'A woman of the people'

Croatia's first female president, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, is a moderate conservative who styles herself as "a woman of the people" and likes to joke that she is one of the few career diplomats who can milk a cow.

Before beating her incumbent rival Ivo Josipovic in a runoff vote on Sunday, the 46-year-old had held the posts of foreign minister, ambassador and NATO assistant secretary-general.

"I never gave up my convictions and I still invest in the same values: homeland and family are my life choices," said Grabar-Kitarovic of the main opposition HDZ Party.