Croatia elects its first female president

Croatia has elected its first woman president.

The conservative opposition challenger Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic won by the narrowest of margins of just one percentage point.

The 46-year-old is a former foreign minister and assistant to the NATO secretary general.

Her wining of the largely ceremonial job signifies a possible shift to the right after voter discontent with Croatia’s economic decline.

The election has been seen as a key test for the main parties ahead of parliamentary elections widely expected to be held at the end of 2015.