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Most viewed in Foreign affairs
Macedonia's man of peaceA delicate understanding of national identity in the Balkans helped Kiro Gligorov keep Macedonia out of the Balkan wars. |
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Croatians vote 'Yes' to EU membershipLarge majority in favour of joining EU but turnout is low. |
Croatians vote on joining the EUCroatians too must vote in favour in a referendum before the country's parliament ratifies accession. |
Stjepan Mesić's career has been closely tied to Croatia's history over the past two decades. He was the last chairman of the collective presidency of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia before the federation broke up in 1991, when Slovenia and Croatia gained independence and Croatia was shaken by an ethnic-Serb rebellion backed by Belgrade.
A member of the nationalist Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), he served as speaker of parliament for two years but fell out with Franjo Tudjman, the party's autocratic leader and Croatia's president from 1990 until his death in 1999, and left the party in 1994.
Mesić was especially critical of Tudjman's policy towards Bosnia and Herzegovina and the alleged agreement with Slobodan Milošević, the Serbian leader, for the country's carve-up. Even after the war, which ended in 1995, Mesić pursued independent policies that frequently put him at loggerheads with the country's nationalist and socially conservative mainstream. He became president in 2000, after Tudjman died. In 2005, he defeated Jadranka Kosor - candidate of the ruling HDZ and now Croatia's prime minister - to stay in office.
While Mesić has been president Croatia has taken a decisive turn towards the EU and NATO, breaking with the nationalist policies of the Tudjman era. Croatia entered NATO in April this year and is poised to wrap up membership negotiations with the EU next year.
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Large majority in favour of joining EU but turnout is low.
Croatians too must vote in favour in a referendum before the country's parliament ratifies accession.
A delicate understanding of national identity in the Balkans helped Kiro Gligorov keep Macedonia out of the Balkan wars.
Deal by six parties to end political deadlock.
The mood in Helsinki towards enlargement has not changed.
