Stirred sentiments among Croatia's Serb minority due to enactment of controversial 'graveyard law'
Taking a Swipe at History
The political landscape in Zagreb, Croatia, is heating up over a fresh set of legislation aimed at scrubbing war grave inscriptions deemed unsavory by the majority. The new law, dubbed the Graveyard Law, is causing friction within the Serb minority community, who view it as a one-sided solution to a single historical controversy.
After nearly three decades since Croatia's war of independence, the EU and NATO member's lawmakers are still searching for closure on issues stemming from the conflict. On Wednesday, MPs voted overwhelmingly in favor of the Graveyard Law, replacing a decades-old policy with stricter rules that now require the removal of war grave inscriptions and plaques not in line with the constitutional order.
The law aims to ban inscriptions made during the "occupation and peaceful reintegration" and contains symbols that might offend the sensibilities of citizens. The legislation specifically targets gravestones made after May 30, 1990 - the day when the former Socialist Republic of Croatia inaugurated its first multi-party parliament, a crucial stepping stone on its path to independence.
Ethnic Serbs, who represented around 12.2% of the population according to the 1991 census, increasingly disagreed with Croatian President Franjo Tuđman's push for independence. As a result, they unilaterally declared a breakaway state of Republika Srpska Krajina in the country's east.
The armed rebellion escalated into a full-fledged war, with Croatia's military on one side and the rebels, paramilitaries, and the Yugoslav People's Army troops on the other. The conflict resulted in devastation, particularly in cities like Vukovar in Croatia's northeast.
Now, the new law plans to remove any memorials glorifying either Republika Srpska Krajina or celebrating enemy forces, including referring to Croatia as "Serb land." Citizens have the power to report potentially problematic tombstones, plaques, or monuments. Those found to be in violation will have 30 days to change the inscription, or face a hefty fine of €1,000 to €5,000.
Serb minority representatives have slammed the legislation, arguing it has transformed a communal issue into a political one. Critics claim the law creates an impression that Croatia was "pockmarked with (Serb nationalist) graveyards," an inaccurate portrayal. While they support the removal of troubling remnants of the war, they fear further political maneuvers aimed at causing distress in the minority community.
This isn't the first time Croatian authorities have addressed this sensitive issue. In August 2024, a judge in the city of Zadar on the Adriatic coast fined two Croatian citizens who were singers in a local folk band over references to Republika Srpska Krajina and the Serb participation in the war. The judgment stated that "songs with this content cause unrest among citizens, especially among citizens who were directly exposed to war suffering," and "disturb the coexistence of Croat citizens and citizens of Serb ethnicity."
A Clash of History and Politics
The Graveyard Law is yet another episode in a series of historical synopses that Croatia finds itself entangled in. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, the country has been engaging in a constant struggle to reconcile its post-war identity with minority rights, risking further alienation of its Serb population while attempting to codify a "national" historical narrative.
Note: To comply with the input limit, I had to make certain compromises regarding paragraph length and coherence in the revised article. Please find below the enrichment data that includes more information about the legislation and its implications.
Enrichment Data:
Graveyard Law: A controversial piece of legislation passed in Croatia that demands the removal of war grave inscriptions deemed offensive by the majority, targeting those erected after May 30, 1990. Non-compliance can result in fines of €1,000 to €5,000 or third-party removal of monuments.
Historical Context: The Homeland War, also known as the Croatian War of Independence, took place between 1991 and 1995. The conflict arose when ethnic Serbs in Croatia, backed by Serbia and the regime of Slobodan Milošević, rebelled against Croatian President Franjo Tuđman's push for independence.
Serb Minority Concerns: Critics argue that the Graveyard Law disproportionately impacts Serb communities, as many tombstones reference Republika Srpska Krajina, the breakaway state backed by Serbia during the war. They fear that the law risks whitewashing historical narratives, especially around Serb civilian casualties and wartime experiences.
Legal Ambiguity: Concerns persist over subjective enforcement of the Graveyard Law, with uncertainties surrounding which criteria might determine "offensive" content. There is also concern over the potential use of objective assessment methods, such as the exclusive use of Latin script, to exclude Cyrillic symbols, despite being officially exempted from the legislation.
Precedents and Controversies: This is not the first instance of Croatian authorities tackling sensitive war-related issues. An example can be found in a 2024 judgment by a Zadar judge, who fined two Croatian citizens who were singers in a local folk band for songs that referenced Republika Srpska Krajina and Serb participation in the war, causing unrest among citizens and disturbing the coexistence of Croat and Serb citizens.
- The Serb minority community in Croatia, deeply concerned about the accessibility and fairness of the recently passed Graveyard Law, argues that it transforms a communal issue into a political one.
- As the 2024 deadline for compliance with Croatia's Graveyard Law approaches, debate on policy-and-legislation and politics intensifies, particularly on LinkedIn platforms where Serbs express their reservations.
- In 2024, stricter policies regarding historical narratives also extended to general news, with a judge in Zadar fining two local folk singers for songs referencing Republika Srpska Krajina, citing their potential to cause distress in the minority community.
- Amidst the polarizing atmosphere, advocates for coexistence within Croatia urge policy-makers to create policies that maintain balanced representation of the nation's diverse past, rather than focusing solely on pushing a one-sided historical narrative.
