European welcome for election of Croatian president

CROATIA’S NEW president, Ivo Josipovic, has pledged to crack down on crime and corruption and lead his country into the European Union, after securing an easy election win over scandal-plagued Zagreb mayor Milan Bandic.

A law professor and classical music composer, Mr Josipovic compared his triumph to a “victorious symphony” after taking 60.3 per cent of votes against 39.3 per cent for Mr Bandic.

“I want a European Croatia, a Croatia that will be one of the shining stars in the European sky,” Mr Josipovic told supporters, insisting that Croatia would flourish “not only through EU membership but by values that we stand for — democracy, freedom, human rights, rule of law, minority rights (and) religious freedom”.

Mr Josipovic (52) also restated his determination to crack down on the graft and mafia groups that plague Croatia, and which are perhaps the greatest obstacle to its EU accession.

Mr Bandic – although he has never been charged with any wrongdoing – suffered at the polls due to persistent media reports linking him to cronyism and shady dealings in the Zagreb administration.

“I want an uncompromising fight against corruption and organised crime . . . a better Croatia with more justice . . . a country where work is paid for and crime is punished,” Mr Josipovic said.

Croatian media broadly welcomed the election of Mr Josipovic, who was seen as a solid but unspectacular candidate in contrast to the maverick Mr Bandic. At a time when stability is needed as the country bids to join the EU by the end of 2012, the combination of Mr Josipovic and prime minister Jadranka Kosor has given the country "a sort of dream team", according to Zeljko Trkanjec, an editor at the influential Jutarnji Listnewspaper.

“They could function great together and that will help Croatia become a country with a real rule of law, which is the basic precondition for EU membership,” he said.

Spanish foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos welcomed the election of “a very pro-European personality” and said “the Spanish EU presidency will do everything it can to be able to conclude negotiations with Croatia as soon as possible”.