On Thursday Zagreb mayor Milan Bandić ended months of speculation and finally announced his presidential run. This, predictably, led to his automatic removal from SDP and created additional drama on Croatian political scene - open rifts within SDP leadership and almost ritualistic commentaries condeming Bandić for being "cheap populist without ideology and party ideology". The main spin among Croatian left interprets Bandić's presidential run as a clever way to escape from his mayoral position - shaken by economic crisis that exposed deep financial problems within his administration, as well as Jadranka Kosor becoming born-again anti-corruption crusader.
Among many questions Bandić would have to answer about the way he ran Zagreb one of the more bizarre concerns subsidies for Iskorak, Croatian top LGBT group - or, to be precise, Zagreb taxpayers having to finance what was supposed to be Iskorak's anti-AIDS education brochure directed to schoolchildren.
Divna Zenić, reporter of Slobodna Dalmacija, took the task of reading that brochure and found it to be "vulgar instructions for gay sex". According to the article, AIDS issues are dealt in only one out of 59 pages. Instead of AIDS provenetion, the brochure, titled "Stražnja strana" ("Back Side" in Croatian), is providing various and very graphic advices about anal sex, including hygienic issues, lubes and various sex toys intended to provide "greater pleasure". All that is illustrated with pictures of male dolls in action. What is even more interesting is language used in instructions - which leaves all kinds of euphemisms and uses Zagreb street vernacular with four-letter words.
If Bandić ever gets confronted about this, he could use the similar defence as higher institutions that also financed the project with taxpayers' kunas - Croatian Ministry of Health and Social Services and Croatian Human Rights Office. Both institutions claim that they indeed approved financing of the brochure, which was described as a "human rights protection and advocacy project". Government representatives, however, claim that they were "deceived" and that "they had no idea what the brochure would actually be". Unofficially, they distance themselves from the brochure, while the official reaction will be known after the weekend.
Iskorak, according to article, didn't return any of Slobodna Dalmacija's calls.
What makes this scandal even more interesting - and what Slobodna Dalmacija failed to notice - is the fact that the highest official responsible happens to be health minister Davor Milinović, widely perceived as one of the champions of right-wing faction and social conservatives within HDZ. Milinović recently became the subject of intense criticism in Croatian media because of his push towards extremely restrictive and unpopular in vitro fertilisation law.
If this affair gets extra media space, he would have some unpleasant questions to answer. If he knew about brochure, he is a hypocrite. If he didn't, his ministry is run with almost criminal negligence.
On the other hand, Milinović recently made very important statement, expressing doubts that Ivo Sanader could return to Croatian politics. Since Milinović used to be seen as a Sanader loyalist in emerging factional struggles within Kosor's government, his statement could be interpreted as one of the nails in the coffin of Sanader's political career.
Conspiracy theorists could very easily connect the dots between Milinović's new anti-Sanader's stance and publication of Iskorak's brochure.
Comments