The fate of one man cannot indefinitely be allowed to block the course of a nation's history. But Croatia has to face the fact that one of its citizens, the former general Ante Gotovina, has been charged with serious war crimes by the Hague tribunal, that the tribunal's chief prosecutor accuses Zagreb of having sheltered Mr Gotovina and that Croatia's bid to join the European Union gives the latter great leverage over the former in insisting on Mr Gotovina being handed over.

Last December - partly as a political balance to opening membership negotiations with Turkey - the EU agreed to start similar accession talks with Croatia on March 17 but only if Croatia was judged to be showing "full co-operation" with the Hague tribunal. Since that is not deemed to be the case, EU foreign ministers look likely to decide today to postpone the accession talks that were due to begin tomorrow. Such pressure is reasonable and proportionate, provided Croatia is in a position to respond to it. And that turns on the Hague prosecutor's claim that Mr Gotovina, though in hiding, is "within reach" of the Croat authorities.