Croatian lawmakers on Friday voted to form a new government in a move to the right of the European Union member state ahead of parliamentary elections for the 27-nation bloc next month.
Although the conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) remains in the majority, Croatia’s new government now includes the far-right Homeland Movement, a relatively new party that emerged as a kingmaker after inconclusive parliamentary elections in April. is also included.
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The new cabinet of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, who is inaugurated for a third consecutive term, was approved by the 151-member Sábor (Croatian parliament) by a vote of 79 to 61.
HDZ won the most votes in the April 17 election, but not enough to rule alone. If the new coalition has a relatively narrow majority, a period of political instability could begin after years of HDZ dominance.
In his speech, Plenković said the new government would focus on further economic growth and modernization, adding that so far “the people have recognized our efforts.”
Croatian Prime Minister-designate Andrej Plenković attends parliament in Zagreb, Croatia, Friday, May 17, 2024. Croatian parliamentarians on Friday voted to form a new government in another right-leaning European Union country, becoming the first in the 27-nation European Union to form a new government. There will be bloc parliamentary elections next month. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Croatia’s economy was the weakest in the EU when it joined in 2013, but it managed to join the single currency market last year. The country of 3.8 million people relies heavily on income from tourism along its beautiful Adriatic coast.
For the first time in years, the Croatian government does not include a political party representing Croatia’s Serb minority, after the Homeland Movement, known as the DP, opposed its participation. This has raised concerns that the ethnic balance in Croatia, which was hard-won after the 1991-1995 Serbo-Croatian war, could be disrupted.
Plenković vowed: “We will take care of and respect the rights of national minorities, protect the achieved rights and ensure that every person and every citizen of Croatia feels well.”
But Anja Simpraga, a former cabinet member of the Independent Democratic Party of Serbs (SDSS), warned in Friday’s debate that “we are already witnessing radicalization.” Liberal MP Sandra Bencic, from the green left-wing party Mozemo (We Can), ironically invoked what she described as the “spirit of the homeland” that fuels social divisions.
The Fatherland Movement Party is mainly made up of radical nationalists and social conservatives who have left the HDZ. The party is led by the hardline mayor of the eastern town of Vukovar, which was destroyed in 1991 at the outbreak of Croatia’s war of independence from the former Yugoslavia.
The party called on the Croatian state to end financing of Novosti, a critical liberal news organization published by the Serb minority and funded from the budget.
The Croatian Journalists Association reported that Novosti journalists were threatened and considered enemies of the state. The group claims these threats are the result of the Democratic Progressive Party’s campaign against Novosti and is calling on the authorities to take action.
The DPP also calls for a return to women’s traditional domestic roles in Croatian society, which is dominated by Catholics and conservatives and already faces problems with access to abortion. is claimed.
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The HDZ has been the main government in Croatia since independence. The Balkan country became a member of the European Union in 2013 and joined Europe’s passport-free travel zone and the euro zone last year.
Hard-right and populist parties are currently part of or lead six governments in the EU, and are likely to be well placed in the June 6-9 European Parliament elections. The vote comes as the continent faces issues including the war in Ukraine, climate change and migration.
