Index – Abroad – Shifting to the right is a condition for the creation of a coalition alliance in Croatia

Although the elections had to be repeated in two localities due to minor irregularities, the final result can be considered final with almost 100% processing of the votes.

The winner of the elections held on Wednesday in an unusual way is the ruling Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, which, contrary to preliminary expectations, won 61 seats in the 151-member Croatian legislature, the Sabor. However, this is not enough to form an independent government. However, Andrej Plenkovics entered his victory speech to the theme song of Rocky, in which he promised to start forming a government immediately.

The challenger, the Social Democratic coalition led by Zoran Milanovics, finished in second place with 42 seats, the Croatian public service medium reported. The former head of state even resigned from his position in the hope of becoming prime minister, but his calculations did not work out and he fell under the bench between two chairs.

The Homeland Movement won the third place with 14 seats, which might be enough for a close, minority government together with the HDZ, but rather they need to find at least one more representative for the parliamentary majority.

The leader of the meeting is a versatile kinesiologist with a national sensibility, Ivan Penava. The former rower, the war-ravaged mayor of Vukovar, is the president of the nationalist party, which was founded just four years ago, in 2020. According to all signs, the strength of the movement is unstoppably rising, as evidenced by the third place it just won.

The interior and culture

HDZ and Haza Mozgalom have come one step closer to forming a new, right-wing government, the Croatian Telegram portal has learned. According to the leaked information, the potential smaller coalition partner has given up its claim to economic management.

Instead, they demand control of four influential ministries: culture, interior, justice and regional development.

They argue that through these ministries, they can enforce the right-wing ideology that their voters have entitled them to with their votes. Acquiring the ministries of culture and the interior can also serve as an explanation to their voters as to why they chose to cooperate with the HDZ, explained representatives of the Homeland Movement.

They consider the anti-immigration policy, the fight against crime and the “Croatization” of the cultural space to be their main objectives – as they stated both before and after the elections.

However, the goals can be achieved by managing the interior and culture – argued the leaders of the Homeland Movement.

At least one person is looking for him

Although several important ministries – finance, economy, foreign affairs, defense and tourism – remain under the control of the HDZ, according to analysts, Plenkovics’ potential position as prime minister has weakened significantly. According to the information of the people with knowledge of the coalition negotiations, the HDZ is in principle ready to conclude a political alliance with the Homeland Movement, but some questions remain open.

There are, for example, fierce debates about whether the Independent Democratic Party of Serbia, SDSS, led by Milorad Pupovac, can enter the government. Due to its ideology, the Homeland Movement insists on the expulsion of the Serbian representative, but Plenkovics is not in the mood for this.

The key question is, of course, how the HDZ will obtain the necessary majority for governance, i.e. 76 seats in the Sabor.

Only 75 came together with the Homeland Movement. A representative who was included as an independent already indicated that he does not collaborate with the HDZ, the Croatian Index reminded. According to assumptions, the current ruling party will try to win the trust of the representatives of Fokus or the Croatian sovereignists, the right-wing Most.

(Cover photo: Andrej Plenkovics speaking at the headquarters of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party in Zagreb on April 17, 2024. Photo: Damir Sencar / AFP)

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