The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word CROAT
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
C
R
O
A
T
More clues leading to the result CROAT
- European run out aboard Geordie coaler
- Split personality? Actor has that off
- European cormorant’s odd features
- European habit to pinch bottom in particular
- European river prepared for a rainy day?
- Conservative rubbish about a European
- Balkan republic's leader in winter wear
- European king dressed for cold weather?
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "European" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case european = croat.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.