Lawmakers in Croatia dissolved the country’s 9th parliament after a vote on Monday, paving the way for fresh parliamentary elections to hold. President Zoran Milanovic has announced that the elections for the 10th parliament will hold on July 5 while diaspora voting will begin on the 4th of July through Croatia’s diplomatic and consular offices.
Voting in The Time of Coronavirus
Speaking on voting in the time of coronavirus, “The epidemiological situation in Croatia is such that we practically have less than ten [daily new] infections and, with all citizens behaving very responsibly, we will have the opportunity to organize the election within the constitutional deadline,” says Andrej Plenkovic, Prime Minister and leader of the ruling HDZ.
In Croatia, elections have between 30 and 60 days of parliament’s dissolution. Restrictions on movement and travel had previously been put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus but most of those measures have been eased hence the decision to go on with the elections. However, analysts argue that the ruling party insists on holding the election soon because its popularity could wane when the country goes into economic shock later in the year. Also, because a second wave of the virus is anticipated and could stop them from holding the elections.
How Parties Are Faring
The ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) is currently leading polls at 33% while the biggest opposition, the Social Democratic Party is following head-on at 30%. Miroslav Škoro Homeland Movement (DPMS) is currently polling at 11% while the Bridge of Independent Lists (MOST) is polling at 5%.
How Croatia Parliamentary Elections Work
Eligible Croatian voters go to polling booths to vote for 151 members of parliament four-year term in ten multi-seat constituencies. 140 seats are elected via an open list method where voters elect individuals or their parties through a ballot. Three seats are elected in special electoral districts (Croatian diaspora) while 8 seats are reserved for ethnic minorities including Jews, Turks, Hungarians and Russians. It is expected that this will not be business as usual, as public health measures need to be applied at polling booths to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
