Several months ago, The Globe and Mail printed an article entitled Croatia embroiled in another war. It addressed Croatia s dilemma with organized crime, fighting a deadly turf war for control over gambling and prostitution rackets. The emphasis on these alleged crime wars that have erupted in Zagreb only serves to obscure a bigger and clearer picture. She adds that, in Croatia s situation, the organized criminal element is bound to play an important role. Because there are no fixed rules, allegations of organized crime tend to be overplayed.
Organized crime happens in all facets of Europe, Klein points out.
But it tends to get attention in Croatia, she says, because there aren t fixed democratic practices in place. Kruno Jugovic, a Zagreb native, expresses his feelings on the subject. Croatians are understandably disenchanted with their country s political history since independence. Unemployment, market-economy inefficiencies, and corruption have debilitated a largely employable, educated population. Since the death of autocrat ruler Franjo Tudjman in December of last year, many political changes have swept the nation.