Parliament Dissolved Ahead Of Snap Election Due By 12 May

The Croatian Parliament (Sabor) has voted to dissolve itself ahead of snap legislative elections that must take place by 12 May. Prime Minister Andrej Plenković faces a difficult challenge, with his centre-right Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) having lost around 10% of its support compared to the previous election in 2020. Should current polling reflect the final result, the HDZ would not be able to govern alongside minor centrist parties, as it has done since the previous election.

• Instead, the HDZ could be forced into a working agreement with the right-wing populist Homeland Movement (DP). Plenković's govt' has been strongly pro-EU, indeed overseeing the country's entry into the eurozone. However, the DP is a more eurosceptic party and could seek to push back against further integration if brought into gov't.
• Alternatively, a broad electoral alliance of left leaning/centrist parties led by the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SDP) could seize the initiative and look to work with parties of the left such as Možemo! (We Can!) to garner enought support to govern.
• In any case, polling would indicate that the stable pro-EU govt' that has been in place for the past four years will not exist in its current format after the election.