Croatian voters are going to the polls on Wednesday in parliamentary elections, with conservative Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic looking for a brand new time period.
Plenkovic, 54, is dealing with up towards President Zoran Milanovic, a Kremlin-friendly left-wing populist.
The 2 males engaged in bitter campaigning forward of the election, with Milanovic accusing Plenkovic of heading a corrupt authorities, whereas Plenkovic slammed Milanovic over his leanings towards Moscow.
The newest polls put Plenkovic’s conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) forward of the opposition Social Democratic Social gathering of Croatia (SDP), for which Milanovic is the candidate.
Intense rivalry
Elections had been initially scheduled for the autumn, however Croatia’s parliament was dissolved in March as Plenkovic and his social gathering confronted opposition accusations of corruption.
Observers imagine that Plenkovic, who had solely a slender majority in parliament, wished the snap election to forestall an additional drop in reputation.
In the course of the marketing campaign, Plenkovic accused his rival of violating the structure and voicing hate speech, whereas highlighting his personal position in taking Croatia into the eurozone and Europe’s passport-free Schengen space final yr.
Plenkovic has additionally slammed Milanovic over his criticism of EU help for Ukraine towards Russia’s invasion and his opposition to coaching Ukrainian troopers in Croatia.
“Milanovic is pushing Croatia and the Croatian individuals into the Russian world,” Plenkovic, who has been in energy since 2016, instructed one rally.
Corruption accusations
In his flip, Milanovic, 57, has accused Plenkovic of rampant corruption, calling him “the godfather of crime.”
Amongst different issues, he criticized the latest appointment of the nation’s new chief prosecutor, a choose with alleged ties to corruption suspects.
Milanovic already served as prime minister from 2011 to 2016.
Wednesday’s election comes as Croatia is beset by corruption, a labor scarcity, the best inflation fee within the eurozone and unlawful migration.
Polling stations opened at 7am native time (0500 GMT) for the nation’s 3.7 million eligible voters and are set to shut at 7pm Preliminary outcomes are anticipated within the night.
Plenkovic, 54, is dealing with up towards President Zoran Milanovic, a Kremlin-friendly left-wing populist.
The 2 males engaged in bitter campaigning forward of the election, with Milanovic accusing Plenkovic of heading a corrupt authorities, whereas Plenkovic slammed Milanovic over his leanings towards Moscow.
The newest polls put Plenkovic’s conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) forward of the opposition Social Democratic Social gathering of Croatia (SDP), for which Milanovic is the candidate.
Intense rivalry
Elections had been initially scheduled for the autumn, however Croatia’s parliament was dissolved in March as Plenkovic and his social gathering confronted opposition accusations of corruption.
Observers imagine that Plenkovic, who had solely a slender majority in parliament, wished the snap election to forestall an additional drop in reputation.
In the course of the marketing campaign, Plenkovic accused his rival of violating the structure and voicing hate speech, whereas highlighting his personal position in taking Croatia into the eurozone and Europe’s passport-free Schengen space final yr.
Plenkovic has additionally slammed Milanovic over his criticism of EU help for Ukraine towards Russia’s invasion and his opposition to coaching Ukrainian troopers in Croatia.
“Milanovic is pushing Croatia and the Croatian individuals into the Russian world,” Plenkovic, who has been in energy since 2016, instructed one rally.
Corruption accusations
In his flip, Milanovic, 57, has accused Plenkovic of rampant corruption, calling him “the godfather of crime.”
Amongst different issues, he criticized the latest appointment of the nation’s new chief prosecutor, a choose with alleged ties to corruption suspects.
Milanovic already served as prime minister from 2011 to 2016.
Wednesday’s election comes as Croatia is beset by corruption, a labor scarcity, the best inflation fee within the eurozone and unlawful migration.
Polling stations opened at 7am native time (0500 GMT) for the nation’s 3.7 million eligible voters and are set to shut at 7pm Preliminary outcomes are anticipated within the night.
