Croatia

Head-to-head race in case of early election in Croatia

At the time of the vote in Croatia, the two major parties – the social Democrats and the conservative HDZ won almost the same number of votes. The post-election surveys of the major broadcasters showed.

The top candidate of the social demokaten, Zoran Milanovic

The top candidate of the conservative HDZ, Andrej Plenkovic

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The social Democrats (SDP), Zoran Milanovic then come in the Parliament with 151 Seats to 58, the HDZ by Andrej Plenkovic on the 57 deputies. Kingmaker is also the last Time ten months ago, probably back in the new reform party, Most (bridge), which won the according to these calculations, eleven mandates. The remaining seats were to small parties and eight representatives of the minorities, such as Hungarians, Italians, or Serbs.

Post-election surveys had shown in the last vote as very close to the actual final result. The vote count is proceeding at the most recent EU member, according to experience, very slow, even though there are only 3.8 million are eligible to vote. The state election Commission wants to go at 22.00 with the first results to the Public. Preliminary final results are not expected before midnight.

Last election only last November

The Croats had only broken-elected last November, a new Parliament, but the government was a coalition of the HDZ, with the center-Right party Most in June after only five months in office in a dispute over a financial scandal.

Political squabbles had the government of the party paralyzed Prime Minister Tihomir Oreskovic from the beginning. For dispute, the populist course and the nationalist rhetoric of the HDZ-Chairman, Tomislav Karamarko. The former intelligence chief was eventually replaced as party Chairman by Plenkovic, who distanced himself from the populism of his predecessor and the party more to the center organised.

Deterioration of relations with Serbia

Under the previous government there had been a shift to the right. Such attacks had increased on the Serbs and members of other minorities, in addition, there were increased attacks on the independent media.

Against the Background of the shift to the right had worsened the country’s relationship to the neighbours of Serbia. Serbian politicians have warned regularly in front of a “resurgence of Nazism” in Croatia, while Croatian politicians have expressed concern over the Serbian Prime Minister Alexander Vucic, who had been to a political course a sharp opponent of the Croats turn.

sti/RC (afp, dpa)