ZAGREB, December 30, 2019 - President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović called at an election rally in Split on Sunday for coming together and unity, saying that in the January 5 second round of the presidential election the people would define Croatia's course and future.

This is not an election for Kolinda or (Zoran) Milanović, this is the people's election, she said, adding that she wanted January 5 to be the day when people voted for a strong and better Croatia. "Let's vote for new patriotism in 2020."

"My ethical, moral values, my work habits, my relationship with you, my respect for the people who elected me, from whom the power in this state comes and belongs to, that must be in the service of every person and that's what I will continue to do over the next five years."

Grabar-Kitarović called for saying "no to divisions, no to Milanović, no to going the old, no to recession, no to the region."

She said she was worried because of divisions and insults in society, and that this was a brutally dirty campaign. "Instead of a programme, we have heard only insults. Croatian society can't go on like that... Let's confront programmes and ideas for Croatia's development."

She said she was also worried because it seemed that people in Croatia had forgotten too quickly what it was like five years ago. She said Milanović's "political legacy is divisions and spitting on everything."

Grabar-Kitarović said she did not separate voters as "mine and those of others. You are all mine. Croatia is for everyone."

"We must all come and work together when it comes to Croatia. I have been and will remain the president of all Croatian citizens, wherever they live," she said, adding that she wanted to pursue "what we began in 2015, change, a turnaround, growth."

Later in the day, the incumbent president held a rally in Imotski, where she thanked its veterans who took part in the defence of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

She underlined how important it was for Croatia to support BiH and the Croatian people in BiH because "we are one heart and one soul and no one can separate us."

"Croatian borders are secure today, but we would never wish to put up barriers or wire towards BiH where our Croatian people lives as autochthonous, equal and constituent, whose second homeland is BiH."

Grabar-Kitarović said she would fight for the rights of the Croatian people in BiH and for BiH to join the European Union as soon as possible. "That will enable a better life for everyone in BiH as well as an even stronger connection between Croats on both sides of the border."

A prerequisite for that, she added, is the equality of Croats in BiH. "I won't allow any outvoting, any insults. I will fight for your voice to be heard and for you to decide on BiH's future together with the others."

She said all Croats in the world were welcome in Croatia which, she added, was not perfect, urging them not give up on Croatia.

More news about presidential elections can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, December 28, 2019 - The incumbent President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović held an election rally in Karlovac on Friday, her first since the December 22 election when she made it into the second round of the presidential election, scheduled for January 5 when she faces off former Social Democrat prime minister Zoran Milanović.

Grabar-Kitarović said she had chosen Karlovac as the starting point of her campaign for the second round because it had been "a fortress of Croatianness" for ages and "an HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) fortress" since the time of the first president of independent Croatia, Franjo Tuđman.

She thanked her voters for their support in the first round of the election, saying that their support was "a voice of hope and unity".

"I have embarked on the second round with a key message: let's get together as we did in the early 1990s, when we were brought together as part of all-Croatian reconciliation by the first Croatian president Franjo Tuđman. Let's do it for Croatian family, youth, pensioners, disabled people and all vulnerable groups, for our religious and moral values, the Homeland War, Croatian veterans and a better future," Grabar-Kitarović said.

Speaking of the importance of security and of strengthening the country's position on the foreign policy front, she said that Croatia should become stronger "first and foremost so that its people would live better."

"Croatia can do more and better for you, for all of us. That's why I invite all members and sympathisers of the HDZ and its partner parties, all citizens of Croatia, to choose a true Croatia in the second round. At the head of such a Croatia you will have me as your president, while I will have you as my people," Grabar-Kitarović said.

More news about presidential elections can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, December 23, 2019 - Ministers from the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) quota in the government on Monday expressed confidence that incumbent President and HDZ presidential candidate Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović would win the second round of the presidential vote set for January 5.

Finance Minister Zdravko Marić said he expected Grabar-Kitarović to win in the runoff, and in a comment on the first round of the vote, he said that vote dispersion had occurred between two right-wing camps.

"In the first round the fact that there were two candidates on the right side of the political spectrum has caused a dispersion of votes and we all expect Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović to win in the second round," Marić said ahead of a session of the inner cabinet.

Culture Minister Nina Obuljen-Koržinek said that she was not surprised by the outcome of the first round, estimating that Grabar-Kitarović would secure great support in the second round.

