Who Will Blink First in the Case of Ljubljanska Banka?

The issue of Ljubljanska Banka, which Ljubljana conditions for the ratification of Croatia’s accession agreement with the European Union, has placed both sides under psychological pressure due to the approaching date for Croatia’s entry into the EU, assesses the Ljubljana daily newspaper Dnevnik in a commentary on Saturday.

– It is as if we are waiting to see which side will blink first, or yield, while at the same time it is emphasized that there are friendly and neighborly relations, states the Ljubljana newspaper Dnevnik, adding that the situation somewhat resembles the doubts that arose a few years ago when Slovenia temporarily blocked Croatia’s accession negotiations due to a border dispute.

– Will Croatia yield now to ensure Slovenia’s ratification of its accession agreement, or will it be Slovenia that does not want to find itself in the position of being the last EU member to do so? – is the question posed by the commentator of the Ljubljana newspaper.

In this context, it is reminded that in June, Germany intends to ratify the Croatian accession agreement as one of the last members, while in Slovenia the ratification procedures have not even begun.

Dnevnik claims that the situation suggests there is no breakthrough due to the absence of “substantive negotiations” at a high political level, but adds that it is evident that experts on Ljubljanska Banka, Zdravko Rogić and France Arhar, are having more substantive discussions than what is publicly revealed.

– However, the final outcome does not depend on them as they do not operate outside of both governments, states Dnevnik. Regarding this week’s statement by Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec about their upcoming new meeting, the newspaper speculates that it could be a political impulse for progress in the talks from the ‘most unlikely’ place, presumably referring to the Prime Minister.

Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Minister Vesna Pusić has been reserved in her statements regarding Ljubljanska Banka as her key goal is the timely entry of Croatia into the EU, the newspaper notes, but adds that there are reactions in Croatian media that remind of the time when the two countries were in a border dispute, making it difficult to achieve a possible compromise.

Slovenian politicians are also reserved in their statements, although they firmly assert that Croatia should withdraw the authorizations for lawsuits against Ljubljanska Banka before Croatian courts, the newspaper states.

– However, among Slovenian representatives, there is a sense of almost anger and offense that Slovenia is criticized in Croatia with claims that it actually collected the old foreign currency savings of Croatian depositors of Ljubljanska Banka, the commentary states.