The extra-parliamentary party sharply criticizes the state's waste management system, pointing out that hazardous materials are being moved from region to region while accountability is absent, and citizens who raise the alarm are being labeled.
The extra-parliamentary party Srdj is the City issued a sharp statement on Tuesday, in which it treats the problem of hazardous waste disposal in Gospic not as a local incident, but as a symptom of the decades-long dysfunction of the state system. They said that Croatia has failed to build a proper waste management model, but has instead perfected the practice of shifting waste from one part of the country to another.
"This is the problem of a state that has failed for decades to build a proper waste management system, but has instead built a perfect system for shifting waste from one part of Croatia to another. While somewhere it is no longer seen by anyone. Until we dig it up again or find it in the water we drink," the party stated in a press release carried by Novi list.
They emphasize that citizens, associations, and activists have been warning about the danger in Gospic for years, but no one took them seriously. Instead of a response, they say, there has been a practice of labeling those who speak out.
"But in our country, there is a simple way to solve such problems. You label the one who warns as green, red, leftist, or some other devil, and, problem solved. At least until the poison reaches the water. And now it has reached the water," the statement reads.
The party particularly criticizes the lack of an expected reaction from the public and institutions. "And perhaps that is the most terrifying part of the whole story. Instead of a state of emergency, instead of immediately establishing responsibility and mobilizing all available resources to protect water, land, and people, instead of public anger and protests, instead of reactions from those who are otherwise ready to defend Croatia from everyone and everything, we are applauding the same people while they sit in ceremonial boxes," they said.
In its statement, Srdj is the City also draws a sharp political parallel, noting that "the story of patriotism becomes particularly interesting" when one considers who bears responsibility for the long-standing situation in Lika, which they call "their stronghold."
"The crew that has been systematically poisoning us for decades with hatred, nepotism, and nationalism has managed, in passing, to poison what they swear by the most, 'holy Croatian soil.' Political responsibility for a system that has managed that 'stronghold' for decades is hard to shift onto someone else. Because Lika is 'their stronghold,'" the statement reads.
The party warns that one should not pretend that Lika is an isolated problem unrelated to the rest of the country, especially the south of Croatia. "It is worth asking where our waste actually goes. Because we have been seeing a similar waste management philosophy for years in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County," they stated.
They also criticize county authorities who, instead of investing in modern sorting centers and recycling yards, have invested in transporting waste to distant locations. "Beyond seven mountains and seven seas. Somewhere out there where we no longer see it. And when we don't see it, it probably doesn't exist. We have also secured money for the penalties we have been paying for years because we fail to meet waste separation targets. And indeed, what more could one ask for?" the statement from Srdj is the City concludes in an ironic tone.
