Croatia – Presidential poll

In Croatia the next presidential election will take place in January 2010. The incumbent is Stjepan “Stipe” Mesić. He was from the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), though technically he is non-party. The government is headed by Jadranka Kosor also from the HDZ. The coalition comprises the HDZ, HSS, HSLS, and SDSS.

Opinion polls vary, but a Puls poll for Nacional clearly shows that the favourite for the election is Ivo Josipović of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). In the poll he scores 32%. He also beats every candidate at the second ballot. If he were to win and the coalition stayed the same, then there would be a period of cohabitation.

The other candidates polled are:
Andrija Hebrang (Croatian Democratic Union/HDZ), 18%
Nadan Vidošević (Head of Chamber of Commerce), 15%
Radimir Čačić (Croatian People’s Party-Liberal Democrats/HNS), 12%
Vesna Pusić (Croatian People’s Party-Liberal Democrats/HNS-LD), 11%

Elements within the ruling HDZ had tried to have Vidošević stand as an HDZ candidate. This may have changed the situation, but, apparently, this will not happen now.

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