"There was another strong candidate who aimed for that part of the political spectrum but I believe that voters will think about the results of the two candidates (competing in the runoff) carefully and there will be no dilemmas then," said Obuljen-Koržinek.

Public Administration Minister Ivan Malenica said that HDZ members were not disappointed, but that nonetheless they had not expected the incumbent president to come in third in Zagreb. When asked what this said about the situation in the HDZ, he said that one should close ranks and support the HDZ candidate.

Health Minister Milan Kujundžić said that the outcome of the first round was as expected and that the second round was an entirely new game.

Asked if Grabar-Kitarović's result was a result of dissatisfaction in the HDZ, he said that presidential elections should be viewed separately from the situation in the HDZ, and particularly from parliamentary elections, where, he said, the HDZ was certain to win.

Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman said he expected Miroslav Škoro's voters to support the HDZ candidate in the second round.

"We are counting on all votes," he told reporters and, as for possible cooperation with Škoro in parliamentary elections, he said that anything was possible.

"Any cooperation to the benefit of Croatian citizens is good and that is what the President said in her speech - Croatia above anything else, unity and the interests of Croatia and Croatian citizens," Grlić Radman said.

Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli said that the goal of making it into the second round had been achieved and that the game was about to begin anew.

Justice Minister Dražen Bošnjaković said that he was not worried about fewer votes in Zagreb and big cities because "big cities were never the HDZ's strongholds."

Transport Minister Oleg Butković said that he believed the counties where Škoro had won in the first round would vote for Grabar-Kitarović in the runoff.

More news about presidential elections can be found in the Politics section.

Ever since Croatia joined the European Union (EU) back in July 2013, the number of Croats in Ireland, as well as other EU countries, has soared. Croats have used the opportunities of most of Europe's borders being opened to them. Upon joining, Croatia entered the single market and gained access to the majority of the labour markets of individual European Union member states, with the initial exception of a few, the respective barriers of which have now also been dropped for Croatian citizens. 

In addition to Germany, Ireland has also been a favourite for Croats to emigrate to, often quickly gaining employment and settling into a nice lifestyle there, either temporarily with the intention to return home, or permanently, with no intention of ever coming to Croatia again unless the visit is for a family holiday.

With Croatia's presidential elections finally coming to a head, just what did the many Croats in Ireland think of the political situation back home? It's well known that presidential candidate Zoran Milanovic visited Croats in Ireland, apparently ''not to earn their votes'' but to ''see and hear the reasons why they left Croatia in the first place''. Regardless of the reasoning behind it, SDP's Milanovic made the trip to the emerald isle. Kolinda, on the other hand, did not...

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 23rd of December, 2019, over in the Republic of Ireland, no Croatian citizen voted for Nedjeljko Babic, nor did any vote Anto Djapic.

Otherwise, when it comes to Croatian citizens abroad, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic leads the way with 52.48 percent of the vote. Miroslav Skoro closes in in second place with 35.66 percent of the vote, and third in line is SDP's Zoran Milanovic with 6.04 percent. When it comes to Croats in Ireland, however, the situation is a little bit different.

In Ireland, now the home of a considerable number of Croats, HDZ's Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic won only three percent of the vote, given the fact that just 100 people Croatian citizens went to the polls Ireland, according to the results of the State Electoral Commission, leading to just three people circling her name on their ballot.

Katarina Peovic also enjoyed a mere three votes from Croats in Ireland, while Dejan Kovac and Dalija Oreskovic received one vote each. As stated, in Ireland, nobody voted for Nedeljko Babic, nor for Ante Djapic.

The biggest winner in Ireland is Miroslav Skoro, holding 23 percent of Ireland's Croatian diaspora vote. This was followed by Mislav Kolakusic with 22 percent, followed by Ivan Pernar, whose name was circled by 20 people. 19 percent of Croats in Ireland who cast their votes voted for Zoran Milanovic, while just 6 percent voted for Dario Jurican.

Make sure to follow our dedicated politics page for much more.

ZAGREB, December 23, 2019 - President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, who is running for re-election in a second round against Zoran Milanović, called on Sunday on all voters to vote for her, notably those who supported Miroslav Škoro in today's first round of the presidential election.

Grabar-Kitarović thanked everyone who voted today, saying they had shown that it was important that the president was elected by the people in a direct election. She congratulated the other candidates on their election results.

