ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Croatia will vote in parliamentary elections Wednesday after a campaign focused on a bitter rivalry between the president and prime minister that has sparked a political crisis in the tiny member of the European Union and NATO.
The vote pits the ruling conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), led by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, against an alliance of centrist and left-wing parties, informally led by populist President Zoran Milanovic and his Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The elections are being held as Croatia struggles with the highest inflation rate in the eurozone, labor shortages, illegal migration and reports of widespread corruption.
At stake in the race for the 151-seat Croatian parliament are not only the Adriatic country’s future domestic policy, but also the unity of the EU, which is struggling with instability caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
If the HDZ remains in power, the country will continue to follow a pro-Western course in supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia. A success for the SDP could put the country on course for victory in the European Parliament elections in June and the presidential elections in December. It would shake the HDZ’s long dominance in politics and potentially create space for stronger pro-Russian influence in the country, similar to Hungary and Slovakia.
The polls close on Wednesday evening and the official results are expected on Thursday.
Most pre-election polls predicted an HDZ victory, but without enough seats to govern alone. The left-wing opposition could benefit from dissatisfaction with high inflation in the country and the general economic malaise in most EU member states. Smaller parties on the right and left could play a key role for both the HDZ and the SDP in their quest for power.
The HDZ has largely held power since Croatia gained independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991. The Balkan country became the newest member of the European Union in 2013 and joined Europe’s passport-free travel area and the eurozone last year.
In Croatia, the president fulfills a largely ceremonial role, while the prime minister exercises most of the political power. The elections mark the latest episode in the long-running rivalry between Plenkovic and Milanovic.
After Milanovic scheduled the elections and announced his surprise bid for the premiership, he began campaigning on behalf of the SDP. But Croatian Constitutional Court judges intervened and said the measure was unconstitutional.
They said the president cannot run for prime minister, participate in parliamentary elections or campaign in favor of any party unless he resigns first.
Milanovic refused, openly ignored the Supreme Court and continued to campaign in favor of the left-wing alliance. He accused Plenkovic and the HDZ of rampant corruption and “massive theft” of state funds, citing past and current scandals, some of which had ended up in the courts.
Plenkovic, who has led the government since 2016, repeatedly denied the accusations and said Milanovic as prime minister would move the country out of the EU and closer to Russia.
Milanovic has often expressed a pro-Russian position during the war in Ukraine, opposing the training of Ukrainian soldiers in Croatia and sending weapons to Ukraine because he believes this only prolongs the war. He also criticized EU policy towards Ukraine.
