Citizens should distinguish between candidates and party leaders who only focus on grievances and those who focus on realistic solutions, High Representative and EU Special Representative Valentin Inzko wrote in a column which appeared today in local media.

He said that in 3 October elections citizens will decide between these two options and that “only the citizens who vote – not the ones who stay at home – will decide who governs the country for the next four years.”

The HR/EUSR noted that until now issues citizens care about most had not been at the centre of the election debate yet. “Citizens care about the tens of thousands of jobs that have been lost in the last year,” he wrote.

“They care about political and administrative corruption, they care about the abysmal quality of social services and excessive spending on administration, and they care about rising crime.”

For political parties, finding constructive solutions to exactly these challenges should be the priority. “Voters don’t want name-calling. They want a realistic plan of action, “the HR/EUSR said.