Croatia elects Josipovic ahead of EU push

Croatia has elected a legal expert and classical music composer as the president it hopes will lead it into the EU.

Opposition Social Democrat candidate Ivo Josipovic beat the current Mayor of Zagreb in Sunday’s ballot with just over 60 percent of the vote.

In his victory speech he told supporters:

“I strongly believe that we all want to live in a country where work is paid for and crime is punished, in a country of social justice.”

If Croatia is to complete the final stages of accession talks to the EU it must crack down on corruption and Josipovic has identified this as a priority.

For this he can draw on his considerable legal experience.

He will also have to work with the conservative government to salvage an economy that shrank six percent last year and a budget for this year that is seen by many analysts as unworkable.

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