Croatian ruling party wins polls but not a majority

The ruling HDZ party in Croatia is preparing for tough negotiations to form a coalition after winning a parliamentary election without a majority. They may need to work with a far-right party as potential kingmakers.

The conservative pro-EU HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) secured 61 seats in the 151-seat parliament, according to the latest preliminary results. The opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) came in second with 42 seats.

The HDZ, which has been in power since 1991, defended their record of bringing Croatia into the EU’s Schengen free travel area and Eurozone. They denied accusations of authoritarianism and corruption.

The far-right Homeland Movement came in third with 14 seats, potentially holding the balance of power. They have not yet decided which bloc to join.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic invited all parties except the SDP for talks on forming a government. He emphasized the importance of stability in Croatia’s challenging geopolitical environment.

The election campaign was marked by disagreements between Plenkovic and SDP leader Milanovic on issues like the conflict in Ukraine and EU relations.