Croatia: Prime Minister is granted mandate following reach of deal with nationalists
In Croatia, Andrej Plenkovic, the incumbent conservative leader, has been given the green light to form a new government only two days after striking a coalition deal with Zoran Milanovic and his right-wing nationalist Homeland Movement.
On Friday, Plenkovic shared the news through an online service, X, revealing that he got the nod after submitting signatures from 78 of the 151 newly-elected lawmakers in mid-April.
On Wednesday, Plenkovic had announced his alliance with the Homeland Movement. As a nod to the partnership, he excluded the Serbian Minority Party (SDSS) from the new government. This was a compromise given that the SDSS was once a loyal partner of Plenkovic, who took office in 2016. Plenkovic tried to reassure the public that Croatia's 'direction' and 'openness' won't be affected.
Plenkovic's HDZ won the most votes in the April 17 parliamentary elections, capturing a total of 61 seats in the 151-seat parliament in Zagreb. However, that wasn't enough for them to gain a majority. The Homeland Movement, which claimed the third-strongest position with 14 seats, was viewed as a potential partner for Plenkovic from the get-go.
The first meeting of the new parliament in Zagreb will take place next Thursday following the announcement.
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Source: www.ntv.de
