ZAGREB, April 25, 2020 – Parliamentary elections are likely to be held on July 5, provided that the epidemiological situation is good, a source from the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party has told Jutarnji List newspaper.
The date could be shifted for a week, depending on developments with the coronavirus epidemic, but the date of July 5 is currently most frequently mentioned within the party, the newspaper said on Saturday.
“There’s nothing to wait for,” a high-ranking member of the party’s leadership told Jutarnji List, confirming that the elections were possible in early July.
The source said that the HDZ-led government is managing the coronavirus crisis well and the party’s rating is increasing, while the epidemic might return in the autumn, so the ideal time for elections is July.
President Zoran Milanović has intentionally raised ideological issues, which is playing into the hands of former presidential candidate Miroslav Škoro and his Homeland Movement. The HDZ’s rating is growing and Škoro’s is falling, and each vote taken from the HDZ benefits the strongest opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP), the source said.
The government has now announced relaxation measures. This is an election year, and if the epidemiological situation remains good, there is nothing to wait for. Because if a new wave of the epidemic comes in the autumn, elections will not be possible and the question is when they will be held. There is also a possibility of a constitutional crisis, the unnamed HDZ official said, adding that it is only logical that elections should be held as soon as possible.
More HDZ news can be found in the Politics section.
