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Germany's Der Tagesspiegel says Croatian voters did themselves no favours by backing the right-wing Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, in general elections on Sunday.
With the election victory of the HDZ, the shadow of the past is growing longer again
Sueddeutsche Zeitung
"The parliamentary elections represent a strong shift back in the direction of nationalism - a fatal step backwards," the paper warns.
It argues that EU membership has become a more distant prospect, with Croatia now finding itself no closer than "the front garden of the EU house, perhaps even outside the fence".
Sueddeutsche Zeitung expresses similar fears.
"With the election victory of the HDZ, which began to shape the country during the war and governed it under its father figure Franjo Tudjman in an authoritarian manner for almost a decade, the shadow of the past is growing longer again."
The paper acknowledges that current party leader Ivo Sanader represents a new way of thinking but adds that the HDZ still has a strong nationalist wing.
The victory of the right-wing nationalist Croatian Democratic Union... doesn't scare anybody in Europe any more
Der Standard
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung believes the governing coalition lost the election because it failed to fulfil its promises.
"Voters are merciless, they punish the half-hearted and the indecisive," it says.
But it keeps an open mind about Mr Sanader's prospects.
"When it comes to achieving the political criteria for EU membership, we shall soon see whether the HDZ is behind him, as he claims, or whether those critics are right who do not believe in the transformation of the HDZ into a clean, modern conservative party, or who doubt his ability to achieve it."
Austria's Der Standard is confident that the HDZ has changed.
"The victory of the right-wing nationalist Croatian Democratic Union... doesn't scare anybody in Europe any more," the paper says.
"Twelve years after the end of the war, democratic normality seems to be taking hold in Croatia," it adds.
Die Presse agrees, arguing that there is every reason to believe that nationalism of a kind incompatible with EU membership won't be revived.
This is sad.
I guess Serbia is going to take the lead seeing as it has embraced true democratic reforms.
Germany's Der Tagesspiegel says Croatian voters did themselves no favours by backing the right-wing Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, in general elections on Sunday.
With the election victory of the HDZ, the shadow of the past is growing longer again
Sueddeutsche Zeitung
"The parliamentary elections represent a strong shift back in the direction of nationalism - a fatal step backwards," the paper warns.
It argues that EU membership has become a more distant prospect, with Croatia now finding itself no closer than "the front garden of the EU house, perhaps even outside the fence".
Sueddeutsche Zeitung expresses similar fears.
"With the election victory of the HDZ, which began to shape the country during the war and governed it under its father figure Franjo Tudjman in an authoritarian manner for almost a decade, the shadow of the past is growing longer again."
The paper acknowledges that current party leader Ivo Sanader represents a new way of thinking but adds that the HDZ still has a strong nationalist wing.
The victory of the right-wing nationalist Croatian Democratic Union... doesn't scare anybody in Europe any more
Der Standard
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung believes the governing coalition lost the election because it failed to fulfil its promises.
"Voters are merciless, they punish the half-hearted and the indecisive," it says.
But it keeps an open mind about Mr Sanader's prospects.
"When it comes to achieving the political criteria for EU membership, we shall soon see whether the HDZ is behind him, as he claims, or whether those critics are right who do not believe in the transformation of the HDZ into a clean, modern conservative party, or who doubt his ability to achieve it."
Austria's Der Standard is confident that the HDZ has changed.
"The victory of the right-wing nationalist Croatian Democratic Union... doesn't scare anybody in Europe any more," the paper says.
"Twelve years after the end of the war, democratic normality seems to be taking hold in Croatia," it adds.
Die Presse agrees, arguing that there is every reason to believe that nationalism of a kind incompatible with EU membership won't be revived.
This is sad.
I guess Serbia is going to take the lead seeing as it has embraced true democratic reforms.
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