"This has been no ordinary campaign" says Croatian President Zoran Milanovic, who is running as the country's opposition candidate for prime minister in elections being held on April 17. Speaking as he visits local politicians in the country's northeast, Milanovic says Croatia is in a state of "semi-slavery" brought on by the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). Facing accusations from his opponents of taking a "pro-Russian" stance, Milanovic distances himself from Vladimir Putin, describing the Russian president as "not exactly the best company." IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES