Local opposition leader Zoran Milanovic has become the new president of Croatia. In the second round of the presidential elections held on Sunday, he received 53,25% of the votes, while only 46,75% voted for Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic.
The second round of the presidential election campaign in Croatia took place under anti-Serbian slogans. Both Milanovic and Grabar-Kitarovic mocked Serbia and insulted its leader Aleksandar Vucic, Kurir reports.
Vučić became almost the main topic in the final televised debate on HRT. Thus, Kitarovich accused her opponent of interacting with all her neighbors, including Vucic. And Milanovic argued that Belgrade is behind the events in Montenegro, where believers are holding mass protests against the new law allowing the confiscation of churches and monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
“Those who are now leading the uprising in Montenegro and opposing joining NATO are following Vucic’s policies. These are people who are ready for anything. They are led by (Andrija) Mandić, who is the Chetnik voivode,” Milanovic said.
According to expert Predrag Rajic from the Belgrade Center for Social Stability, anti-Serb policies are deeply rooted in Croatian society. "In the final of the campaign they are competing to collect points to see who has more points against Serbia and Vucic," Rajic said.
In the opposition Democratic Front of Montenegro, the statements of Croatian politicians caused a wave of condemnation.
“The anti-Serb message of Croatian presidential candidate Zoran Milanovic and attacks against Andrij Mandić and DF are not surprising, since Milanovic is trying to help Milo Djukanovic (to the President of Montenegro - ed.), serving in the politics of Greater Croatia, in a situation where Serbs in Montenegro, Serbia and Republika Srpska defend the Serbian Orthodox Church and its saints in Montenegro.
This indicates that the basis of any Croatian policy is hatred of the Serbian people and Orthodoxy. Even Milanovic, considered a moderate politician, is trying to demonstrate an anti-Serbian point of view,” says a message published on the party’s Facebook page.
This hysteria caused President Vucic to abandon the idea of celebrating Christmas Eve in the north of Montenegro.
“I thought that this was normal, but then, from the reaction of some people in Montenegro, I realized: if I come privately, without political speeches, just to come to church, but the Montenegrin authorities began to release information in the media that this would cause bloodshed and chaos. I will preserve Serbian unity in Montenegro and wherever Serbs live, and I will not allow the Serbian people to be a scapegoat,” Vucic said, adding that his decision was supported by Patriarch Irinej, Tanjug reports.