2014 fireworks and five reasons for hope in Croatia

(The Croatian version of this article ran in today's Jutarnji List, Croatia's largest daily newspaper.)

An Expat in Zagreb

By Roger Malone

From my living room window as 2014 began, I could watch fireworks along the ridgeline in the direction of Sljeme. All along the hills, people were lighting rockets, individually and from packages, sending bursts of white, yellow, orange, green and red across the horizon. Even before midnight struck, those with little patience or perhaps small children were already celebrating. The same was happening across the country.

Those rockets reminded me of my optimism for Croatia.

As 2013 drew to a close, the reasons to give up on Croatia seemed to pile up like cars at the border in ski season. At least from a foreigner's viewpoint, there was little good news coming out of the country. The economy remained stagnant with no data suggesting a change on the horizon. The same-sex marriage referendum and Šimunić's distressing display at Maksimir made the country look backward and Balkan, in the worst sense. Hardliners blocked the heads of government and foreign dignitaries from paying their respects at Vukovar.

Even Mother Nature seems to have turned her back, with the Snow Queen skiing competition cancelled for lack of snow.

As one overseas Croat commented on an earlier blog post, "I don't think Croatia and Serbia are going anywhere. They simply exist and that's that. There's no miracle wand to wave and alter mentalities. Best to indulge in the wanton fatalism otherwise you won't get out alive or sane."

But despite the impression my blog entries and articles might give some readers, I see many reasons to be optimistic for Croatia, if not confident. They include:
 

• Croatian: This is an incredibly difficult language. For instance, in English there are four ways to say the word “play” – play, plays, played and playing. Just four. No more are hidden out there. I lose count when I try to conjugate “igrati.” And I thought German was difficult. Any country that masters this language must be prepared to succeed with the most complex of tasks. A good example is Rimac Automobili outside Zagreb, which is trying to market a super expensive, high performance electric car.
• Passion: Most of my Croat relatives and friends are passionate souls. They will take a position and argue about anything, as I discovered early on when I mentioned once that geographically Croatia is a Balkan country. Focusing that passion on innovation, business and civil good would create an unstoppable force. Look at the 2Cellos. I can imagine they hated cello lessons when they were young. Leonard from Big Bang Theory noted that a cello sounds like a “suicidal bumble bee,” and in Steven Sondheim's A Little Night Music, cellist Henrik is begged to practice something "a little less gloomy." But Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser took their cellos and made something exceptionally creative.
• Persistence: Early in my marriage, I learned not to interfere with my wife when she’s zeroing in on that perfect restaurant table, sofa or hotel room. Insisting on the best – whether by examining every available option or badgering the desk clerk – could quickly give Croatia the reputation for quality that creates a clear competitive advantage. Croatia’s entry into the EU is nothing if not a triumph of persistence.
• Tenacity: Many Croats I know are great at finding creative ways to solve problems or overcome obstacles. Sports fans come to mind. In the US, professional sports are a family affair: you pack up the spouse and kids to see a baseball or American football game with no fear of being hit by a flare or some other bodily harm. In Zagreb, I'm warned by family and friends not to think of seeing a Dinamo or Croatia football game in person. It's sad, but then there's Medveščak ice hockey. I've gone to several Zagreb games, and children, adults and seniors cheer the home team together in a terrific atmosphere. Ironic, when you think that ice hockey is known for its on-rink violence. 
•  Vibrancy: The energy you feel walking among the cafes in the city center is unmatched in most places around the world. The rockets along the ridgeline in Zagreb weren't fired by sulking pessimists. Again, harnessing and focusing that energy in a positive direction could go a long way toward overcoming obstacles that are holding back the country.

The course of Croatia's economic growth and democratic development will not be smooth or straight. If it were, it would be without peer in economic or political history. But there are clear reasons to believe that eventually Croatia will move forward, albeit at its own pace. 
[Follow Roger Malone on twitter at @ExpatinZagreb or at www.expatinzagreb.blogspot.com]