She criticised Milanovic and called on those who voted for Škoro today to vote for her in the runoff. "I had a fellow candidate in my political spectrum, unlike Milanovic. But now we must all come together and win."

Grabar-Kitarović thanked everyone in the ruling HDZ party who supported her when she was being called out over alleged mistakes and misinterpreted, "although I've never done anything that would damage Croatia and the Croatian people."

She called on everyone to vote "for a better Croatia" in the runoff.

"That will be a vote for five years of intense fighting, intense working for our Croatia. I have shown industriousness, work and determination. My second term will be a daily fight for change in our society which, unfortunately, is still divided on futile ideological issues and historical disputes. That takes us back and we are fed up with it. We are tired of that, let's go into the future."

Grabar-Kitarović underlined the need for unity, rallying around the same goals, which she said was the key to success. "All of us, not us or them, but all of us. We are all Croatia, one Croatia with equal opportunities for all."

In this election, we are electing the person who will continue to be with the people over the next five years and who will "listen to what you have to say," she said.

We are electing a president who will come from, work for and fight for the people. And when I win your trust again, I will again fight on Croatia's behalf for a place in the first row, for Croatia, not for myself, Grabar-Kitarović said.

She said she did need more powers. "Your trust is my biggest power. You are at the centre of my programme and my policy, not I."

Addressing those who did not vote for her, she said she knew that in doing so they expressed a certain dissatisfaction. "Your message is perfectly clear to me. I've heard it, I understand it. But now is not the time for new divisions. 'Us or them' must not be Croatia's policy again."

We must not allow the destruction of the policy of unity and a return to the policy of ideological conflicts, she said. "The goal and pattern are always the same - divide and discourage all patriots and then a minority calling themselves 'us' will rule. I won't let that happen."

After 15 years of wandering, we finally found the right course and I dictated the pace of that course and will continue to do so, she said.

Commenting on Milanović's stance that the president should be elected in parliament, Grabar-Kitarović said one should wonder why he was running for president if he thought he could achieve nothing.

"Today's vote has shown that the Croatian people wants to elect its president in a direct election, but a president who will work for the people and fight for the people... I will do so in the next five years."

She called on those who did not vote today to rally around her programme. "It's a vote for an even better Croatia, for a Croatia tailored to everyone's needs, for a Croatia which believes in democracy, which wants more, not less democracy, and for a president who works, who is among you, with you and for you."

"My Croatia is a Croatia for all. That's the only path and let's take it now, tonight already," Grabar-Kitarović said, adding that she would be "the voice and the hands of the people."

More news about Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović can be found in the Politics section.

According to election results released at 5h CET (with 99.98% votes processed) on December 23, 2019; Croatia President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović and former Prime Minister Zoran Milanović will advance to round two of the Croatian presidential elections on January 5, 2020. Miroslav Škoro, a popular folk musician, who was closely trailing Grabar-Kitarović in the early exit polls, will not advance to the second round.

Here is a breakdown of the final results for all eleven presidential candidates:

29.55% - Zoran Milanović – Former Prime Minister | SDP
26.65% - Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović – Current President | HDZ
24.45% - Miroslav Škoro – Folk singer and former Croatian Parliament Representative | Independent
5.87% - Mislav Kolakušić – Former Judge and EU Parliament Representative | Independent
4.61% - Dario Juričan – Legal name: Milan Bandić. Filmmaker and Performance Artist | Independent
2.89% - Dalija Orešković – Former Chair Conflicts of Interest Croatian Parliament | Independent
2.31% - Ivan Pernar – Member of Croatian Parliament | Party of Ivan Pernar
1.12% - Katarina Peović – Former member of Zagreb City Council | Workers’ Front
0.95% - Dejan Kovač – Economist and Princeton graduate | HSLS
0.21% - Anto Đapić – Former Osijek Mayor and Former Member of Croatian Parliament | DESNO
0.15% - Nedjeljko Babić – Regional party candidate | HSSČKŠ

First Woman President of Croatia

Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, born April 29, 1968; is the fourth and current President of Croatia since 2015. She is the first woman to be elected to the office since the first multi-party elections in 1990. At 46, she also became the youngest person to assume the presidency.

