HDZ wins most seats but no majority in Croatian elections

ZAGREB, 18 April, 2024 – HINA/CW – The ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) won 61 seats out of 151 in the Croatian parliamentary elections after more than 99.79% of the votes were counted, the State Election Commission (DIP) said on Thursday morning.   

SDP-led left-liberal coalition Rijeke pravde won 42 seats, whilst Domovinski pokret won 14, Most 11 and Možemo! 10.  

HDZ leader and prime minister Andrej Plenković said his party would get to work today in forming a majority government.

“The HDZ has for the third consecutive time convincingly won a parliamentary election,” Plenković said just after midnight last night. 

HDZ, who won 66 seats in the last elections held in 2020, will need to gather a new parliamentary majority to form its government with Domovinski pokret the most likely coalition partner. 

Domovinski pokret were the big winners of last night’s elections and now could be in a position to become kingmaker in forming a new government, but as many political analysts suggest, a tough negotiating period is ahead. 

President of the Homeland Movement Ivan Penava said: “We are the third strongest party in Croatia. We hope to shape the fate of Croatia.”

“Starting Thursday, we will sit down and talk. We stand firm on these matters. SDSS in no variant, under no circumstances. And the Možemo! party is an impossible mission for us,” he added.

There were 450,000 more voters this time around than four years with turnout at 60%, compared with 47% back in 2020. 

In mid-March, President Zoran Milanović decided to call the parliamentary election for Wednesday, 17 April. Parliamentary elections were held on a weekday only once before and that was in 2000 when the polls for the Sabor were held on 3 January, a Monday.

Spokesman of the State Election Commission (DIP) Slaven Hojski told Hina that in technical and logistical terms, it is easier to organise the voting process on a Sunday, given that polling stations are located in schools, kindergartens and similar institutions which are not open on Saturdays and Sundays.

About, 5,400 observers were being engaged to monitor the voting process.

MPs elected by direct, secret vote in proportional representation model

Members of the Croatian Parliament were elected by direct, secret vote. Their term lasts for four years. MPs were elected by proportional representation and preferential voting.

Croatian citizens aged 18 years had the right to vote, and the number of eligible voters had fallen by 127,000 compared to the electoral rolls four years ago.