“These are all my boys, and now they lead HDZ”, says the former HDZ president and Prime Minister.
New HDZ leadership is the best proof that life changes in circles. Those who were far removed from any position of influence in HDZ during the times of Tomislav Karamarko are now at its helm. Although former HDZ president and Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor was expelled from the party, now after three years there is a new leadership which makes her very happy, reports Večernji List on July 20, 2016.
The new HDZ leaders, party president Andrej Plenković, political secretary Davor Ivo Stier, Davor Božinović and Damir Krstičević, are all people who were very close to Jadranka Kosor in the government and in HDZ. Plenković was also her candidate for deputy party president in the intraparty elections, and thanks to her they were all elected to Parliament in December 2011.
“They are all my boys”, noted Kosor. Davor Božinović, she continued, was her candidate whom she brought to the government as Defence Minister, after her predecessor Ivo Sanader left. It is expected that Plenković will name Božinović as new international secretary of the party, and he has already named him to a negotiating team with leads discussions with potential coalition partners of HDZ.
“Božinović and Stier were my closest collaborators in talks with Slovenia about unblocking the accession negotiations with the European Union”, said the former Prime Minister. Stier was Kosor’s chief foreign policy adviser in the government, and she appointed him as HDZ international secretary. Retired General Damir Krstičević, who was Plenković’s campaign manager, could be co-opted to the party presidency now. When Kosor was the Prime Minister, she appointed him as her advisor on defence policy and military issues. As for Plenković himself, Jadranka Kosor invited him to join the party in 2011.
Also, one of the most influential people in HDZ now is Vladimir Šeks, who is also very close to Kosor. Kosor said that she had not yet heard from Plenković or Stier. But, if they were to call her, she would accept their invitation for a cup of coffee. “I do not expect anything, but I would be happy to meet them.”