Before her election as president, Grabar-Kitarović held several governmental and diplomatic positions. She was Minister of European Affairs from 2003 to 2005, the first female Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration from 2005 to 2008, Croatian ambassador to the United States from 2008 to 2011 and the NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy from 2011 to 2014.

Grabar-Kitarović was the only female candidate in the Croatian presidential elections held in December 2014 and January 2015 and was runner-up in the first round. She proceeded to narrowly defeat incumbent President Ivo Josipović in the second round. Her strong performance in the first round was unexpected, as most opinion polls had given President Josipović a strong lead. In the second round, Grabar-Kitarović defeated Josipović by 1.48%, which was the closest percentage margin of any presidential election to date.

She was a member of the conservative of HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) from 1993 to 2015 and was also one of three Croatian members of the Trilateral Commission, but was required to resign both positions upon taking office as president in 2015, as Croatian presidents are not permitted to hold other political positions or party membership while in office. In 2017, Forbes magazine listed Grabar-Kitarović as the world's 39th most powerful woman.

Grabar-Kitarović’s 2019 presidential campaign has been marked by a series of gaffes and apparent missteps. She enjoys a warm political association with controversial Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandić, whose party officially endorsed her candidacy. Last week, she claimed during a campaign rally in Osijek that she had secured jobs for Croatian citizens to work from home for 8000 EUR, after they had received training abroad.

After refusing to debate other presidential candidates before the first election round; she relented and agreed to one debate with all eleven candidates on HRT (Croatian Radio Television), a public network frequently accused of favoring the president’s former political party (HDZ). Even though only three of the eleven presidential candidates were consistently polling in the double digits, Grabar-Kitarović refused offers by commercial networks to debate her top two contenders. She justified her decision by indicating that she believed all the presidential candidates should be heard. The resulting debate, which took place just days before the election, was a two-and-a-half-hour fiasco, in which all eleven candidates were given opportunities to discuss their views on abortion, religious education, corruption, border control and gay pride.

Former Prime Minister of Croatia

Zoran Milanović, born October 30, 1966; is the former Prime Minister of Croatia, a position which he held from December 2011 to January 2016. He was the leader of SDP (Social Democratic Party of Croatia), the largest centre-left political party in Croatia, from 2007 to 2016. He served as Leader of the opposition twice, from 2007 to 2011 and from January to November 2016, when Davor Bernardić succeeded him as SDP leader.

After graduating from the Zagreb Faculty of Law, Milanović began his career the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He served as an advisor at the Croatian Mission to the European Union and NATO in Brussels from 1996–99. In 1998 he earned his master's degree in European Union law at the Flemish University in Brussels and was an assistant to the Foreign Minister of Croatia for political multilateral affairs in 2003.

In June 2007 he was elected President of SDP, following the death of Prime Minister Ivica Račan. In 2011, Milanović initiated the formation of the Kukuriku coalition, uniting four center-left political parties. The coalition won an absolute majority in the 2011 parliamentary election, and SDP became the strongest party in parliament. Milanović became Prime Minister on December 23, 2011, after the parliament approved his cabinet.

Milanović’s term as Prime Minister was marked by Croatia's entry into the European Union. His cabinet introduced changes to the tax code, passed a fiscalization law, and began several large infrastructure projects. Milanović also supported the expansion of same-sex couples rights and introduced the Life Partnership Act.

Following the 2015 election, he was succeeded as Prime Minister by Tihomir Orešković. Milanović led the four-party coalition until the early parliamentary elections in September 2016. Following a surprise defeat, Milanović announced his withdrawal from politics. He then entered the consulting business and worked as an advisor to Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.

On June 17, 2019; Milanović announced that he would be running for President of Croatia as the SDP's candidate in the upcoming election. Under the slogan “A President with Character,” he ran his campaign based on center-left principles and values, and his record as prime minister. He acknowledged making mistakes as Prime Minister and does not want to increase the powers of the Croatian presidency, which have been reduced since President Franjo Tuđman’s term ended in 1999. Milanović also insisted that he would not participate in a presidential debate without Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović’s guaranteed participation, which was verified a day before the presidential debate was broadcast on HRT.

Popular Musician Fails to Advance

Miroslav Škoro, born July 29, 1962; is a Croatian pop-folk musician and politician. His music is characterized by its traditional tamburitza sound, updated to appeal to a contemporary audience.

