The conservative HDZ party, in power in Croatia for eight years, once again came out on top in the legislative elections which were held on Wednesday in the small republic of 3.8 million inhabitants, member of the European Union, of the euro zone and NATO. But with only 61 deputies, the party led by outgoing Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic is far from the absolute majority of 76 seats in Sabor, the country’s single chamber.
Plenkovic already had to form a coalition with small liberal and centrist parties in the previous legislature. This time, with 5 seats less, according to the latest estimates on Thursday, the formation of a stable government majority promises to be more difficult for the HDZ. “The HDZ won parliamentary elections for the third time (in a row),” said Andrej Plenkovic. The party will begin to assemble a new parliamentary majority to form its government. »
Corruption
The main opposition party, SDP, and its allies won 42 seats. This social-democratic formation is led by Zoran Milanovic, the President of the Republic, a figure in the Croatian political landscape who led the government from 2011 to 2016. The elections turned into a duel between Milanovic and Plenkovic. The president has refused to resign from his post, although he is seeking the mandate of prime minister, in contradiction with the Constitution.
He accuses the HDZ of being plagued by corruption after affairs which led to the resignation of several ministers in the Plenkovic government. Familiar with insults, he went so far as to describe the Prime Minister as a “godfather of crime”. After the announcement of the results of the legislative elections, Milanovic’s social democrats conceded that they were disappointed by the result of the vote. But they say they will try to form a coalition to form a government.
“The chances of social-democratic President Milanovic are practically zero,” explains a diplomatic source who knows the country well. It is the HDZ which should manage to form a coalition, perhaps with the nationalist party Domovinski Pokret. The HDZ is strengthened by these elections, even if the Prime Minister himself comes out weakened.”
An ambiguous speech on Ukraine
The Croatian elections were closely watched in European capitals, because Zoran Milanovic adopted an ambiguous discourse on Russia and Ukraine, in opposition to the government’s clearly pro-kyiv line.
The President of the Republic – whose powers are very limited in Croatia – opposed the training of Ukrainian soldiers on Croatian soil. He does not want his country to be “dragged” into the conflict. “This is not our war,” he said. He has also been hostile to NATO enlargement since the invasion of Ukraine.
“The Croats are overwhelmingly in favor of supporting Ukraine and absolutely do not want to get closer to Moscow,” estimates the same diplomatic source. Milanovic’s posture did not meet with the success he hoped for with the electorate. »