Page 10 - AT

A10 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 4 January 2020
Messy start: Croatia to elect new leader amid EU presidency

By DARKO BANDIC right-wing voters, Grabar
Associated Press Kitarovic evoked the Croa-
ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — tian unity during the 1991-
Croatia’s bitterly contested 95 war that followed the
presidential race is headed split from the Serb-led Yu-
for a runoff this weekend goslavia. She was mocked
to decide whether a con- in the first round because of
servative or a liberal will a series of gaffes during the
become the new head campaign.
of state while the country The 53-year-old Milanovic is
holds the European Union backed by Croatia’s liberal
presidency for the first time. opposition parties, includ-
Incumbent President Kolin- ing his Social Democrats,
da Grabar Kitarovic from but liberals have been
the governing conservative struggling to regain clout
party is facing leftist former in the predominantly right-
Prime Minister Zoran Mila- leaning nation.
novic in what analysts say Prone to populist outbursts
could be a highly unpre- while prime minister, Mi-
dictable and tight vote on lanovic now says he has
Sunday. learned from the experi-
The two made it into the ence and matured. He tells
runoff following the first the voters to give him a
round of voting on Dec. chance to surprise them.
22. Milanovic had a slight KEY FACTS ABOUT CROATIA
lead over Grabar Kitarovic, Incumbent president and presidential candidate Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic greets supporters in her Home to 4.2 million people,
but opinion polls suggest headquarter in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019. Croatia joined the EU after
there’s no clear favorite. Associated Press coming out of a devastat-
Here’s a look at what’s at is important because it tia’s 3.8 million voters would runoff. He has not backed ing war in the 1990s that left
stake at the ballot: could shake up the political be a blow for the conserva- any of the candidates and over 10,000 people dead
THE PRESIDENT’S ROLE IN scene in Croatia during a tives, weakening their grip vowed to render his own and stalled economic and
CROATIA crucial EU presidency that on power. Croatia took ballot void on Sunday. other reforms.
It is a largely ceremonial will include presiding over over the EU presidency on Analysts say Skoro’s votes Although a lot of time has
post compared to the Britain’s departure from the Jan 1. The European Com- could go both ways, al- passed since the war, Cro-
prime minister, who holds bloc and the start of post- mission members will visit though Grabar Kitarovic is atia’s economy still has
more actual power, yet the Brexit trade negotiations. Zagreb on Jan. 9. ideologically closer. catching up to do with the
president still formally com- The EU presidency rotates WHAT DID THE FIRST ROUND WHO IS RUNNING? rest of the EU and corrup-
mands the army and repre- among the bloc’s 28 mem- LOOK LIKE? The 51-year-old, U.S.-ed- tion is believed to be wide-
sents the country abroad. bers every six months, and Milanovic came out ahead ucated Grabar Kitarovic spread. That is why many
However, the president is since Croatia only joined after the first round of bal- had a diplomatic career Croats, especially young
chosen in a direct public the EU in 2013, this is the loting, trailed by Grabar before becoming Croa- people, have been leav-
vote, which gives the head country’s first time at the Kitarovic and right-wing tia’s first female president ing for more opportunities
of state additional political helm. singer Miroslav Skoro, who in 2015. She has sought to in other EU nations.
weight and a important The vote also is a test for garnered nearly a quarter portray herself as a pan- The war remains a political-
voice on key topics in soci- the ruling Croatian Demo- of the vote with his anti- national figure who relates ly relevant topic in Croatia,
ety. cratic Union party ahead establishment, nationalist to all Croats, but has raised a predominantly conserva-
WHY IS SUNDAY’S VOTE IM- of this year’s parliamentary campaign. eyebrows for flirting with tive nation where the Cath-
PORTANT? election. An opposition vic- It’s not clear how Skoro’s the extreme right. olic Church plays an impor-
This presidential election tory on Sunday from Croa- support will distribute in the In a bid to lure Skoro’s tant role.q
Montenegro denounces protest

attack on its embassy in Serbia

By DUSAN STOJANOVIC day night protest of a reli- citizens declare themselves
Associated Press gion rights law adopted by as Serbs and want close ties
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) Montenegro's parliament with Belgrade. Led by the
— Montenegro on Friday last month. Serbs say the Serbian Orthodox Church
strongly denounced ag- law discriminates against and backed by Serbia's
gression against its embas- the Serbian Orthodox state propaganda, pro-
sy in Serbia during a protest Church. Montenegro Prime Serb Montenegrins have
by thousands of ultra-na- Minister Dusko Markovic been holding daily protest
tionalists, saying the actions tweeted that the embassy marches against the new
of soccer hooligans who attack was an "uncivilized" religion rights law. They say
threw flares and chanted act and another challenge the law will allow the Mon-
"Set it on fire" represented to his small country's inde- tenegrin state to impound
an attack on the country's pendence and freedom. Serbian Orthodox Church
The Montenegrin flag flying from the Montenegrin Embassy, is independence. The crowd Montenegro split from property, including monas-
targeted with fireworks by Serbian ultra-nationalists during a
protest against a religion rights law adopted by Montenegro's targeted the unguarded much larger Serbia follow- teries, churches and other
parliament last month, during a mass protest in Belgrade, Serbia, embassy in Belgrade and ing a 2006 referendum. assets. The Montenegrin
Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020. tried to burn the Montene- About one-third of the small government has repeated-
Associated Press grin flag during the Thurs- Balkan country's 620,000 ly denied those claims. q