Jasna Vojnić, President of the Croatian National Council and a member of the Croatian Parliament, held a press conference in Belgrade last Thursday, December 18.
“I have been at the helm of the Croatian National Council in the Republic of Serbia for eight years now. Over these eight years, the Croatian National Council has gone from being a small, barely visible organization to an institution of the Croatian community in Serbia that today, through its work, contributes not only to Croats but also to the development of local communities and society as a whole,” Vojnić said, as reported by Hrvatska riječ.
As she stated, her role in the Croatian Parliament is clear: to be the voice of the Croatian community in Serbia, but also the voice of all citizens of Serbia in a country that has experience with membership in the European Union.
“The Republic of Serbia is my country. The city of Belgrade is my capital. And I am, like all members of the Croatian community in Serbia, a loyal citizen of this state. Precisely for this reason, I will continue responsibly and openly to represent the interests of my community, but also the interests of Serbia, both in the Croatian Parliament and in the institutions of the European Union. The Croatian community will be well in Serbia if, and only if, all citizens of Serbia are well. Because I believe in one simple truth: only together, only as equals, can we move toward a better future within the community of European countries where, I deeply believe, all of us belong,” Vojnić said.
She assessed 2025 for Croats in Serbia as a year that was not a year of silence.
“It was a year in which we had to raise our voices too many times because things, despite warnings, were not being resolved.”
The first topic she addressed was hate speech.
“For years we have warned that three words are being systematically branded in the public space in Serbia: Croat, Croatia, Ustasha. These words are no longer historical terms. They have become labels. Tools for discreditation. Triggers for fear. When the word ‘Ustasha’ is used for political opponents, students, journalists, then it is not only an attack on them. It is also a message to Croats in Serbia. And we must say this clearly: this is not folklore, it is not a metaphor, it is a dangerous normalization of hatred. That is precisely why Hrtkovci are not just a story from the past. Hrtkovci are a wound that has not yet healed. Thirty years after the expulsion of Croats from Syrmia, there is still no place of remembrance anywhere. There is not a single stone marking the suffering of citizens of Serbia from the Croatian community, yet there is the house of Vojislav Šešelj, a convicted war criminal, where public celebrations are organized, with the message that the 1990s must not be forgotten and that fear must not cease.”
She said that this is not freedom of speech but the humiliation of victims, and according to her, it is not a path to the future it is keeping society trapped in past traumas.
“But I must also say this: the vast majority of citizens of Serbia do not live in that hatred. People here work, live, share the same problems and the same hopes. That is why we criticize policies, irresponsible and malicious individuals never the people because the people are all of us: Serbs, Croats, and everyone else. That is why we warn, but we do not call for conflict.”
Jasna Vojnić also spoke about the kindergarten in Tavankut, which was not opened as it should have been.
“This is no longer a local problem. It is a test of the credibility of the state of Serbia toward its own laws and international obligations. And that is precisely why I want to say clearly here: we welcome and thank the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue of the Republic of Serbia, as well as Minister Đurić, for hearing our voice and for having actively engaged and continuing to engage in finding an urgent solution to this problem. This can be an example of how institutions should respond responsibly, through dialogue, and in the best interest of children.”
Finally, Vojnić spoke about relations between Serbia and Croatia.
“When Croatia is used as a constant external scapegoat, it does not strengthen Serbia it weakens it. Croatia is not Serbia’s enemy. Croatia is a neighbor. A partner. And a country with which we share history, but also a future. If there is a problem, let it be raised through institutions, facts, and evidence. But accusations without evidence are not politics—they are drama. Often dangerous drama. And most often, minorities on both sides of the border pay the price for that drama.”
She concluded the conference by saying:
“Croats in Serbia are not a problem. They are a resource. We are a bridge between two states. We are neighbors, friends, relatives, colleagues. We know what it is like to live here and what European standards look like. We do not want to undermine relations. We want to normalize them. We do not want conflicts. We want rules that apply to everyone. And so, to be completely clear: we will continue to warn about hate speech. We will continue to seek a solution for the kindergarten in Tavankut. We will continue to speak about inequality. But just as much we will continue to extend a hand. To build dialogue. To call for understanding. Because the future of Serbia and Croatia will not be built by those who shout, but by those who have the courage to talk. At the end of the year, that is my message: criticism yes. Hatred no. Truth always. Bridges without alternative.”
