Zagreb: Croatia went to the polls in parliamentary elections on Wednesday after a fierce campaign between the prime minister seeking a new term and the populist president who wants to head the government despite a court warning.
The spat between conservative Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and left-wing populist President Zoran Milanović comes as the European Union nation struggles with corruption, labor shortages, the euro zone’s highest inflation and illegal migration.
For months, Plenkovic and the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) seemed poised for an easy victory that would secure a third term as prime minister.
But in mid-March, Milanović announced that he would run against Plenković and become prime minister for the Social Democrats (SDP).
Milanović became Prime Minister shortly before Plenković, and his tenure as President was often ceremonial.
“Croatia has never had such a corrupt government,” Milanovic, 57, said before the election.
Calling the election “a referendum on the future of the country,” he urged citizens to “not vote for anyone but HDZ.”
Milanovic called Plenkovic the “father of crime” and criticized the new chief prosecutor for appointing judges linked to alleged corruption.
Corruption has long been a problem for HDZ.
Several of Plenkovic’s ministers resigned after the allegations, and the fight against corruption is key to Croatia’s bid to join the European Union in 2013.
But Milanovic has traveled to Croatia despite a ruling by the country’s top court that he can only stand for election if he steps down as president.
Last year, the prime minister wanted the country of 3.8 million to stick to its role in leading the eurozone and Europe’s passport-free Schengen area.
Plenkovic, 54, criticized Milanovic for supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression and the president’s opposition to training Ukrainian soldiers in Croatia.
Milanovic claimed that he was protecting Croatia’s interests and preventing the country from “going to war”.
The president is at the top of the political popularity polls and his campaign entries have boosted the SDP.
But no party is expected to win an outright majority in the 151-seat parliament, with HDZ expected to be the largest party with around 30 percent of the vote, according to opinion polls.
The SDP, with 20 percent, the nationalist right-wing Watan Movement is in third place and could be king in forming a new government.
The HDZ has dominated Croatia’s government since independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, while the SDP is the center of the opposition.
Milanovic, who served as prime minister from 2011 to 2016, is known for his outspoken and harsh words against HDZ opponents, EU officials and critics.
His mandate ends in January, but he has said he will step down if the SDP and its allies win a majority to form a new government.
Voting opens at 0500 GMT and closes 12 hours later.
