Doris Pack, a prominent EPP-affiliated MEP from Germany and a good connoisseur of the Western Balkans, described as "indecent" the involvement of Catholic bishops in trying to prevent the signing of a border aribitration deal by the prime ministers of Croatia and Slovenia.
The arbitration deal, signed yesterday in Stockholm by Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor and her Slovenian colleague Borut Pahor (EurActiv 04/11/09), was hailed by MEPs in the foreign affairs committee, in the presence of Croatia's chief EU negotiator Vladimir Drobnjak.
However, several MEPs voiced concern over the role of the Catholic bishops, who last weekend issued a strongly-worded statement criticising the deal and exposing "secret diplomacy", which they saw as detrimental to the country's interests.
"Although I am myself Catholic, I can only call the involvement of the Catholic bishops here indecent. The Catholic church should not get involves there," said Pack.
She added that the same applied for the Orthodox church in Kosovo, which mobilises the Serb minority against the majority Islamic ethnic Albanians.
Slovenian MEP Jelko Kacin (ALDE-affiliated) also pointed out that it was not just one or several bishops involved in the episode, as in his words the entire Catholic church of Croatia was against the agreement, something which he found alarming.
Drobnjak expressed optimism about the future of the agreement and declined to make further comments, as in his words the prime ministers had spoken the language of wisdom in Stockholm, to which he did not have anything to add.
The Croatian Catholic church is also reportedly playing an increased role in the context of presidential elections due on 27 December. The winner will replace incumbent President Stipe Mesić, who has served the maximum two terms.
