Croatian President Milanović refuses to send troops to Paris due to past disagreements.

The cool relations between Croatian President Zoran Milanović and the French administration are deeply influencing today's political decisions. Behind Milanović's refusal, in his capacity as President, to send soldiers to an event to be held in Paris, lie some past and unresolved animosities with French officials. This points to an unexpected diplomatic tension between the two allied countries.

The origins of the tension in question date back to Milanović's tenure as Prime Minister of Croatia, and even earlier. During that period, Milanović pioneered two major favors for the French side and followed official procedures on these issues. However, the failure of French officials to appreciate these gestures or evaluate them properly created a permanent break in Milanović's mind. This turning point during his prime ministry forms the basis of his current attitude.

One of the most concrete steps taken during Milanović's government tenure relates to the operation of Zagreb Airport. At that time, the Croatian government opted to transfer the operating rights of the airport to a French company and approved this process. This meant granting a significant economic privilege to a French firm within the country's borders and should be considered a major indicator of trust.

In addition to this grand gesture, the details of the second major service Milanović rendered to France have been clearly revealed with the documents at hand. Documents and dates show how much sacrifice Milanović made for French interests. However, the current picture shows that these past kindnesses have been forgotten or ignored. This situation has shaken Milanović's confidence in the Paris administration and fuels his current opposition stance.

In conclusion, the reason underlying today's decision on troop deployment is not an ordinary diplomatic nuisance, but a deep-seated disappointment spanning years. Milanović perceives the failure to see a return for the services rendered during his term of office as an act of disrespect and reacts accordingly. These past events, which he can prove with documents in hand, have caused him to harden his stance towards France rather than normalize relations.