Early elections registered a low turnout, among the lowest in Croatia’s history with just 52% of the country’s 3.9 million voters heading to the polls.
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In November past year, a government was formed and was led by the HDZ, but it collapsed in June due to controversy over public administration reforms and government appointments.
Croatia’s Social Democrats were narrowly ahead in Sunday’s snap parliamentary elections, according to exit polls, but it was unclear whether the party had enough coalition partners to unseat the rival conservative Croatian Democratic Union.
Polls and analysts give a slight lead to a coalition led by the main conservative Social Democrats (SDP) of former prime minister Zoran Milanovic, who was in power for four years until November. It has also fueled nationalist rhetoric amid heightened tensions with Serbia – its former Balkan war foe.
Despite a tied race, the HDZ likely has a better chance as traditionally it enjoyed the supports from Croatia’s diaspora, who has the three reserved seats in the parliament.
Since a potential HDZ-MOST coalition will still lack an absolute majority in parliament – which requires 76 seats – an important role in forming the government will be played by the national minorities’ representatives.
The HDZ party is not likely to have a clear majority in the 151-seat parliament, even with help of the Most party.
Plenkovic said the party will start negotiations with potential coalition partners already on Monday.
That would leave both seeking support from the centre-right Most party – it was also the kingmaker after the last elections.
Nevertheless, MOST’s president, the outgoing vice prime minister, Bozo Petrov, said shortly after midnight that all parties and coalitions interested in forming the government have a five-day deadline to accept MOST’s seven conditions.
“The SDP is realistically too far behind to be in the race to form a future cabinet and if Plenkovic manages to establish a reasonably good cooperation with Most, the government could be stable”, said political analyst Ivan Rimac.
Andrej Plenkovic, front left, leader of center-right HDZ party celebrates elections results at the party’s headquarters in Zagreb, Croatia, early Monday, Sept. 12, 2016.
In a sign of voter disillusionment, turnout was 53 percent, down almost 10 percentage points from the previous vote.
The new government will face a huge task in revitalising one of the European Union’s weakest economies, which is dominated by state enterprises and where red tape deters private investment.
The political deadlock in Croatia has prevented reforms that the former Yugoslav republic badly needs as it emerges from a six-year recession.
The central bank has forecast growth of 2.3 percent this year.
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The EU wants its youngest member to tame high public debt, reduce the budget deficit and improve the business climate to spur economic growth.
