Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 21 december 2019
Croatia holds tight presidential vote before EU chairmanship

By DARKO BANDIC LOOK LIKE?
JOVANA GEC The campaign has been
Associated Press marked by Grabar Kitarov-
ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — ic's blunders that included
Croatia is holding a tight promising jobs on an 8,000-
presidential election this euro ($8,900) salary or say-
weekend that is seen as a ing she would bring cakes
test for the conservative to the Zagreb mayor in
government only days be- prison if he is jailed for cor-
fore the European Union's ruption.
newest member state takes Mocked on social networks
over the bloc's presidency and in the media, Gra-
for the first time. bar Kitarovic's position ap-
President Kolinda Grabar peared shaken as the elec-
Kitarovic is running for a tion drew closer.
second term at Sunday's Milanovic, her leftist chal-
vote facing a leftist former lenger, has pledged a "nor-
prime minister Zoran Mila- mal" and tolerant Croatia
novic, right-wing challeng- if he wins, while right-wing
er Miroslav Skoro and eight Skoro wants to send the
others. army to stop the migrant
The three front-runners are influx — a move that would
polling close to one anoth- add to criticism of Croatia's
er and analysts believe that In this Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019 photo, presidential candidate Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic, left, and alleged brutal treatment of
the victor will be decided prime minister Andrej Plenkovic greet supporters at a rally in Zagreb, Croatia. people seeking to reach
in a runoff on Jan. 5 since Associated Press Western Europe.
no single candidate is ex- gaffes during the cam- ist pop-folk singer Skoro, a united in focusing on living CAN THE ELECTION RESULT
pected to win outright with paign. Croatia's first female right-wing candidate who standards. Although Croa- AFFECT THE EU PRESIDENCY?
a majority of votes. president, she is known for is trailing closely to the two tia joined the EU in 2013, it The presidency in Croatia
Keeping the presidency flirting with the extreme other front-runners. is still lagging more devel- holds no executive power
is important for the rul- right while also seeking to He is believed to be chip- oped nations in the bloc. — the president formally
ing conservative Croatian portray herself as an easy- ping away the right-wing The country of 4.2 million commands the army and
Democratic Union party as going peoples' president votes from Grabar Kitarov- people relies heavily on represents the country
its government prepares to who doesn't shy away from ic. Skoro said he would the tourism industry along abroad — so the outcome
assume the EU chairman- singing in public, for exam- pardon a convicted war the popular Adriatic Sea of the vote on Sunday
ship that will include presid- ple. Her main opponent is criminal if he wins, fueling coast. However, rural areas doesn't directly change
ing over Brexit and the start Milanovic, who is backed nationalism stemming from have been emptying on an anything.
of post-Brexit negotiations. by the liberal opposition. the 1991-95 war that erupt- alarming scale with people But if an opposition can-
Here is a look at both the Outspoken and populist ed after Croatia split from leaving for more prosper- didate wins, that could
upcoming presidential bal- in style, Milanovic has ac- the former Yugoslavia. ous EU countries such as weaken the conservative
lot and Croatia's EU presi- cused the ruling party of The remaining candidates Germany or Ireland. government as it takes
dency: widespread corruption and include former judge Mis- The issue has become one over the important job at
WHO ARE THE MAIN CANDI- of turning Croatia toward lav Kolakusic and several of the most burning prob- the EU. The government re-
DATES? right-wing nationalism in others. lems with more than 15 per- cently has faced a massive
Grabar-Kitarovic, the in- the past several years. WHAT ARE THE ISSUES? cent of Croats living and education strike that also
cumbent, has been shaken WHO ELSE IS RUNNING? Deeply divided among the working abroad. has dented the governing
after making an array of Also in the race is national- left and right, Croats seem WHAT DID THE CAMPAIGN alliance.q

EU funds help Kosovo fight unhealthy air pollution

By FLORENT BAJRAMI mum level accepted, rising Smoke from the Kosova B
LLAZAR SEMINI up to 213 on Sunday. power plant in Obiliq, 10 ki-
Associated Press School children on Friday lometers (6 miles) from Pris-
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — wore masks when walk- tina create a regular cloud
The European Union is in- ing to schools in the foggy over the capital.
vesting more than 80 mil- capital. The EU is also investing 7
lion euros ($89 million) to To highlight the problems, million euros ($7.6 million)
improve the air quality in air masks were also put on to increase the capac-
Kosovo, whose capital of statutes of Mother Teresa ity of the central Termokos
Pristina is choking from pol- and former U.S. Secretary of heating system for 2,000
lution by coal-based pow- State Madeleine Albright. more households, or about
er plants, coal and wood Nysrete Doda, a Pristina 10,000 residents, including
heating in homes and old resident walking her child schools and kindergartens.
vehicles on the roads. to school, said even the air Outgoing Environment Min-
Luigi Brusa of the European in her home was bad be- ister Fatmir Matoshi says
Union office in Kosovo on Traffic moves along Bill Clinton Boulevard during smog and cause she had forgotten to public institutions do not
Friday said during the last heavy air pollution in Kosovo capital Pristina, on Friday, Dec. 20, close a window overnight. use coal for heating any-
few days the air in Pristina 2019. "It is better that children and more and giving coal sacks
was like that of Beijing, con- Associated Press old people do not go out of to power corporation em-
sidered one of the most The U.S. embassy's air quali- pollution levels higher than home, but they (children) ployees as a reward has
polluted cities in the world. ty monitor has shown PM2.5 50, considered the maxi- have to," she complained. stopped.q