Local Elections 2005 Update: Knin Lithmus Test

In City of Knin SDSS, Serb ethnic party, won 8 out of 17 seats.

It was expected that SDSS will form the joint government with HDZ, because SDSS provides 3 very precious votes for Sanader and his razor-thin majority in Sabor.

So, many were surprised to find HDZ opting to form coalition with two Croatian right wing parties – HB and HSP.

On the other hand, this isn’t much of surprise, since HDZ needs HSP votes in order to either win or maintain power in large number of counties, cities and municipalities.

Leaders of HSP, which floated idea of forming new national coalition with HDZ, are delighted with the prospect.

Sanader, on the other hand, is forced to choose between two unpleasant alternatives. If HDZ goes in bed with HSP, this will have negative consequences for Croatian negotiation position towards EU. If Sanader opts to keep distance towards HSP, he risks losing many local communities, HDZ rank-and-file and, ultimately, his own leadership position.

If Knin is to be taken as a lithmus test, Sanader chose HSP. And he probably chose a good spin in order to explain this to his EU cheerleaders – either they should keep Carla del Ponte and ICTY off Croatian back or they could risk having far right and Eurosceptics instead of good European like Sanader to negotiate with in near future.

Comments

[varske]

Slovene MEP Praises Macedonia, Criticizes Croatia over EU Talks see http://www.seeurope.net/en/Story.php?StoryID=55446&LangID=1

I spotted this story in my seeurope newsletter. Jelko Kacin is suggesting that Macedonia is a better model for Balkan EU entry than Croatia because of its internal troubles. What do you think of that?

[Dragan Antulov]

Let's just say that Macedonia doesn't have any border or fishing disputes with Slovenia.

And Croatia, unlike Macedonia, is unburdened with minority issues that allow EU to dictate internal policies.