The ruling centre-right Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) on Wednesday officially presented Davor Filipovic as its candidate for Zagreb Mayor in local elections to be held in May.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic noted that Filipovic was aware of all problems, outstanding issues and challenges in the capital city.

“With his work in the City Assembly over the past four years, he has positioned himself very well, he has been recognised, he is familiar with all topics that are relevant for the future of the city’s residents and with his academic career, he guarantees an exceptional contribution to the city’s development,” Plenkovic said in the party offices after an online session of the HDZ’s Zagreb branch.

The most important challenges facing Filipovic will be the reconstruction of the city after the 22 March 2020 earthquake and the city’s financial consolidation, Plenkovic said, thanking members of the HDZ branch in Zagreb for supporting Filipovic’s candidacy by acclamation.

The 36-year-old Filipovic is a lecturer at the Zagreb Faculty of Economics.

He is an HDZ councillor in the Zagreb City Assembly and chairman of its finance and budget committee. He also chairs the Supervisory Board of the Hrvatske Sume forest management company.

The secretary of the HDZ’s Zagreb branch, Filipovic emerged as the party’s candidate for Mayor after negotiations with the temporary director of the Post-Earthquake Reconstruction Fund, Damir Vandjelic, fell through.