Croatia's presidential scrap overshadows first days in key EU role

Croatian president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic faces a tough fight to retain power in an election run-off on Sunday, as the country braces for a possible political shake-up just days into its first presidency of the European Union.

Ms Grabar-Kitarovic is backed by Croatia's ruling conservative party, but she trailed centre-left challenger Zoran Milanovic in the first round of voting last month and is still narrowly behind him according to recent opinion polls.

She made several gaffes before a December 22nd ballot in which she took 26.7 per cent of votes, behind ex-premier Mr Milanovic on 29.6 per cent and just ahead of nationalist folk singer and businessman Miroslav Skoro on 24.5 per cent.

Ms Grabar-Kitarovic (51) hopes to secure the bulk of Mr Skoro’s support, and she has faced criticism at home and abroad for pandering to the Croatian far right, while Mr Milanovic (53) is relying on a strong turnout from urban liberals.

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Corruption and emigration

Both candidates claim to be capable of uniting the country of 4.2 million people and representing it professionally on the world stage, while backing efforts at home to fight corruption, boost the economy and reduce emigration.

The incumbent blundered during the campaign, however, by claiming to have reached international deals to bring Croatians jobs with a salary of €8,000 – some 10 times the average monthly wage – and for singing at a birthday party for scandal-plagued Zagreb mayor Milan Bandic and offering to bring him cakes if he was jailed for graft.

Victory for Mr Milanovic would disrupt politics in Croatia during the first week of its six-month presidency of the EU, which it joined in 2013, and create the potential for discord between the new head of state and a government he has strongly criticised.

Budget negotiations

Croatian prime minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Thursday that negotiations over the EU's 2021-2027 budget were "without doubt" the main item on the agenda of his country's presidency.

Croatia is one of a host of eastern and southern EU members that reject proposals from Brussels and richer members to reduce financing for farmers and so-called “cohesion funds” for poorer states and regions.

Talks on Britain's future relations with the EU will be another key element of Zagreb's presidency, and Croatia wants to revive the accession hopes of its Balkan neighbours following disappointment for North Macedonia and Albania three months ago, when France led opposition to the start of their membership talks.

“We will do our best to overcome problems and unblock the process that was held back at the summit in October 2019,” Mr Plenkovic said.

North Macedonia called snap elections in the wake of that setback, and its prime minister Zoran Zaev resigned as planned on Friday to allow a caretaker government to prepare for the April 12th ballot.