Croatian president sets parliamentary election for Dec. 4

Croatian President Ivo Josipovic on Monday called parliamentary elections of the EU-bound country for December 4. The Croatian parliament was dissolved last Friday. According to the Presidential Office, Josipovic signed a decision on Monday after consultations with leaders of parliamentary parties, calling for a new election to be held on December 4. Croatia is set to join the EU in 2013. The forthcoming election would decide who will lead the Balkan country when it becomes the EU's newest member. The ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) is facing strong challenges from a coalition of center-left parties. According to recent polls, the opposition parties are leading over HDZ by a large margin. Josipovic will address the nation on Wednesday while he would comment on the current situation in the country and call on voters to go to the polls, the Presidential Office said.