Born in Osijek, Škoro completed his degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Osijek. He subsequently spent some time in the United States of America where he attended the Community College of Allegheny County for two years.

He emerged on the Croatian music scene with his debut album “Ne dirajte mi ravnicu” (Don’t touch my prairie) and produced a song of the same name, which would go on to be one of the most famous Croatian songs. In 2002, Škoro collaborated with controversial right-wing singer Marko Perković on the song "Reci, brate moj" (Tell me, my brother). They continued their collaboration on the single "Sude mi" (They're putting me on trial), which was dedicated to former Croatian general Ante Gotovina.

In addition to a music career, Škoro has enjoyed a career in politics. From 1995 to 1997, he was the Croatian general consul to Hungary. Between 2001 and 2006, Škoro was the Chairman of the Board of Croatia Records. In 2007, he joined HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) and won a seat in the parliament the same year. Škoro took office in January 2008 but resigned ten months later due to his disappointment over the way he felt that politicians were being treated by the Croatian media.

On June 23, 2019; Škoro announced his candidacy in the 2019 Croatian presidential election. In a video message on his Facebook page, Škoro indicated that changes to the constitution are needed and that the president should have more powers. He maintained 3rd place in pre-election polls, close behind Grabar-Kitarović and Milanović. His campaign was supported by several right-wing parties including HKS, Hrast and Most.

Škoro’s presidential campaign has been marked by controversy. He was living in the United States during the Homeland War while many of his peers remained in Croatia defending her borders. He indicated that he would pardon convicted Croatian war criminal, Tomislav Merčep. During the presidential debate, he promised to send troops to secure the border to prevent illegal migrants from entering Croatia. Škoro also violated terms of the “election silence” at least three times since it went into effect 24 hours before election day and ended at 19h after the polls closed. During the election silence, candidates are forbidden from campaigning. 

Follow our Politics page for updates on the 2019/2020 Croatian presidential elections.

ZAGREB, December 20, 2019 - The incumbent President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović held her main election rally in Zagreb on Thursday evening ahead of the presidential election on Sunday, saying that she was seeking a second term in office in good conscience because over the last five years Croatia had emerged from apathy and gloom and strengthened its international standing.

"We have pulled Croatia out of apathy and gloom. Croatia is no longer on its knees, it's upright! Croatia is again known in the world for its successes. I'm proud to have had a chance to help Croatia come out of the recession, I'm proud that I have strengthened Croatia's standing in the word," Grabar-Kitarović told a packed Cibona sports hall.

She thanked everyone for supporting her during the last five years, saying that her term had marked a start of change for the better and "now it should continue with even greater strides".

She said that the national economy has recovered, wages are rising, general government debt is decreasing, the country's credit rating and GDP are improving, the military and police are getting stronger, war veterans have been ensured the dignity they deserve, decentralisation is being conducted as the basis for balanced regional development, the issues of missing persons from the war and people with blocked bank accounts are being addressed, the absorption of EU funding is improving and the demographic issue must be a social priority.

She also stressed the importance of national unity. "The unity of the Croatian people and all our citizens has no alternative and I will never give it up."

She said she had pulled Croatia out of the Western Balkans and anchored it in Central Europe and the Mediterranean through the Three Seas Initiative. "That's where we belong."

She concluded by offering the voters "optimism instead of lamentations, unity instead of divisions, association instead of separation, and action instead of inaction."

The rally was also addressed by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković and other senior officials of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party.

Plenković called on voters to cast their ballots for Grabar-Kitarović, saying there was no better president than her. He said he was confident that "the Croatian people will show their wisdom and maturity on Sunday" and vote for her.

Jandroković told those gathered that they all needed to support the HDZ candidate together because of the attacks she was being subjected to during the campaign "which was never so dirty before."

He said that there were no divisions within the HDZ. "We all stand as one, we are all together and we will show it on Sunday."

More news about presidential elections can be found in the Politics section.

The incumbent Croatian president has accepted the HRT invitation to debate with the other presidential candidates. We have learned that HDZ candidate, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, will nevertheless come face to face with the other presidential candidates in a debate, which is being coordinated by HRT (Croatian Radio Television) tomorrow night December 17, 2019 at 21:05h.

Grabar-Kitarović confirmed the news and stated that "each candidate who has collected 10 thousand signatures must have an equal opportunity and no one should be underestimated or favored before the first election round takes place."

