Organized Crime and Coruption Project

The recent election in Croatia of Social Democrat Ivo Josipovic as President by an overwhelming margin has been interpreted by many in the media and international community as a public mandate for the country’s European integration and the enforcement of anti-corruption measures.

The fight against corruption was a particular emphasis of Josipovic’s platform. In the program, outlined in his campaign website http://josipovic.net entitled “New Justice,” Josipovic states:

“Corruption has become a way of ruling, of doing business, schooling and providing medical care, and has such become a barrier on Croatia’s path towards the European Union…The basic precondition for justice is a clear, decisive and courageous struggle against corruption, regardless of where it lies in the state system.”

The statement goes on to cite the importance of using state intelligence and security institutions in Croatia’s battle against organized crime and corruption, but only in general terms. The lack of pinpointing a particular strategy can be attributed to Josipovic’s limited and largely symbolic powers as President over domestic policy. While the President has influence over foreign policy and national security, the anti-corruption measures Josipovic has championed will fall under the control of current Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor.

Josipovic acknowledged these limitations in his program, while asserting “only a weak politician requires more authority in order to accomplish goals.” So far Josipovic has expressed support for Kosor’s anti-corruption reforms implemented since the Prime Minister took office in June of last year. The alliance would offer critical political support for Kosor as the ongoing corruption investigations possibly implicate current and former members of her party, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ).

Among the more prominent of these figures is former Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, whose objections to Kosor’s anti-corruption campaign led to a political showdown that ended with his expulsion from the HDZ just before the presidential elections. Sanader is linked to two current investigations, one concerning improper dealings with the Austrian bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria, which was recently nationalized after near collapse. The other concerns the underpriced sale of a chunk of the Croatian state oil company INA to the Hungarian oil concern MOL.

The investigation into whether Sanader pressured officials into selling INA to MOL was brought by Croatia’s anti-corruption and organized crime unit after calls for the probe from outgoing President Stjepan Mesic last December. For the current President-elect Josipovic’s, the appeals suggest a model for anti-corruption efforts that are beyond symbolic.