Croatia will choose a new president in a January run-off seen as a key test for next year's parliamentary election after an unexpectedly tight first round as the country struggles with economic crisis.
Centre-left incumbent Ivo Josipovic and Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic of the main opposition conservative HDZ both failed to win an outright majority in Sunday's vote for the largely ceremonial post in the small EU nation.
Josipovic was just a hair's breadth ahead of Grabar-Kitarovic with almost 38.5 percent compared with just over 37 percent, according to official results from almost all polling stations.
"Kolinda caught up with Josipovic!" and "To a run-off on equal footing!" blared the front-page headlines of the main newspapers in the small EU nation on Monday.
The result reflected voter disappointment with both the government's poor record after six years of recession and Josipovic's lack of criticism of the ruling coalition.
Josipovic -- the third president of the former Yugoslav republic since independence in 1991 -- is a member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the coalition's main force.
- 'Public discontent' -
"A poor economic situation and major public discontent decided the vote's outcome," political analyst Radovan Vukadinovic told AFP.
Local media echoed the view, saying widespread dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic's government affected Josipovic.
"Public see the president as part of those disappointing structures and Josipovic did not want to distance himself from them more radically," commented the influential Jutarnji List.
Josipovic, a 57-year-old former law professor and classical music composer who came to office on an anti-corruption ticket, famously played Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" on the piano when Croatia joined the EU last year.
But hopes that membership of the bloc would revive the flagging economy in the country of 4.2 million have faded.
Croatia's tourism-oriented economy remains one of the EU's weakest -- unemployment is nearing 20 percent, half of its youth are jobless and public debt is close to 80 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
Grabar-Kitarovic, who represents moderates within the HDZ, said voters had shown they wanted change.
After the results were announced late Sunday, the 46-year-former foreign European affairs minister and an ex-NATO assistant secretary general, vowed to lead Croatia "towards prosperity".
During her campaign she had slammed Josipovic's lack of initiative in tackling Croatia's economic woes, accusing him of sharing the blame for the country's ills.
The largely unpopular centre-left government has failed to carry out the necessary reforms to address the country's huge and inefficient public sector or improve the investment climate.
Though the president has limited powers -- running the country is primarily left to the government -- the election was seen as a key test for Croatia's political parties ahead of parliamentary polls in late 2015.
"Grabar-Kitarovic's result marks a triumphal return of HDZ on the political scene. It indicates that a large a number of voters are ready to support it at next year's parliamentary elections," Vukadinovic said.
The HDZ governed in Croatia during most of the time since independence, but lost 2011 elections after a series of top-level corruption scandals.
The other two candidates in the race were rightist Milan Kujundzic and activist Ivan Vilibor Sincic, a newcomer who won a surprising 16 percent on Sunday.
Sincic has built a reputation fighting against forced evictions for people who fall behind on debt repayments.
Analysts said the 24-year-old student -- dubbed by local media as a Facebook Robin Hood and Croatia's Che Guevara -- managed to strike a chord with voters who are disenchanted with the political elite and seeking change.
Croatia will choose a new president in a January run-off seen as a key test for next year’s parliamentary election after an unexpectedly tight first round as the country struggles with economic crisis.
Centre-left incumbent Ivo Josipovic and Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic of the main opposition conservative HDZ both failed to win an outright majority in Sunday’s vote for the largely ceremonial post in the small EU nation.
Josipovic was just a hair’s breadth ahead of Grabar-Kitarovic with almost 38.5 percent compared with just over 37 percent, according to official results from almost all polling stations.
“Kolinda caught up with Josipovic!” and “To a run-off on equal footing!” blared the front-page headlines of the main newspapers in the small EU nation on Monday.
The result reflected voter disappointment with both the government’s poor record after six years of recession and Josipovic’s lack of criticism of the ruling coalition.
Josipovic — the third president of the former Yugoslav republic since independence in 1991 — is a member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the coalition’s main force.
– ‘Public discontent’ –
“A poor economic situation and major public discontent decided the vote’s outcome,” political analyst Radovan Vukadinovic told AFP.
Local media echoed the view, saying widespread dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic’s government affected Josipovic.
“Public see the president as part of those disappointing structures and Josipovic did not want to distance himself from them more radically,” commented the influential Jutarnji List.
Josipovic, a 57-year-old former law professor and classical music composer who came to office on an anti-corruption ticket, famously played Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” on the piano when Croatia joined the EU last year.
But hopes that membership of the bloc would revive the flagging economy in the country of 4.2 million have faded.
Croatia’s tourism-oriented economy remains one of the EU’s weakest — unemployment is nearing 20 percent, half of its youth are jobless and public debt is close to 80 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
Grabar-Kitarovic, who represents moderates within the HDZ, said voters had shown they wanted change.
After the results were announced late Sunday, the 46-year-former foreign European affairs minister and an ex-NATO assistant secretary general, vowed to lead Croatia “towards prosperity”.
During her campaign she had slammed Josipovic’s lack of initiative in tackling Croatia’s economic woes, accusing him of sharing the blame for the country’s ills.
The largely unpopular centre-left government has failed to carry out the necessary reforms to address the country’s huge and inefficient public sector or improve the investment climate.
Though the president has limited powers — running the country is primarily left to the government — the election was seen as a key test for Croatia’s political parties ahead of parliamentary polls in late 2015.
“Grabar-Kitarovic’s result marks a triumphal return of HDZ on the political scene. It indicates that a large a number of voters are ready to support it at next year’s parliamentary elections,” Vukadinovic said.
The HDZ governed in Croatia during most of the time since independence, but lost 2011 elections after a series of top-level corruption scandals.
The other two candidates in the race were rightist Milan Kujundzic and activist Ivan Vilibor Sincic, a newcomer who won a surprising 16 percent on Sunday.
Sincic has built a reputation fighting against forced evictions for people who fall behind on debt repayments.
Analysts said the 24-year-old student — dubbed by local media as a Facebook Robin Hood and Croatia’s Che Guevara — managed to strike a chord with voters who are disenchanted with the political elite and seeking change.
