Croatia dissolves parliament ahead of general elections

Croatia’s parliament will be dissolved today ahead of general elections expected to take place later this spring.

Parliamentary elections in Croatia must be held within 30 to 60 days from the date of dissolution of parliament, placing the likely date of elections in late April or early May. Polls indicate a relatively predictable race, with support for Croatia’s main parties remaining mostly unchanged. The center-right Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) remains in first place with slightly more than a third of voting intentions, and similar to the 37% received in 2020. The center-left Restart coalition, of which President Zoran Milanovic is a member, is in second place, with around 20-25% support.

The current HDZ government has led the country through the COVID-19 pandemic and guided its response to the war in Ukraine, and the post-pandemic economic recovery. During this time, Croatia recorded the biggest GDP growth in the EU, boosted by a quickly rebounding tourism industry and the adoption of the Euro as the official currency. Expect the HDZ to tout these accomplishments during the campaign, while the opposition will likely attempt to highlight the changes in ministers and allegations of corruption in Prime Minister Plenkovic’s administration.