Croatian parliamentary election, 5 July 2020

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Publication Date 2020
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Summary:

Reports, analyses and information concerning to the legislative election taking place in Croatia on 5 July 2020.

Further information:

The Croatian Parliament (Hrvatski Sabor) - comprising 151 members - is elected through different methods: 141 MPs are elected from geographical electoral districts across the country, 3 MPs are chosen by the Croatian diaspora and 8 MPs are selected from citizens registered as belonging to any of the 22 constitutionally recognised national minorities.

Due to the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, a debate emerged over Spring 2020 on whether the election should be held early than originally planned following a successful containment of the virus outbreak in the country. Government and main opposition eventually reached an agreement on this matter and the Parliament was dissolved on 18 May.

The ruling centre-right HDZ party and the centre-left Restart Coalition were the front runners in the pre-electoral polls. The incumbent registered a surge leading up to the election, which was seen by some as a result of their perceived success in containing the coronavirus outbreak in Croatia. The HDZ eventually won the election (3,3%) followed by Restart (24,9%).

Media outlets across Europe also reported on the participation of Ursula von der Leyen - President of the European Commission - in a support video to centre-right HDZ just before election day, raising questions on whether such appearances are ever appropriate.

Related Links
Commentary and Analysis
IFES Election Guide: Election for Hrvatski Sabor (Croatian Assembly) http://www.electionguide.org/elections/id/3510/
Politico: Poll of Polls: Croatia https://www.politico.eu/europe-poll-of-polls/croatia/
Wikipedia: 2020 Croatian parliamentary election https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Croatian_parliamentary_election
Balkan Insight: Analysis, 29/05/2020: BIRN Fact-check: Broken Promises? Has Croatia’s Ruling Party Kept its Word? https://balkaninsight.com/2020/05/29/birn-fact-check-broken-promises-has-croatias-ruling-party-kept-its-word/
Robert Schuman Foundation: European Elections Monitor: Analysis, 15/06/2020: Left and right running neck and neck in Croatia https://www.robert-schuman.eu/en/eem/1882-left-and-right-running-neck-and-neck-in-croatia
Balkan Insight: Analysis, 01/07/2020: Croatia Votes, Amid a Perfect Storm https://balkaninsight.com/2020/07/01/croatia-votes-amid-a-perfect-storm/
Europe Elects, 05/07/2020: Croatian Parliamentary Election: Establishment Challenged From Left and Right https://europeelects.eu/2020/07/05/croatian-parliamentary-election-establishment-challenged-from-left-and-right/
The New York Times, 05/07/2020: Croatian Prime Minister’s Gamble on Early Elections Pays Off https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/05/world/europe/croatia-election-plenkovic-coronavirus.html
Balkan Insight: Analysis, 06/07/2020: Conservative Shock Win Leaves Croatia’s Left Licking Wounds https://balkaninsight.com/2020/07/06/conservative-shock-win-leaves-croatias-left-licking-wounds/
Politico, 06/07/2020: The strange case of Ursula von der Leyen’s Croatian kerfuffle https://www.politico.eu/article/ursula-von-der-leyen-croatia-video-neutral-partisan/
Euro|topics, July 2020: Croatia: Plenković leads the conservatives to victory https://www.eurotopics.net/en/242002/
Robert Schuman Foundation: European Elections Monitor: Results, 07/07/2020: Outgoing Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic's Democratic Union (HDZ) wins the general election in Croatia https://www.robert-schuman.eu/en/eem/1886-outgoing-prime-minister-andrej-plenkovic-s-democratic-union-hdz-wins-the-general-election-in-croatia
openDemocracy: Can European Make It?, 07/07/2020: Elections in Croatia: Conservatives retain the parliamentary majority https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/can-europe-make-it/elections-croatia-conservatives-retain-parliamentary-majority/

News
Total Croatia News: Tag: Croatia Elections https://www.total-croatia-news.com/tag/croatia-elections/
EurActiv, 06/05/2020: Croatia’s ruling conservatives target summer election https://www.euractiv.com/section/elections/news/croatias-ruling-conservatives-target-summer-election/
Balkan Insight, 18/05/2020: Croatian Parliament Dissolved Ahead of Summer Elections https://balkaninsight.com/2020/05/18/croatian-parliament-dissolved-ahead-of-summer-elections/
Reuters, 20/05/2020: Croatia president calls parliamentary election for July 5 https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN22W1I6
Balkan Insight, 22/05/2020: Nationalists May Hold Key to Power after Croatian Election https://balkaninsight.com/2020/05/22/nationalists-may-hold-key-to-power-after-croatian-election/
Balkan Insight, 03/07/2020: Croatia Readies for Tight Parliamentary Election on Sunday https://balkaninsight.com/2020/07/03/croatia-readies-for-tight-parliamentary-election-on-sunday/
Deutsche Welle, 04/07/2020: Croatia: Election reveals young voters' apathy toward politics https://p.dw.com/p/3empk
Politico, 06/07/2020: Croatia’s ruling conservatives win parliament vote https://www.politico.eu/article/croatias-ruling-conservatives-win-parliament-vote/
The Guardian, 06/07/2020: Croatia’s rightwing ruling party wins election victory https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/06/croatia-rightwing-ruling-party-claims-election-victory-hdz
France24, 06/07/2020: Croatia’s ruling conservatives win parliamentary elections, first results show https://www.france24.com/en/20200706-croatia-s-ruling-conservatives-win-parliamentary-vote
EurActiv, 06/07/2020: Croatia’s ruling HDZ scores unexpected win in parliamentary elections https://www.euractiv.com/section/elections/news/croatias-ruling-hdz-scores-unexpected-win-in-parliamentary-elections/
Euronews, 06/07/2020: Croatia's ruling conservatives win parliamentary election https://www.euronews.com/2020/07/04/croatia-election-will-the-ruling-party-s-early-election-gamble-pay-off
Total Croatia News, 06/07/2020: Analysts Say New Croatian Government to be Formed Soon, be Stable https://www.total-croatia-news.com/politics/44808-analysts-say-new-croatian-government-to-be-formed-soon-be-stable
Associated Press, 06/07/2020: EU top official criticized for breaching code of conduct https://apnews.com/f03c473ce2b4a51f013e1fe27a1ec400
EUObserver, 06/07/2020: Croatia re-elects PM amid corona downturn https://euobserver.com/political/148853
Detsche Welle, 06/07/2020: European Commission apologizes for von der Leyen Croatia election video https://p.dw.com/p/3ert5
EUObserver, 07/07/2020: Commission chief under fire for Croatia campaign video https://euobserver.com/institutional/148867

Official
Website of the Croatian State Electoral Commission https://www.izbori.hr/site/
OSCE: ODIHR: Croatian Parliamentary Elections, 5 July 2020 https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/croatia/455209

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