Ruling HDZ refuses to dissolve Croatian parliament, opposition to protest in response

The ruling majority in parliament refused on Wednesday to dissolve the sabor and call elections, despite demands from the opposition, which has vowed to protest in retaliation.

Some 78 members of the HDZ and its coalition partners voted against the dissolution of parliament, while 59 opposition members voted in favour of elections. As Croatia is already facing a super-election year – when Sabor, head of state and EU elections are due to take place – the ruling majority’s decision to continue the work of parliament provoked anger from the opposition.

In response, the leader of the left-wing opposition party SDP, Peđa Grbin, announced protests on 23 March in Zagreb and the rest of the country.

The decision has raised fears that the HDZ will delay holding parliamentary elections for as long as possible, likely until after the European Parliament elections in June.

The members of the ruling coalition previously mentioned April and May as the likely date for elections before saying they would be held “within the constitutional deadline”. This means that they could be held in the summer when most Croatians are on holiday or even in September.

“If the HDZ accepted the request for support for the dissolution of Parliament, it would prove weak. The position always rejects the opposition’s demands; HDZ has always done that”, political analyst and communication expert Ankica Mamić told Euractiv.

She adds that this does not necessarily mean that the elections will be held only in September, although September would probably suit the HDZ for several reasons.

“All this leads to the conclusion that the European elections will probably be held before the parliamentary elections and that they will serve as a general rehearsal for the HDZ. I think the HDZ is moving towards holding the parliamentary elections in September. However, it is obvious that they are still calculating the date and evaluating which term could be the best for them”, points out Mamić.

Political scientist and sociologist Anđelko Milardović believes that it is increasingly likely that HDZ will prepare for parliamentary elections only in the summer or even in September.

He notes that HDZ would prefer a lower turnout in the elections, and July and, especially, August guarantee it since most Croats are on vacation. September would also suit the ruling party when they can boast of the results of another tourist season.

Additionally, September would be optimal for HDZ because, “given the perception of the HDZ in public due to a series of affairs, then the conflict between PM Andrej Plenković and the head of the EPPO Laura Kövesi regarding the case of the Minister of Culture Nina Obuljen Koržinek, as well as disagreements with the USA regarding Bosnia, I think that the HDZ assesses that now is not the right time for elections”, said Milardović.

Polls so far indicate that the HDZ will most likely win the elections but that it will be difficult to form a new government.

(Adriano Milovan | Euractiv.hr)