2016 Croatian parliamentary election
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All 151 seats in the Croatian Parliament 76 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Turnout | 54.62% ( 8.44pp) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
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Parliamentary elections were held in
The elections were contested by the two largest parties in the outgoing eighth Parliament; the
The election resulted in a victory of HDZ with 61 seats in the parliament, while the People's Coalition won 54 seats. Andrej Plenković started talks about forming a governing majority with Most, which won 13 seats. Zoran Milanović announced his withdrawal from politics after the defeat. A few weeks after the election HDZ and Most concluded talks on forming a government, which would also include the 8 Members of Parliament representing national minorities. On 10 October 2016 Plenković formally presented 91 signatures of support by MPs to President
Background
Following the
Electoral system
The 151 members of the Croatian Parliament are elected by three methods; 140 are elected in ten 14-seat constituencies by open list proportional representation using a 5% electoral threshold, with seats allocated using the d'Hondt method; 3 are elected in a special constituency for Croatian citizens and people of Croatian descent living overseas; and 8 are elected from a constituency for ethnic national minority groups:[3] 3 for Serbs, 1 for Italians, 1 for Hungarians, 1 for Czechs and Slovaks, 1 for Albanians, Bosniaks, Macedonians, Montenegrins and Slovenes, and 1 for Austrians, Bulgarians, Germans, Jews, Poles, Roma, Romanians, Rusyns, Russians, Turks, Ukrainians and Vlachs.
Political parties
Name | Abbr. | Ideology | Political spectrum | Leader | Seats 2015 | Seats before election | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
People's Coalition
| |||||||
Social Democratic Party of Croatia Socijaldemokratska partija Hrvatske |
SDP | Social democracy[4] | Centre-left
|
Zoran Milanović | 42 | 42 | |
Croatian People's Party-Liberal Democrats Hrvatska narodna stranka - liberalni demokrati |
HNS | Liberalism[5][6] | Centre | Ivan Vrdoljak | 9 | 9 | |
Croatian Party of Pensioners Hrvatska stranka umirovljenika |
HSU | Single-issue politics (pensioner's rights) | Centre
|
Silvano Hrelja | 2 | 2 | |
Croatian Peasant Party Hrvatska seljačka stranka |
HSS | Agrarianism | Centre | Krešo Beljak | 2 | 1 | |
HDZ "Coalition" | |||||||
Croatian Democratic Union Hrvatska demokratska zajednica |
HDZ | National conservatism | Centre-right
|
Andrej Plenković | 49 | 51 | |
Croatian Social Liberal Party Hrvatska socijalno liberalna stranka |
HSLS | Conservative liberalism | Centre-right
|
Darinko Kosor | 2 | 2 | |
Croatian Christian Democratic Party Hrvatska demokršćanska stranka |
HDS | Christian democracy | Right-wing
|
Goran Dodig | 1 | 1 | |
Croatian Growth - Movement for a successful Croatia[7] Hrast - Pokret za uspješnu Hrvatsku |
Hrast | Political Catholicism
|
Right-wing
|
Ladislav Ilčić | 1 | 1 | |
For Prime Minister Coalition[8] | |||||||
Bandić Milan 365 - Labour and Solidarity Party Bandić Milan 365 - stranka rada i solidarnosti |
BM 365 | Populism | Centre | Milan Bandić | 2 | 2 | |
People's Party - Reformists Narodna stranka - Reformisti |
Reformisti | Social liberalism | Centre | Radimir Čačić | 1 | 1 | |
New Wave - Party of Development Novi val - Stranka razvoja |
Novi val | Social democracy | Centre-left
|
Ljubo Jurčić | 0 | 0 | |
Croatian Peasant Party Stjepan Radić Hrvatska seljačka stranka Stjepan Radić |
HSS SR | Agrarianism | Centre | Jurica Šoić | 0 | 0 | |
Bloc Pensioners Together Blok umirovljenici zajedno |
