Croatian PM Steps Down – But Why?
July 2, 2009
Croatian prime minister Ivo Sander adresses his emitted resignation as Prime minister and president of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) at a press conference in Zagreb on July 01, 2009. (Zeljko Lukunic/AFP/Getty Images)
Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, a strong favorite for a presidential run in next year’s elections, shocked Croatian politics today by announcing not his candidacy, but his resignation and planned departure from politics.
“I have decided to withdraw from active politics and not to run for the presidency,” Mr. Sanader said. Mr. Sanader’s goals as Croatia’s PM were two-fold: gain access to NATO and the European Union. He accomplished one goal when Croatia joined NATO in April, but the EU, while tantalizingly close, has hovered just out of reach, shackled by a continuing border dispute with Slovenia.
Speculation over why Sanader has stepped down, especially now, will likely center around his frustrations with the Slovenian dispute. Croatia is ready in almost all other aspects of their accession negotiations with the EU, but must receive the blessing of each of the 27 EU member states. Without Slovenia’s permission, Croatia will not be allowed entry to the elite European club.
Although Mr. Sanader has said that his “job has been done,” one has to wonder – how many more politicians will fruitlessly bang against Europe’s door and only come away with a bloodied fist? Mr. Sanader is the first, but will his Macedonian, or even Turkish, counterparts be far behind?
-Chris Hildebrand
