Measured and uncompromising document of a turbulent decade of unresolved crisis

Lider was envisioned ten years ago as a place where not only journalists would work, but as a gathering place for people who have something in common. Today, the community we wanted to create is present here, and although we are ideologically different, we all share a common goal, the development of the economy and society – said the editor-in-chief of Lider, Miodrag Šajatović, at today’s presentation of his book “When the Wind Blows, Turkeys Fly”.

The book is a kind of manual for those who shape the future for entrepreneurs, a document of a time marked by a fierce upturn, a six-year recession, and the fragile recovery of the Croatian economy. It consists of selected Šajatović’s columns published from 2005 to 2015 in Lider, which provide an authentic view of current events with reasoned recommendations and solutions.

At the presentation, alongside Šajatović, the book was discussed by the dean of the Faculty of Economics, Lajoš Žager, professor at the Faculty of Law, Mladen Vedriš, economic expert Ljubo Jurčić, EBRD director for Croatia, Vedrana Jelušić–Kašić, entrepreneur Branko Roglić, and former director of HRT and recently Croatian ambassador to Paris, Mirko Galić.

– Šajatović is a man who graduated from this very Faculty of Economics, and for many years he has been writing and publishing publicly, and he is truly significant for the development of economic thought in this journalistic context – Žager stated at the opening of the ceremony.

– Šajatović could have calmly titled this book after one of his columns ‘When the Villages Burned, and the Grandmas Put on Makeup’ because the Croatian economy has burned so many times in these ten years that the author follows, while the grandmas in power tried to beautify the situation with makeup. These columns remain as a document of a turbulent decade of unresolved crisis and promises with many new disappointments – said Galić, praising the author for his measured style in wisely pointing out problems, sometimes diplomatically, and sometimes sharply and uncompromisingly.

– Unlike other notorious critics of our miserable everyday life, Šajatović does not steal days from God by doing nothing outside the given corridor, and this is evident in his texts, by the level of relevance and the strength of the ideas he attacks or advocates – Galić remarked.

Mladen Vedriš emphasized that it was not easy to write such a book, and for the promotion to be so well attended because people generally seek criticism but expect praise. He briefly recapped some of the columns, emphasizing that the texts are nearly ten years old and still relevant today. He compared the author to Sisyphus, urging him not to give up on pushing the stone uphill.

– The book reads like a reminder from the recent past, but also much more, as messages in a bottle for the future. Whether the author has been right until now or not, there is a credible document in his favor, this book that has emerged and been published over the past ten years of Croatian transition within and outside the context of the same period of globalization – said Vedriš, noting that, just like morning coffee, it is his habit to debate with the author every Thursday on current topics from his columns.

– The book is before us with a short instruction, the future does not exist but must be created – concluded Vedriš.

– The title of this book, seemingly unusual, has solid foundations in the economy. We have all been turkeys that flew carried by ideals and as such had the opportunity to create something that we might not have succeeded without that enthusiasm. Our author writes about other turkeys, warns of the importance of psychology in economics, points to the euphoria of mass investment in synthetic stock market instruments, and the collective madness for obtaining subsidies in agriculture. In the same spirit, he cynically questions how realistic the announcements of foreign investments are without a previously created investment climate – said Jelušić Kašić, characterizing Šajatović as a great advocate of exports.

– Mišo does not take sides, equally advises, warns, jokes, and counsels, regardless of who is in power. He writes in a simple and understandable language about complex economic, social, and political topics – she emphasized, concluding that it is precisely in that simplicity that the strength of the author’s expression lies.

Roglić stated that he is quite close to the author in views on the economic situation and that we will have to make many more efforts to emerge as winners-

– Victory in this context would be the establishment of a balance between the real economy and public spending, and we are currently far from that. Mišo is close to us entrepreneurs in his writing; he has actually been the text that we entrepreneurs have written, and since he is also an entrepreneur, it is logical that he is close to us. He has always known how to identify the problem and analyze the situation, touching a level that is far above journalism. He has educated us and left a deep mark on the Croatian economy, especially on young entrepreneurs – emphasized Roglić, expressing hope that Šajatović will continue to write and will not dull the sharpness of his keen pen.

Jurčić pointed out that Šajatović’s book is a valuable testimony for entrepreneurs because it is impossible to understand the present without knowing the history.

– Probably with the intention of bringing his views closer to as many readers as possible, the author of this book does not shy away from humor, which does not diminish the essence at all. With this collection, he has shown himself to be an excellent interpreter of events who easily walks through the world of businessmen, as well as economic politicians and theorists, skillfully depicting the interdependence of transactions from entrepreneurship with macroeconomic instruments and magnitudes – stated Ljubo Jurčić, concluding that Lider is the pinnacle of economic journalism in Croatia, and Šajatović is the epitome of an economic journalist.