Analysis: Pressure grows on Croatian coalition

The late President Tudjman rejected Hague requests

By Alix Kroeger

The decision to hand over two war crimes suspects to the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague puts more pressure on Croatia's already fragile governing coalition.

The four ministers who walked out of the Croatian Government are all from the Social Liberal party, which opposes the handover of indictees to the tribunal.

The decision to hand over the two suspects may yet carry a high price

Their defection could take Croatia closer to early elections.

When the alliance came to power 18 months ago it was seen as the decisive break with the nationalists.

Under Croatia's late President, Franjo Tudjman, the government had refused to co-operate with The Hague tribunal, even taking Croatia to the brink of economic sanctions in 1999.

Loss to Serbs

During Croatia's war of independence from the former Yugoslavia, hundreds of civilians were killed and thousands more displaced from their homes.

A third of the country was ceded to a breakaway Serb republic and was only recaptured four years later, in 1995.

It is this which leads many Croatians to believe that their side could not have committed war crimes since they were defending themselves against what they term Serb aggression.

The decision to hand over the two suspects may yet carry a high price.

The nationalists are resurgent in the polls and Croatia's government has already been weakened by its inability to improve the faltering economy.

Prime Minister Ivica Racan says he will now call a vote of confidence next week.

The result could determine whether Croatia pushes ahead towards European integration or retreats into its nationalist past.