Category Archives: Croatia

Croatia

Croatia – PM steps down

Ivo Sanader, who was appointed prime minister of Croatia on 23 December 2003, resigned last week.

Sanader’s resignation had been mooted for some time but the announcement came as a surprise because, Nacional reports, Sanader stated he was also stepping down as leader of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and that he was quitting politics altogether. Previously, rumours of his resignation were made in the context that he would leave government so as to stand for the presidency in January 2010.

Balkan Insight proposes a number of possible reasons for Sanader’s resignation, but the main theme that comes across is one of surprise at the announcement and confusion as to the reason why.

The incumbent president, Stjepan “Stipe” Mesic, who was first elected in 2000, has 30 days to appoint a successor. Sanader has proposed Deputy Prime Minister, Jadranka Kosor, of the ruling HDZ party as his preferred successor.

Croatia – Local elections 2nd round

The second round of local elections were held in Croatia on Sunday. Information on the first round was posted here.

In the second round, the most notable contests were for the mayors of the largest cities. The elections were seen as a test of the ruling HDZ (Croatian Democratic Party) government in competition with the leading opposition party, the SDP (Social Democratic Party).

In the first round the HDZ did less well in the cities, but better in the district councils. This pattern was repeated at the second round. (At the second round only the top two candidates were eligible to stand).

On the basis of results from the State Electoral Commission, in the mayoral race in Zagreb the SDP was well ahead of an independent candidate. The HDZ did not even make it through to the second round. In Vukovar the SDP just beat the HDZ. In Dubrovnik, the SDP won easily. In Osijek the HDSSB coalition, led by the convicted war criminal Branimir Glavas, easily beat the HDZ. In Sisak, the HDZ was a whisker ahead of the SDP candidate. In Velika Gorica the HDZ beat the SDP. In Split the independent candidate easily beat the SDP.

By contrast, the HDZ did better in the county council elections. For example in the Split-Dalmatia council the HDZ easily beat the SDP. In the Dubrovnik county council the HDZ also won.

Overall, Balkan Insight reports the results as a setback for the HDZ government. However, after similar results two weeks ago, the HDZ prime minister, Ivo Sanader, is reported by Nacional, a Croatian newspaper, to have decided that they provided him with enough backing to stand for the presidency at the next election in January 2010.

 

Croatia – Local elections

Local elections were held in Croatia on Sunday. There were elections for county assemblies as well as large towns where governors are being elected. There will be a second round in two weeks time in many of these latter elections.

The elections were seen as a test for Ivo Sanader’s coalition government. Sanader is from the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). The HDZ is currently in coalition with the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS), the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), and the Independent Democratic Serbian Party (SDSS). The main opposition party is the Social Democratic Party (SDP). the next parliamentary election is due in 2010.

The Croatian Electoral Commission has all the results (if your Croatian is up to it). Anyway, the Balkan Insight summary seems to be that the HDZ and its allies have done well in the county assemblies. It has won a majority of seats in 13 or 14 of the 21 counties. The SDP and its allies have won 5 of the counties. The Istrian Democratic Assembly won in Istria. The Croatian Democratic Assembly of Slavonia and Baranja (HDSSB) is just ahead of the HDZ in Osijek-Baranja county.

In the towns, the situation is different. Here, the SDP has done well. It is well ahead in Zagreb and is well placed to win at the second ballot. The HDZ did not make it through to the second ballot in Zagreb. In Rijeka the SDP won outright. In Split an independent came first, the SDP was second and the HDZ was a long way behind and will not contest the second ballot.

The turnout was just over 35%.

Basically, these results allow both the government and the opposition to say that they have done well, or at least they are on course.