BUZ | Single-issue politics (Pensioners' rights) | Centre | Milivoj Špika | 1 | 1 | |
The Only Option Coalition | |||||||
Human Blockade Živi zid |
Živi zid | Populism, Anti-establishment, Euroscepticism | Centre | Ivan Vilibor Sinčić | 1 | 1 | |
Always Frankers Uvijek Frankeri |
UF | Populism | 0 | 0 | |||
Change Croatia Promijenimo Hrvatsku |
PH | Populism | Centre | Ivan Lovrinović | 0 | 3 | |
Youth Action Akcija mladih |
AM | Liberalism | Centre | Vjekoslav Rubeša[9] | 0 | 0 | |
Alphabet of democracy Abeceda demokracije |
AD | 0 | 0 | ||||
Even Stronger Istria Coalition | |||||||
Istrian Democratic Assembly Istarski demokratski sabor |
IDS | Regionalism (Istria), Social liberalism | Centre-left
|
Boris Miletić | 3 | 3 | |
Alliance of Primorje-Gorski Kotar Primorsko goranski savez |
PGS | Regionalism (Primorje-Gorski Kotar) | Centre | Darijo Vasilić | 0 | 0 | |
List for Rijeka Lista za Rijeku |
RI | Regionalism (Rijeka) | Centre | Danko Švorinić | 0 | 0 | |
Homeland Coalition | |||||||
Croatian Party of Rights dr. Ante Starčević Hrvatska stranka prava dr. Ante Starčević |
HSP AS | National conservatism | Right-wing
|
Ivan Tepeš | 3 | 3 | |
Democratic Union of National Renewal – Right Demokratski savez nacionalne obnove – Desno |
Desno | National conservatism, Croatian nationalism | Far-right
|
Anto Đapić | 0 | 0 | |
Croatian Christian Democratic Union Hrvatska kršćanska demokratska unija |
HKDU | Christian democracy, National conservatism | Right
|
Marko Veselica | 0 | 0 | |
United Party of Rights Ujedinjena stranka prava |
USP | National conservatism | Right-wing
|
Antun Kljenko | 0 | 0 | |
Croatian Democratic Party Hrvatska demokratska stranka |
HDS | Christian democracy | Right wing
|
0 | 0 | ||
HDSSB Coalition | |||||||
Croatian Democratic Alliance of Slavonia and Baranja Hrvatski demokratski savez Slavonije i Baranje |
HDSSB | Conservativism
|
Right-wing
|
Dragan Vulin | 2 | 2 | |
Croatian Conservative Party Hrvatska konzervativna stranka |
HKS | National conservatism, Economic liberalism | Right-wing
|
Ruža Tomašić | 0 | 0 | |
No Selling Coalition | |||||||
Independent List Stipe Petrina Nezavisna lista Stipe Petrina |
NLSP | Stipe Petrina | 0 | 1 | |||
Free Croatia Slobodna Hrvatska |
SH | 0 | 0 | ||||
Together Movement Pokret Zajedno |
PZ | 0 | 0 | ||||
Sustainable Development of Croatia Održivi razvoj Hrvatske |
ORaH | Sustainable development, Environmentalism, Progressivism | Centre-left
|
Luka Keller | 0 | 0 | |
Shift Coalition | |||||||
Croatian Party of Rights Hrvatska stranka prava |
HSP | National conservativism, Euroscepticism
|
Far right
|
Daniel Srb | 0 | 0 | |
Croatian Pure Party of Rights Hrvatska čista stranka prava |
HČSP | National conservativism
|
Far right
|
Ivan Pandža | 0 | 0 | |
Action for Better Croatia Akcija za bolju Hrvatsku |
ABH | National conservativism
|
Right-wing
|
Željko Cvrtila | 0 | 0 | |
Family Party Obiteljska stranka |
OS | Political Catholicism
|
Right-wing
|
Mate Knezović | 0 | 0 | |
Turn Croatia Around Coalition | |||||||
Smart Pametno |
Pametno | Social liberalism, Progressivism, Economic liberalism | Centre | Marijana Puljak | 0 | 0 | |
For the City Za Grad |
Za Grad | Social Democracy, Liberal socialism
|
Centre | Iva Kvakić Ivan Zelenić |
0 | 0 | |
Not part of any coalition | |||||||
Autochthonous Croatian Party of Rights Autohtona – Hrvatska stranka prava |
A-HSP | Radical nationalism, Euroscepticism
|
Far-right
|
Dražen Keleminec | 0 | 0 | |
Bridge of Independent Lists Most nezavisnih lista |
Most | Fiscal conservatism, Economic liberalism | Centre | Božo Petrov | 19 | 12 | |
Blocked - Deblock Croatia Blokirani - Deblokirajmo Hrvatsku |
0 | 0 | |||||
