Elmar Brok, German member of the European Parliament and incumbent Chairman of the EP Committee on Foreign Affairs, on Thursday expressed dissatisfaction with the echo in Croatia caused by the news that Chancellor Angela Merkel will not come to Zagreb for Croatia's EU entry central ceremony on Sunday, adding that it "is unfair" towards Germany, which, this CDU politician said, has done the most for Croatia.
It is incomprehensible that these days, in the times of celebration, the top story in the media is the non-arrival of Merkel, who cannot come for very clear reasons that are not political. It is utterly unfair towards the country that had done the most for the recognition of Croatia's independence, unlike a majority of other European countries, and that has supported Croatia's accession to the EU all the time. Over 90% of deputies in the German parliament voted for Croatia's membership, that is the message that you should send out to your country, rather than those protocol matters, Brok, a member of the German Christian Democratic Union (CDU), said in Brussels when asked to comment on the news that Merkel will not come in Zagreb on 30 June.
European Parliament President Martin Schulz of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD) declined to comment on these developments, adding that he has no other information apart from the explanation provided by Chancellor Merkel.
It is not up to the European Parliament President to comment on the daily schedule of the Chancellor Merkel, he added.
Austrian MEP Hannes Swoboda, a long-standing rapporteur of the EP for Croatia, believes that Merkel will not come to Zagreb due to the ongoing election campaign in Germany where EU enlargement is not perceived well.
Her non-arrival is not a message from Europe or a message from Germany. Mrs. Merkel is on an election campaign, and perhaps the EU enlargement is not perceived positively. The rest of Europe, including German citizens, strongly support Croatia, Swoboda said.
