Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović is on everybody’s lips in the Croatian capital a couple of days after her surprising victory in the presidential elections. The first woman in the post, she gave an enthusiastic speech at the end of the election night. She went on and on about how wonderful Croatian people are and how beautiful their country is. Carried away by the cheer, she even promised to make Croatia one of the most developed countries in Europe and the world. Given the largely ceremonial rôle of the Croatian president, this is far-fetched, to say the least. But the promise is bantered about everywhere I turn. I just overheard a conversation at a neighboring table in the Bulldog Pub, where two men were talking. When a third one approached them, one of the men sitting at the table pointed at the other. “He wants to go to Australia,” he said, “and I am helping him as much as I can.” Apparently, he lives there already. “Hey,” the third man chuckled, “why leave the promised land?” They all laughed without mentioning Kolinda, as everybody calls her nowadays. In her defense, the laughter is nearly always good-natured to boot. Indeed, hope dies last.