Croatian Parties Submit Candidate Lists for European Parliament Elections

The deadline for submitting candidate lists for the June 9th European Parliament elections in Croatia has expired, with major parties announcing their nominees. The ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) submitted its list headed by party president Andrej Plenković, which includes several experienced politicians. Plenković stated that the HDZ expects support and another victory, and that the list represents "the embodiment of true European politics in Croatia."

The opposition Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDP) has also approved its candidate list, which includes coalition partners Dalija Orešković and Bojan Glavašević. Parties were able to submit their nomination applications from April 10-20 at the State Electoral Commission building and from April 21-23 in Parliament.

The 2024 European Parliament elections in Croatia, set for June 9th, will be the fourth such election since the country's EU accession in 2013 and the first to take place after Brexit. Croatia is entitled to 12 MEP seats, which are elected through semi-open list proportional representation in a single nationwide constituency. All Croatian citizens and other EU citizens residing in Croatia are eligible to vote.

Why this matters: The European Parliament elections in Croatia are being closely watched as they take place in the aftermath of the recent parliamentary elections, which resulted in a hung parliament. The outcome of the EU elections could influence ongoing government formation talks and signal the direction of Croatia's political landscape.

The HDZ emerged as the largest party in the April 17th parliamentary elections, winning 61 out of 150 seats, but fell short of an absolute majority. Plenković said the HDZ is in talks with the right-wing Homeland Movement about forming a new government and will also engage with representatives of national minorities and some liberal parties. He dismissed the possibility of a left-wing coalition led by the SDP and the Možemo! party taking power, saying "They won't!"

Meanwhile, Homeland Movement Party President Ivan Penava reiterated his party's three conditions for backing a new government. The centrist MOST party official Nikola Grmoja stated that MOST will not support either an SDP-led coalition or the HDZ in forming a new government. The complex post-election landscape means the formation of Croatia's next government remains uncertain as parties jockey for position and EU elections loom on the horizon.

Key Takeaways

• Croatia's HDZ and SDP parties announced EU election candidate lists.
• Croatia to elect 12 MEPs in June 9 EU elections, first post-Brexit.
• Hung parliament in recent Croatia elections complicates government formation.
• HDZ, Homeland Movement, and MOST parties negotiating new coalition.
• EU election results could influence ongoing government talks in Croatia.