Adlešić (Adlesic) Joins the Fray

Đurđa Adlešić (Djurdja Adlesic), mayor of Bjelovar and one half of HSLS delegation in Sabor, has announced her presidential candidacy. This is going to be bad news for Jadranka Kosor, because HSLS might be tiny and not so relevant party, but Adlešić nevertheless enjoys some kind of support and popularity. She is also a woman, which might take split the votes of Croatian ultra-feminists.

Adlešić, of course, doesn't have any chance of winning. If she makes a relatively strong showing, that could re-invigorate her declining party, though. Her candidacy also could work as bargaining chip in every day negotiations with HDZ – her party's main coalition partner.

In the meantime, some polls suggest that Stipe Mesić (Stipe Mesic) wasn't that hurt with his Montenegro blunder. Žužul (Zuzul) affair has turned some voters against Kosor so two things cancelled each other.

Mesić doesn't take any chances, though. He just announced revamping of his election strategy and stated that he would run as an official candidate of three major opposition parties – SDP, HSS and HNS. He said that he had intended to run as "a citizens' candidate" only to realise that he couldn't compete against "candidate backed by ruling party and government".