are totally unjustified. This thesis is frequently being used for political ends. Yugoslavia is a politically manufactured entity par excellence, it is a product of modern times and it would be important to note that Yugoslavia has twice been the ideologically determined state. Ideology was the decisive factor in keeping both Yugoslavias together. Unlike Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina is neither a political nor an ideological entity. This is the most important difference between the two and it is also the advantage Bosnia has over Yugoslavia we have at present.

The parallels between Bosnia and Herzegovina have to do with their multi-national make up. Even this aspect, however, is being viewed differently from the Bosnian standpoint as compared to the Yugoslav standpoint.

* What is the true Croatian interest in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Whatever I have said about Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as my reasons for arguing for intact Bosnia go for Croatia as well. There is nothing more to it. The pre-election speculation that Croats /and Serbs/ have two homelands was nonsensical: their native one, Croatia /or Serbia/ and another one, Bosnia and Herzegovina which is supposed to serve as some kind of alternative homeland. That is political nonsense.

A Croatian is no less Croatian for being a Bosnian as well. This is something I have always felt and will go on feeling all my life, and I see that my compatriots agree with me. Only in these absurd political times which abounds in primitive political ideas concerning national homogenization and national states is that feeling being called into question. It is precisely in the Croatian interest that Bosnia and Herzegovina survive as a historical and political association of people in the form it has existed for the past 1000 years.

* National leaders such as Karadzic /leader of Bosnian Serbs/ and now Mr. Boban /the president of the Croatian Democratic Union/ have remarked that your people, the grass roots do not feel that way.

The best way to check that is to hold a referendum. It is the way it is commonly done in the world. So we'll hold a referendum to see what the people think.

* What is your opinion on the possible cantonization of Bosnia?

Bosnia and Herzegovina could constitute a great canton within the existing borders. It could be some imaginary Mediterranean structure or Alpe-Adria, some big sub-European structure. Creating cantons in Bosnia and Herzegovina is sheer political primitivism unknown even to the socialists: it constitutes an act of violence aimed at the very fibre of the nation - their bonds, their customs, their economic interests. The very fact that there exist more and less ethnically compact territories calls for the introduction of cantons. It would be absurd to talk about the cantonization of Bosnia and Herzegovina from the standpoint of the Croatian people, since precisely the Croats are the ones who stand to lose the most with cantonization. So when someone on the Croatian side argues for cantonization an alarm signal is immediately activated in my mind which suggests that it is murky business.

* A dilemma has been created of whether Bosnia and Herzegovina should be a state of citizens or should it be based on national interest?

This is also a false dilemma, since there is no real alternative in that sense. If we wish to become actors on the world historical scene, we should remind ourselves that citizens' states are the formula which functions best in the world. It is precisely in non-national states that national liberties are the greatest as well as the national cultures. We are talking about the most developed Western countries here!