Rightist Threatens Croatian Ruling Party's Plans in Zagreb

Croatia's ruling party, the Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, fears its plans for the local elections in Zagreb could be upset after a far-right researcher, Bruna Esih, said she was running for Mayor.

Esih, aged 41, who entered parliament on the HDZ list as a non-party candidate in the last elections, already has the HDZ worried.

The fear is that she will poach votes that would otherwise go to the HDZ candidate, Drago Prgomet, a moderate centrist in tune with the current moderate course of the party under Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic.

Her friend and political ally, senior HDZ member and controversial former Culture Minister Zlatko Hasanbegovic, last Friday said he was sorry that Esih "isn't the HDZ candidate".

Hasanbegovic and Esih have promoted joint initiatives in parliament since becoming MPs last autumn. Nevertheless, he has denied that he plans to take part in her campaign.

Esih won more than 10,000 preferential votes on the HDZ list for Croatia's first constituency, based in central Zagreb.

In an interview for the weekly Globus last week, Esih said that she was a candidate who could spoil everyone's plans - both those of the HDZ and those of long-time Mayor Milan Bandic.

Ominously, she also said she expected "support from HDZ voters".

Her candidacy - and Hasanbegovic's unofficial support - drew a harsh reaction from the usually reserved Plenkovic.

"What we expect from Hasanbegovic and all members of the HDZ in Zagreb is firm, committed support for Drago Prgomet as our legitimate, high-quality candidate," he said on Saturday.

"Those [HDZ members] who work against our candidate will suffer the consequences," he warned.

Plenkovic concluded that he "would not tolerate anyone calling on...