Clear win for Josipovic in Croatia race

Financial Times: 

Mr Josipovic – the nominee of the Social Democrats, Croatia’s largest opposition party – has promised to support the government’s crackdown on organised crime and corruption. His victory will help to keep EU accession on track, as he can be expected to support, rather than ­question, the bloc’s entry conditions.

He won the first round on December 27 with more than 32 per cent of votes cast, while Mr Bandic, a former Social Democrat running as an independent, took 15 per cent to edge ahead of more conventional centre-right candidates.

With unemployment rising in Croatia, the economy struggling under a heavy external debt load, and the government rocked by corruption scandals, the presidential race underscored the growing troubles of the main conservative ruling party.

Jadranka Kosor, prime minister, endorsed neither presidential candidate, reflecting the ambivalence shared by many right-leaning voters. Ruptures in her Croatian Democratic Union culminated last week in the expulsion of her predecessor, Ivo Sanader, from the party.

Unease with Mr Bandic, the blunt-speaking Zagreb mayor, turned urban-educated centre-right voters to Mr Josipovic in the end, analysts in Zagreb said

Posted via email from Jim Nichols