President To Run As Head Of Opposition Alliance In 17 April Election

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic has confirmed that he intends to lead the main opposition centre-left alliance in the upcomiong snap general election called by PM Andrej Plenkovic. Milanovic also confirmed that the election will take place on 17 April. Milanovic's decision to re-enter the fray, having himself served as PM from 2011-16, will come as a blow to Plenkovic, his long-term political adversary.

• Plenkovic's centre-right Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) has seen a notable decline in support in recent years and will require greaterd support from other parties if it is to remain in power according to recent polling. The return of the largely-popular Milanovic at the head of the Social Democratic Party (SDP)-led 'For a Better Croatia' electoral alliance could further damage Plenkovic's re-election prospects.
• Pre-election, the HDZ gov't had relied on support from the centre-left pro-EU Independent Democratic Serb Party and a number of one-member parties and independents. However, with polling now putting the HDZ at around 25-28% from 37% in the previous election it will likely have to work with larger parties to garner a majority. This could be in the form of the conservative 'The Bridge' or even the right-wing populist Homeland Movement.
• Milanovic's first term as president expires in December. It is a unique situation in Croatian political history to have the incumbent president running for the position of PM. Should Milanovic seek to take up a seat in parliament post-election he would almost certainly have to resign the presidency.