Croatian EU Election Hopefuls Tout International Backers

Angela Merkel welcomes Andrej Plenkovic during the arrivals for a ‘Western Balkans Conference’ at the Chancellery in Berlin. Photo: EPA-EFE/FILIP SINGER.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the top candidate of the centrist European People’s Party, EPP, for the post of European Commission President, Manfred Weber, will participate in the central election conference of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, on Saturday in Zagreb.

“It will be the first and only arrival of Chancellor Merkel at a pre-election meeting outside Germany,” the HDZ proudly wrote on its website – adding that Merkel will hold a meeting with Croatian Prime Minister and HDZ president Andrej Plenkovic.

“The fact that Angela Merkel chose Zagreb, or Croatia, for the only appearance at the pre-election meetings of parties from the People’s Party family also proves the strength and influence of the HDZ within the EPP,” the HDZ claimed on its website.

Projections suggest the HDZ will win five of the 11 Croatian seats in the May 23-26 European elections, and the HDZ is convinced of that too, calling its election list a “winning list”.

On the same day, in Rijeka, the opposition Social Democrats, SDP, who will win three seats according to projections, will host Frans Timmermans, the candidate for the Presidency of the European Commission for the Party of European Socialists.

The small far-right Independent for Croatia party is also running together with the Croatian Party of Rights, and is seeking support from the French far-right Front National, FN.

Bruna Esih, from Independent for Croatia, participated on Sunday and Monday at a meeting of the Movement for Europe and the Freedom of Nation in Slovakia, and posted a photo on her Facebook profile of herself with Marie Le Pen from the FN.

“On my invitation, Ms Le Pen has announced her arrival in Croatia, and her successor in the EU Parliament, Nicolas Bay, will come to Zagreb next week,” Esih wrote on Facebook.

The Eurosceptic populist Zivi Zid party is also seeking a single seat in the European Parliament, allying with other populist parties in Europe such as Italy’s Five Star Movement, which is in government with the right-wing, anti-immigration League. According to predictions, it will get one mandate.

Interestingly, support has come to the leftist Mozemo! [We can!] alliance, comprising the Zagreb is Ours [Zagreb je nas] platform, the New Left and the green ORaH party, from US actress Pamela Anderson.

She has voiced support for Mozemo! in the European elections. “Let me surprise you with a Croatian word of hope (hint: European elections) – Mozemo”, Anderson tweeted on May 5.

Instead –
let me surprise you with a Croatian word full of hope (hint: European elections) – Možemo!

— Pamela Anderson (@pamfoundation) 5. svibnja 2019.

Anderson is also supporting former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis and Croat philosopher Srecko Horvat who are to run in the EU elections in Germany for the radical-left Democracy in Europe platform.

Zagreb City councillor Tomislav Tomasevic, who heads the Mozemo! candidate list, on May 6 thanked Anderson, saying that Mozemo! was only list in Croatia in the elections making a priority of climate justice.

“It is precisely this that Pamela often spoke of in public, especially in the example of the yellow vests in France, who demand that switching to renewable energy should not be paid for by the poor but by those who have benefited from fossil fuel consumption”.

Questioned about Merkel’s alleged support for the HDZ, and support Mozemo! has gained from Pamela Anderson, the Prime Minister replied: “I think that the support of the German chancellor is more helpful”.