Pavliček Reaffirms HDZ's Agreement with Most Party in Croatia

Andrej Plenković, the leader of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party, has reaffirmed the agreement with the Most party to form a new government in Croatia. This comes as the HDZ dismisses speculation about aligning with the DP party instead.

Croatia has been facing political uncertainty as the current government struggles to maintain popularity. The HDZ, the main conservative party, has been in talks with the far-right Most party to form a probable shift rightward coalition government. The first round of talks between the HDZ and the Homeland Movement, another potential coalition partner, have also taken place.

Meanwhile, the Most party has lost two seats in the Croatian Parliament due to an internal dispute during the drafting of its slate for the upcoming European Parliament elections in June. Marija Selak Raspudić and Nino Raspudić, who were supposed to be on the Most party's candidate slate, have left the party amid disagreements and will now serve as independent members of parliament.

The dispute arose when Selak Raspudić declined to head the Most party's candidate slate due to disagreements with Marin Miletić over the issue of abortion. Božo Petrov, the Most party president, had wanted all candidates, including Selak Raspudić and Miletić, to be on the slate, but a compromise could not be reached.

Despite this setback, Petrov remains confident that the Most party is not broken and hopes to cooperate with the two independent representatives in parliament going forward.

Why this matters: The political situation in Croatia has significant implications for the country's stability and future direction. The formation of a new government will shape Croatia's policies and its relationship with the European Union, as the country prepares for the upcoming European Parliament elections in June 2024.

As the official campaign for the European elections begins, the State Election Commission has published the valid slates for the June 9th poll. In other news, six Rafale fighter jets are set to arrive in Croatia on Thursday, marking a significant milestone in the country's military modernization efforts.

The SDP-led 'Rivers of Justice' coalition remains hopeful of forming a new parliamentary majority, despite the HDZ's agreement with the Most party. "We are still in the race to form a stable and progressive government that will work for the benefit of all Croatian citizens," said a spokesperson for the coalition in the late edition.

Key Takeaways

• HDZ party reaffirms coalition agreement with Most party to form new govt in Croatia.
• Most party loses 2 seats in Parliament due to internal dispute over EU elections slate.
• Croatia's political situation has implications for its EU relations and policy direction.
• SDP-led 'Rivers of Justice' coalition still hopes to form new parliamentary majority.
• Croatia to receive 6 Rafale fighter jets, marking military modernization milestone.