One of two right-wing coalitions claims that HDZ and SDP will try to form the next government together.
Croatian Party of Rights adopted on Sunday a declaration and sent a message to voters that a vote for their coalition Pomak (Shift) was a vote for Croatia. They also warned that, since it is allegedly highly probable that HDZ and SDP will form a grand coalition after the elections, those who vote for HDZ would in effect give their vote to SDP leader Zoran Milanović, and vice versa, reports Index.hr on August 7, 2016.
“We offer to the Croatian people the Pomak Coalition, which is made of similar Christian-democratic parties which advocate for a programme of national sovereignty, implementation of lustration, a referendum on leaving the EU, introducing order in public administration, the judiciary, education and science, health care, diplomacy. We are the only ones who can protect veterans and provide them a decent position in society, because we have never before betrayed or deceived them”, says the proclamation to voters ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The Pomak Coalition claims it is the only right-wing coalition which represents and acts on behalf of the part of the electorate for whom Croatian sovereignty and national interests are not just words on paper. “In Croatia, the government is being formed alternatively by two ‘major’ parties of similar political programmes and values. They have not offered anything new and they have not found solutions for Croatian problems. In recent days, the media bring news about wishes of foreign diplomats and rating agencies that the two parties should form a grand coalition after the election, which seems highly likely since neither of the two party presidents has not explicitly said that it was not a possibility.”
“Grand coalition is likely no matter how much they try to convince you otherwise. Therefore, a vote for HDZ is actually a vote for SDP president Zoran Milanović as the next Prime Minister”, ends the proclamation signed by HSP president Daniel Srb.
Pomak is one of two right-wing coalitions which will take part in the elections in September. The other is led by HSP AS, a party which had three MPs in the previous Parliament and was a member of the HDZ-led Patriotic Coalition. After HDZ decided against continuing their cooperation, HSP AS formed its own right-wing coalition which is provisionally called the Homeland Coalition. It is highly unlikely that either of the two coalitions could win more than a few seats in Parliament and the latest polls actually show that they are not anywhere near the 5-percent electoral threshold needed to enter Parliament in each of ten parliamentary constituencies. However, the coalitions could still have an effect on the overall results if they take away some votes from HDZ. Therefore, it is expected that HDZ will point out during the campaign that a vote for the two coalitions is actually a vote for SDP.
