Elections in Croatia: HDZ celebrates victory PHOTO

HDZ - 61

RIJEKE PRAVDE - 42

PATRIOTIC MOVEMENT - 13

MOST COALITION - 11

WE CAN - 10

IDS COALITION - 3

NP NORTH - 2

FOCUS REPUBLIC - 1

The only certainty for now is that the new composition of the parliament will have eight parties and coalitions. These are HDZ, SDP, Homeland Movement. Most, Mozemo, Istrian Democratic Union, Fokus, and NP Sever.

In Croatia, 6,500 polling stations opened at 7:00 a.m. this morning, and by 4:30 p.m., 50.6 percent of citizens registered in the voter's register had voted, which is about half a million more than in the elections held in 2020.

The elections were marked by minor incidents and violations of election silence.

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Božinović: HDZ is certainly heading for a third mandate

Croatian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović said, after the publication of the first results of the State Election Commission, that HDZ is certainly heading for a third mandate and a government led by Andrej Plenković.

"This is something that goes in the direction we saw in the last elections... What I am particularly happy about is that it was always said that HDZ does not like high turnout, and this is a record turnout," Božinović told RTL.

He added that he expects that President Zoran Milanović will give a mandate to whoever has 76 mandates.

"HDZ does not have the support it expected"

SDP Vice President Ranko Ostojić commented on the first unofficial results of the State Election Commission and stated that the goal was for this party to remain the most influential opposition ready to form a government.

Noting that one should keep in mind where the first counted votes come from, namely from the smallest polling stations, Ostojić says that it is obvious that the HDZ does not have the support of the citizens as expected.

Commenting on the participation of the state president Zoran Milanović, who was once the leader of the SDP, in the election campaign, Ostojić says that everyone who contributed to the overthrow of the HDZ should be respected.

Regarding possible post-election coalitions, Ostojić says that one should be smart enough and choose the right partners, that these are primarily left-center parties, but he does not rule out the possibility of talks with the Most party and the Homeland Movement.
 

Applause and chanting in HDZ headquarters

After the first results were announced, according to which HDZ won 67 mandates, applause and chanting could be heard in HDZ.

The atmosphere in the headquarters improved considerably, and the members welcomed the first results with enthusiasm.

"We are doing very well, I said even in the first polls that HDZ is the clear winner. I am particularly pleased that we are the winners with a large election turnout. Otherwise, they put it on us, but we showed that we have gained the trust of the citizens. This is the result of an achievement, " said Branko Bacic.

In Serbia, three times more voters voted for the parliamentary elections in Croatia than in 2020.

Three times as many voters turned out for the elections for the Croatian Parliament in Serbia today than in the previous elections, almost 1,300 in just two polling stations, Tomislav Žigmanov, president of the Democratic Union of Croats in Vojvodina (DSHV), announced today.

"The mobilization of everyone gathered by the Croatian National Council (HNV), local committees and branches of the DSHV, members of associations that promote Croatian culture was exceptional," Žigmanov announced. He stated that this is the largest number of people who have turned out for the Croatian elections since Croats in Serbia have participated in the political processes of their home country.

According to him, it is the result of a campaign conducted through social networks, inviting and organizing members of the association, for whom transportation was organized to Subotica and Belgrade from all places where the Croatian community lives. Consul Counselor at the Croatian Consulate in Subotica Zdravko Vincelj said that the two election days passed peacefully and with dignity. There were no delays or any problems despite the increased interest in voting. The Croatian community in Vojvodina had two representatives on two election lists.

The president of HNV, Jasna Vojnić, was a candidate of HDZ, and the deputy president of the Democratic Union of Croats, Tomislav Stantić, is the holder of the list for the diaspora of the "Focus Republika" coalition. In the 2020 parliamentary elections, 350 Croatian citizens in Vojvodina exercised their right to vote, and in 2016, 276 of them exercised their right to vote.

 

"HDZ is the winner"

Petrov: HDZ should end up in the opposition this time

The leader of Most, Božo Petrov, commented on the possibility of a post-election coalition with the HDZ, pointing out that the HDZ should end this time in the opposition.

"I think that for the hygiene of Croatian society, it would be necessary for them to end up in the opposition," said Petrov.

He also referred to the calculations for a possible coalition with the SDP, that is, the Reka Pravde coalition, and added that we should wait for the final results and see how the citizens voted.

Medved: HDZ and Andrej Plenković will form the third government in continuity

From the election headquarters of the HDZ, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense in the Technical Government, Tomo Medved, commented on the first exit poll, stressing that more reliable results will be waited for with patience.

He is convinced that HDZ and Andrej Plenković will get a third consecutive mandate.

"The HDZ won in these elections as well despite the violation of the Constitution, despite the circumstances that the elections were held on Wednesday. This is proof of the responsible and serious politics of the HDZ and the trust of the Croatian voters that we still have the mandate to lead the country for the next four years," Tomo Medved said.

Medved commented on the fact that 58 mandates are five less than the result achieved in the last elections.

"Taught by the experience of exit poll indicators in the last two election cycles, there were a lot of large corrections in the final number of mandates, i.e. votes. Therefore, we will be patient until we get the final results of the counted votes. In any case, this is a clear message to the Croatian people, that HDZ and Andrej Plenković deserved his third mandate with his responsible leadership of the Republic of Croatia," said Medved.