All Eleven Croatian Candidates Expected to Attend

According to unofficial reports, all eleven presidential candidates are expected to show up at HRT studios on Tuesday at 21:05h. The debate will be televised on HRT1, as reported by Jutarnji List/Zadarski on December 16, 2019.

The eleven presidential candidates are:

Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović – Current President | HDZ
Zoran Milanović – Former Prime Minister | SDP
Miroslav Škoro – Folk singer and former Croatian Parliament Representative | Independent
Mislav Kolakušić – Former Judge and EU Parliament Representative | Independent
Dario Juričan – Legal name: Milan Bandić. Filmmaker and Performance Artist | Independent
Dejan Kovač – Economist and Princeton graduate | HSLS
Dalija Orešković – Former Chair Conflicts of Interest Croatian Parliament | Independent
Ivan Pernar – Member of Croatian Parliament | Party of Ivan Pernar
Anto Đapić – Former Osijek Mayor and Former Member of Croatian Parliament | DESNO
Nedjeljko Babić – Regional party candidate | HSSČKŠ
Katarina Peović – Former member of Zagreb assembly | Workers’ Front

Milanović Sought Guarantee for President’s Appearance

Earlier on Monday, SDP presidential candidate Zoran Milanović spoke about the debate, saying that he had sent an official memo to HRT seeking a guarantee that the current president would appear - otherwise he would not participate.

“Presidential candidate Zoran Milanović will participate in the debate organized by HRT on December 17, 2019 if President of the Republic, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, who is running as a candidate and defending her term, agrees to participate in the debate. If HRT, as organizer of the debate, can confirm and guarantee the arrival of President Grabar-Kitarović, Zoran Milanović is also ready to participate. Please confirm that she will attend,” the memo reads.

“However, we are still waiting for HTV's response. The day before the much-publicized debate, they don't want to reveal on public television whether Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović is coming to the debate? Give us an answer and let us know because we’ll continue to think that HTV is negotiating with the HDZ behind our backs. You're not going to bring Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović through the back door, in the dark, to Prisavlje (location of HRT headquarters), are you? We expect a response by 10am on Tuesday,” Milanović wrote on Facebook.

A response from Grabar-Kitarović's headquarters has arrived in the meantime.

"Finally, we were able to get a confirmation that the current president is coming to the debate. I'll respond. I know what I've been doing for the last 10 years and I know I'll be the target of criticism for those who want to celebrate through the night. My goal is for a normal Croatia and it starts on January 5th," read his Facebook update on December 16, 2019.

Earlier Debates Abandoned Due to President’s Non-participation

Zoran Milanović and Miroslav Škoro had refused to participate in debates among the four most popular candidates, which other TV stations had tried to coordinate, since Grabar-Kitarović chose not to participate. As she did not consent, planning for those debates failed. Mislav Kolakušić was the only candidate who had given his consent.

Be sure and watch the debate tomorrow December 17, 2019 on HRT1 at 21:05h. Follow our Politics page for updates on the 2019/2020 presidential elections.

According to Croatian President, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, she has agreements with several countries which will enable Croatians to go elsewhere for training and then return home and work online. By working online, they will earn eight thousand euros in Croatia.

She also emphasized, during a campaign rally in Osijek, that the December 22nd presidential election is particularly important because we will be choosing a policy that will promote Croatian national and state interests, and the president will be working to resolve critical social problems over the next five years.

Croatians Must Think About Direction of Country

Grabar-Kitarović, Croatian president and HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) candidate, who is running for another presidential term, stressed at the election rally that "we all need to think about where Croatia is heading. We must unite in our love for our homeland, and not focus on quarrels or excuses that nothing can be accomplished just because of a lack of leadership," she added, as reported by Index on December 15, 2019.

She assessed that Croatia is a country full of talented people and that we must work "together to enable our talented people to help Croatia attain her rightful place, which is among the most prosperous and best places to live in the world.”

“We have both resources and people, which is everything we need. All we need is good leadership, and not the kind of leadership which claims that nothing can be done, because that would just be a symbol for inaction. We need to get to work and take pride in our work," Grabar-Kitarović said.

Criticized Croatian Government Inaction

She recalled that, during her tenure, she has been critical of the Croatian government because she "does not want to be a salon politician" and announced that she would "continue to be critical of anyone who is not doing their job, not working for Croatia’s best interests, underestimates Croatia or believes that Croatia is small and insignificant."

