Croatia has no waste incinerator because of political cowardice

Croatia still has no waste incinerator, and the article attributes that failure to political cowardice. For decades, serious infrastructure projects have been approached through the logic of “not in my backyard.”

The issue has moved beyond a single facility. The article describes a country that has produced, dumped and buried large quantities of waste for years, while hazardous waste has allegedly been smuggled in from abroad. It also raises the possibility that waste has been exported to Africa, though that claim is not developed further in the supplied text.

Public anger has become visible in protests. A large demonstration in Zagreb brought together people from the political left and right, including groups associated with different cultural and political camps. The accompanying coverage presents the protest as pressure for change, but argues that protests alone are not enough. Concrete tools for changing policy are required.

The article also refers to the Gospić affair, saying that government missteps have irritated the public and contributed to a backlash. It frames Lika as potentially only the beginning, with people across Croatia raising their voices against being exposed to pollution.