This archive report was first published on 5 July 2020.
Croatia Votes for New Government Amid COVID-19 Pandemic ¶
On July 5, 2020, Croatians cast their ballots in a general election, with the ruling conservative HDZ party facing a tight contest against leftist rivals and a new nationalist party.
The election comes as Croatia's tourism-dependent economy is expected to contract by nearly 10 percent due to the COVID-19 pandemic, its steepest decline in decades.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic's HDZ party has been touting its relative success in containing the virus outbreak, with an official tally of around 110 deaths and 3,000 infections.
However, a recent rise in cases has renewed fears over the health situation, giving the opposition fresh ammunition.
“Whoever wins will face major economic problems to deal with in autumn. It won’t be easy,” said Igor Ivic, a 49-year-old economist.
Polls put the two main camps, HDZ and the left-leaning 'Restart' coalition, in a close contest, with neither expected to secure an absolute majority in the 151-member house.
Tricky coalition talks are expected to follow the vote, with the new populist 'Homeland Movement' of folk singer-turned-politician Miroslav Skoro potentially emerging as a kingmaker.
SDP leader and prime minister candidate Davor Bernardic has accused the government of “consciously pushing Croatia into a risk” by deciding to hold the election during the pandemic.
He and other rivals have also highlighted HDZ's history of graft, which has been brought back to the fore with a recent scandal involving a top official.
Plenkovic, meanwhile, is hoping the uncertainty of the health crisis will inspire voters to stick with HDZ, in power since 2016.
“Croatia doesn’t have time for experiments like Bernardic or Skoro,” Plenkovic said.
Some Croatians are, however, hungry for new faces in a country struggling with massive emigration driven by low salaries and corruption at home.
“There is not enough focus on Croatians leaving for abroad, unemployment and poor salaries of young people,” said retired teacher Branka Tekavec.
Right-wing Skoro is also trying to capitalise on fatigue with the country’s two-party dominance, arguing that only his new party “guarantees a change, while SDP and HDZ guarantee the continuity of bad governance”.
Some 3.8 million people are eligible to vote, with first official results due late Sunday.
