Bulgaria’s Euro Dilemma in the Shadow of Croatia and Greece
Introduction
Croatia’s incumbent head of state Ivo Josipovic and his main challenger, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, will face each other in a run-off presidential vote on 11 January 2015, an exit poll showed on Sunday.
According to the exit poll by independent Nova TV announced after voting in the first round closed, Croatian President Ivo Josipovic, aligned with the Social Democrats (the dominant party in the current government coalition) won 38.9% of the vote.
Grabar-Kitarovic, running for the main opposition party, the conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), followed with 38.1%.
The vote for president is seen as a key test for the centre-left government which has faced criticism for its failure to halt economic decline more than a year after Croatia joined the EU and its inability to tackle high unemployment.
The other two candidates running on Sunday trailed far behind.
Milan Kujundzic, running on a right-wing populist ticket, and Ivan Sincic, an independent, won 5.7% and 15.6%, respectively.
Preliminary official results are expected to be released later on Sunday evening.
Half of the population in Greece won’t be going on holiday this summer
The Serbian National Assembly has approved a loan agreement worth €1.9 billion with several French financial institutions to fund the acquisition of 12 Rafale fighter jets
Croatia is reintroducing mandatory military service after a 17-year break, with the government unveiling a new law that will reinstate basic training for young men starting no later than January 2026
A strong earthquake struck southwestern Turkey during the early hours of Tuesday
Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski accused Bulgaria of attempting to portray the people of North Macedonia as an “artificial nation”
Early this morning, an explosion rocked the Krušik defense plant in Valjevo, Serbia, resulting in five people sustaining minor injuries
Borderless Bulgaria: How Schengen Benefits Are Transforming Trade and Logistics
Bulgaria's Mortality Rate Remains Highest in Europe