Female President of Croatia – Pulse of Business

This result indicated the conversion of 97 percent. votes. This means that Grabar-Kitarović, conservative opposition candidate, won the mere difference of approx. 21 thousand. votes. Observers point out that if this proves to be the final result, Grabar-Kitarović will be the first woman in the Balkans as president chosen by popular vote.

In the first round of the presidential elections of December 28 Grabar-Kitarović won 37.2 percent . votes, and Josipovic – 38.5 percent.

Considered populistkę 46-year-old Grabar-Kitarović was a candidate of the opposition conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). In the past, she was Minister. European Integration (2003-2005), head of diplomacy (2005-2008), in 2011-2014, one of seven assistants then NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and the first woman in that position. In the years 2008-2011 she served as the US ambassador to Croatia.

The 57-year-old Josipovic, who ran for re-election, is a respected lawyer and composer. Office of the Head of State held since 2010. He was the candidate of the Social Democrats and the center-left 16 other parties.

The president of Croatia is largely ceremonial. The President is the head of the armed forces and has certain powers in the field of foreign policy, which he runs together with the government.

As experts note, the result of the presidential election is the indicator of the popularity of political parties before the parliamentary elections in Croatia, which will be held at the end of this year.

The victory Grabar-Kitarović “would open the door wide for the triumph of the HDZ in parliamentary elections, the wave of popular discontent with the absence of any success of the current government” – said before the second round, the chief editor of the daily “Jutarnji List” , Zeljko Trkanjec.

With a population of 4.2 million inhabitants, Croatia is in almost constant recession since 2008; public debt is approx. 80 percent. GDP. In the third quarter of 2014. the country’s economy shrank by 0.5 percent.

Female President of Croatia – Pulse of Business