Croatian Democratic Union

The governing centre-left SDP has decided to focus on what it says are the progressive reforms it has made since it came to power as the centrepiece of its campaign for the forthcoming parliamentary elections, Croatian media reported on Monday.

Bosnia's ruling coalition has effectively collapsed after the three main parties in the Federation failed to agree on the makeup of the entity's new government on Sunday. 

This development puts in question the recent agreement on the formation of the new state government, and threatens to push the country deeper into political chaos five months after the elections. 

The first official foreign visit of the new Croatian President, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, will be on March 3 to Sarajevo, where she will meet Bosnian senior officials.  
 
The planned visit is attracting attention, having in mind conflicting statements she has made about her future position on Bosnia and Herzegovina.  
 

Tough negotiating positions and maximalist demands by the leaders of the three strongest parties in Bosnia's Federation entity have scuppered the latest attempt to establish a new entity government. Party leaders pledged to reconvene negotiations at the end of the week.

Croatia's rightist President has demanded the resignation of the leftist Prime Minister, Zoran Milanovic, as political feuding between the two leaders hit a new low point.

Milanovic already had dire relations with President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic, having pointedly failed to congratulate her on her narrow electoral victory over her leftist predecessor, Ivo Josipovic.

Four months after Bosnia's general elections, the leaders of the six parties that make up the ruling coalition at the state level have agreed on the distribution of ministerial and deputy ministerial seats in the new government. 

Leaders of the six parties in the ruling coalition at state level in Bosnia have reported progress in talks on establishing a new Council of Ministers - in effect a state government.

Grabar Kitarovic urged Croatians to unite to solve the country's problems as she was inaugurated on Sunday at a ceremony on St Mark's Square in Zagreb's old town.

"There is nothing we cannot achieve when we are united. I believe in you, my country Croatia," she said in her speech at the inauguration.

Croatia's newly elected President, Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic, is finalising preparations for her inauguration on Sunday.

The candidate of the opposition centre-right Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, she won the second round of the elections in January against the incumbent, Ivo Josipovic, by a smallest margin ever - just 32,509 votes.

Deputies in the Federation parliament on Monday confirmed the appointments of the new entity officials as the country took another step towards forming governments after last October's elections.

The formation of the government in the Federation entity will also enable the formation of the state government, the Council of Ministers.