Ivanisevic victory boosts Croatia government

Goran Ivanisevic strips off for his adoring fans in Split

By CNN European Political Editor Robin Oakley
and CNN's Simon Hooper

LONDON, England (CNN) -- If there is anybody blessing the fact that Goran Ivanisevic held his nerve and won in this year's Wimbledon final, it is Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan.

The new Wimbledon champion's tennis success has made life very much easier for his country's coalition government.

Racan wants to meet the request from the U.N. War Crimes Tribunal to hand over two Croatian generals for trial.

He sees it as a test of Croatia's democracy, and he knows that Western approval and aid will dry up if he doesn't comply.

But the prime minister's decision is not a popular one with his people, many of whom see the Croats who fought against the Serbs after the split from Yugoslavia in 1991 as war heroes and who refuse to contemplate the thought that they might have committed war crimes.

MORE STORIES Ivanisevic wins over world press   Hero returns to adoring fans   Goran's destiny   Profile: Wimbledon winner Ivanisevic   Goran's win - set by set   Croatia hails Ivanisevic win   Rafter's double heartbreak     GALLERY Ivanisevic triumphs at Wimbledon     AUDIO Goran: It was my destiny 1400K / 209 sec. AIFF or WAV sound Goran thanks Agassi, father 1120K / 146 sec. AIFF or WAV sound

As with most countries, the response is that atrocities are things done by the other side.

War veterans at one stage threatened to blockade the country's roads, and political pressure has piled up.

Ivo Sanader, leader of the Nationalist HDZ party founded by former President Franjo Tudjman, has pressed the government to reconsider.

The government has said it might contemplate a referendum on the question of an amnesty for alleged war criminals as nationalist organisations are suggesting, and Racan has been forced to stage a parliamentary vote of confidence in his government over the proposed handover.

Although Racan's coalition government has a clear majority, some of his allies have deserted him on the plan to comply with the War Crimes Tribunal's request.

Defeat in Sunday's vote would see the collapse of the 18-month-old government and necessitate new elections.

Local politicians have not forgotten that the Serbian government's decision to send former President Slobodan Milosevic to The Hague precipitated the resignation of the federal Yugoslav government and feelings run high over war crimes issues.

In February, 100,000 people mobilised in Split in a protest against a local court's decision to arrest a retired army general on war crimes charges.

Against that background, the national jubilation over Goran Ivanisevic's Wimbledon victory and the triumphal celebrations over his return home have been a godsend to the government, providing a welcome alternative focus for national emotions.

Ivica Racan: Linking Ivanisevic's victory to his own cause

Sport helped define Croatia's national identity both before and after its independence.

The Yugoslav Cup final between Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade in Belgrade in May 1990 offered a forewarning of the Yugoslav conflict to come, when fighting broke out between rival fans.

Dinamo player Zvonimir Boban became a potent symbol of Croatian nationalism when he was photographed kicking out at a Serb riot policeman in defence of his side's supporters.

Following independence, Boban and his national teammates continued to raise the profile of their young country by qualifying for the 1996 European Championships and then producing a stunning run to third place at the World Cup in 1998.

"Your magnificent success is a great boon for the country's image in the eyes of the world," said President Tudjman on the team's return.

So it is not surprising that the prime minister has sought directly to harness Ivanisevic's victory to his cause directly.

He told The Associated Press: "Let us take a leaf out of Goran's book. His determination and willpower to persist against all odds and under extreme pressure should be a source of pride and a lesson to us all."

It may yet go down in history as the first occasion on which a tennis victory has helped to save a government.