Jadranka Kosor: Taking Croatia to the Door of the European Union

When Jadranka Kosor became Prime Minister of Croatia in 2009, she stepped into a political and economic crisis.

Her predecessor, Ivo Sanader, had resigned suddenly. Croatia was in recession, public trust was low, corruption scandals were growing, and the country’s negotiations to join the European Union had stalled. Kosor also became the first woman in Croatian history to lead the government.

She had already spent years in politics, serving as deputy prime minister and minister responsible for families and veterans. But becoming prime minister put her in a very different position. She now had to deal with the problems inside her own party while trying to move Croatia forward.

One of the clearest parts of her legacy was the fight against corruption.

Under Kosor, investigations reached senior officials, including Sanader himself. He was later arrested on corruption charges. Kosor publicly argued that no one should be protected because of their political position or party membership.

That mattered. Croatia was trying to prove to the European Union that its courts and institutions could work independently. Anti-corruption reforms became a major part of the country’s EU accession process.

At the same time, Kosor helped restart negotiations with the EU after a border dispute with Slovenia had blocked progress. She worked with Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor on an arbitration agreement that allowed talks to continue.

In June 2011, Croatia closed the final chapters of its EU negotiations. In December, Kosor signed Croatia’s Treaty of Accession. The country officially joined the European Union in 2013, after she had left office, but her government completed the negotiations that made membership possible.

Kosor also supported better relations with Croatia’s neighbors. She backed dialogue with Serbia and spoke openly about unresolved wartime issues, refugee returns, and reconciliation.

Her record was not without problems. Croatia remained in a deep recession during much of her premiership. Her government raised taxes and introduced unpopular austerity measures. Voters were also tired of corruption scandals linked to HDZ, the party Kosor herself had helped lead.

She lost the 2011 election and later lost control of the party.

Still, her time in office changed Croatia in important ways. She took over at one of the country’s hardest political moments, allowed corruption investigations to reach the highest levels of power, and completed Croatia’s long road toward EU membership.

What happens when women lead?

In Croatia, old disputes move toward negotiation, and a woman helps take her country into Europe.