"On the other hand, I will always lend a hand to anyone who wants to collaborate, because we can only achieve our goals by working together. Our nation is the source of power in this country. Don’t allow a few people tell you that they are more important than you are," she emphasized.

She continued by saying her parents taught her that goals can only be achieved through hard work, effort and dedication. And she "does not want idle people at the helm of the state because they just become the excuse that leadership is not doing enough."

New Deal: Croatians Can Work Online for 8,000 EUR

She said she would "create new jobs" even though some claimed that she couldn’t.

"I am telling you that we can accomplish this because I already have agreements with several countries, which will enable Croatians can go elsewhere for training and then return to Croatia and work online for another country. By doing this, they can earn eight thousand euros in Croatia. Imagine what that could mean for our young people," she noted. It isn’t clear whether the president was referring to an income of 8,000 EUR a year, which amounts to 4,960 HRK a month, or 8,000 EUR a month which is over 59,500 HRK a month or 96,000 EUR (714,363 HRK) a year. Nor did she disclose a timeline for the implementation of these agreements.

While the Croatian President did not clarify if the 8,000 EUR was monthly or annually, it is hard to decide which would be more ridiculous, given her enthusiastic announcement. Without any concrete details to back up the claim, 8,000 EUR a month is clearly absurd, while the annual figure would place it marginally above the minimum wage, hardly cause for chest-thumping celebration at a political rally. 

"Do not underestimate your vote, every vote is important to me because it is a vote from my country, and I guarantee you that I will continue to be your voice and your president," Grabar-Kitarović added.

The head of her election headquarters, Osijek-Baranja County Mayor Ivan Anusić, emphasized that she is "the only candidate who is a Christian-Democrat and Croatian patriot, and the goal is for Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović to win the election."

Other Candidate Should Have Been in Croatia in 1991

He asserted that the President’s campaign has been subject to attacks by Croatians in the media which are "not objective and realistic" and that the upcoming elections are important because the media have united "in attacking a woman who has more courage than all of them put together."

"Serving in the army in 1991 is not a requirement. And it's not a drawback if other candidates didn’t. But if you enter the race, my dear candidate, and your story is based entirely on the Homeland War, Croatian veterans, religion, love and homeland – then you should have been here in Croatia in 1991. Religion, faith and love mean absolutely nothing to the other candidate. Therefore, he didn’t need to be here, and he does not consider is a sin that he wasn’t.”

Osijek HDZ president Ivan Radić said the competition is full of "bitter, pessimistic and disappointed losers who don’t believe in Croatian knowhow and potential."

He said that SDP candidate Zoran Milanović registered for the election "without a vision, plan or program." Regarding presidential candidate Miroslav Škoro, he claimed that "this isn’t sport for him and that his politics only reflect frustration, hatred and the strange world hiding behind him."

We must send a clear message that our community is stronger than some believe, and we cannot be divided by people who consider this country to be an undesirable experiment, Radić concluded.

Here is a video of the president’s speech. Ivan Radić’s speech begins at 1:00:25, Ivan Anušić’s at 1:12:30, and the event concludes with the President’s speech, which begins at 1:27:50.

Check out our Politics page to follow the upcoming presidential election in Croatia. The first election round takes place this Sunday December 22, 2019.

ZAGREB, December 15, 2019 - President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović said at an election rally in Slavonski Brod that during her current term she had helped solve the problem of air pollution in Slavonski Brod and that she was helping the government deal with the situation in the ailing Đuro Đaković mechanical engineering group.

Grabar-Kitarović said that the problem of air pollution in Slavonski Brod, caused by a Russian-owned oil refinery in the northern Bosnia and Herzegovina town of Bosanski Brod, across the Sava River, was solved in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Đuro Đaković is of special importance for Croatia. The payment of late wages started on Friday, 60 more workers will receive their wages on Monday... the government is about to launch the restructuring of the company. Its debts will be settled so that a new partner can enter the ownership structure. After that, new production will be launched," she told reporters after the rally, adding that a US company was interested in establishing an overhaul centre for combat vehicles.

She also said that in her next term, she would focus on the issue of demography and the return of young people to the region of Slavonia, hit by large-scale emigration.

More news about presidential elections can be found in the Politics section.