Defenders' Patriotic Party of Croatia Braniteljsko domoljubna stranka Hrvatske |
BDSH | 0 | 0 | ||||
Croatian Defenders' People's Party Hrvatska braniteljska pučka stranka |
HPBS | 0 | 0 | ||||
Croatian Workers Party Hrvatska radnička stranka |
HRS | Left-wing populism, Labor rights | Left-wing
|
Mladen Novosel | 0 | 0 | |
Croatian Labourists - Labour Party Hrvatski laburisti - stranka rada |
Laburisti | Labor rights | Left-wing
|
Tomislav Končevski | 3 | 2 | |
Movement for Modern Croatia Pokret za modernu Hrvatsku |
PMH | 0 | 0 | ||||
Quite a small party Sasvim mala stranka |
SMS | 0 | 0 | ||||
Socialist Labour Party of Croatia Socijalistička radnička partija |
SRP | Communism, Socialism | Far-left
|
Vladimir Kapularin | 0 | 0 | |
Croatian Party of Order Hrvatska stranka reda |
HSR | 0 | 0 | ||||
Međimurje Democratic Alliance Međimurske demokratski savez |
MDS | 0 | 0 | ||||
Independent List Željko Knapić Neovisna lista Željko Knapić |
0 | 0 | |||||
Active Defenders' and Pensioners Party Aktivni branitelji i umirovljenici Hrvatske |
ABU Hrvatske | 0 | 0 | ||||
Croatian Aspect Party Stranka hrvatski vidik |
SHV | 0 | 0 | ||||
Women's Democratic Party Demokratska stranka žena |
DSŽ | Women's rights | Centre | Marija Maja Jelinčić
|
0 | 0 | |
Independent List Dragutin Dukić Neovisna lista Dragutin Dukić |
0 | 0 | |||||
Green Alliance Zeleni savez |
ZS | 0 | 0 | ||||
Development and Progress Party Stranka razvoja i napretka |
SRNA | 0 | 0 | ||||
Istrian democrats Istarski demokrati |
ID-DI | Regionalism (Istria) | Centre-left
|
Damir Kajin | 0 | 0 | |
Croatian Party of Rights 1861 Hrvatska stranka prva 1861 |
HSP 1861 | Anti-tudjmanism, Croatian nationalism
|
Far-right
|
Dobroslav Paraga | 0 | 0 | |
Zagorje Party Zagorska stranka |
ZS | Regionalism (Hrvatsko Zagorje) | Centre | Miljenko Jerneić | 0 | 0 | |
Pensioners Party Stranka umirovljenika |
SU | 0 | 0 |
Election campaign
Campaigning for the early parliamentary elections officially began on 16 August 2016 and ended at stroke of midnight between 9 and 10 September 2016. An election silence officially commenced at that time and lasted until 19:00 local time on election day (11 September) when voting officially ended. All electoral activity, such as distributing or exhibiting promotional materials near polling stations or encouraging voters to vote for a certain political party, coalition or candidate is prohibited during the duration of the election silence and is punishable by law.[10]
On 12 August a television debate hosted by
Issues
The main issues in the electoral campaign included fostering economic growth achieved after a six-year recession (2008-2015) and both major parties, the
Furthermore, an important issue of the campaign was how to regulate Croatia's relations with
Less prominent issues in the campaign included the negative demographic trends in Croatia, mostly relating to a large number of Croatian citizens migrating to other countries to seek employment (among them many young highly educated citizens), diminishing birth rates, the depopulation of certain parts of the country due to poor economic and social conditions, as well as the growing median age of the population.[14]
Opinion polls
Exit polls
Date | Polling Organisation/Client | People's Coalition
|
HDZ Coalition | Most
|
Živi zid
|
IDS | NS-R
|
HDSSB HKS |
Pametno |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
11 September 2016 | Ipsos puls | 57 | 57 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Results
HDZ—>80% HDZ—70–80% HDZ—60–70% HDZ—50–60% HDZ—40–50% HDZ—<40% | SDP—>80% SDP—70–80% SDP—60–70% SDP—50–60% SDP—40–50% SDP—<40% | IDS—50–60% IDS—40–50% IDS—<40% BM365—50–60% BM365—40–50% BM365—<40% HDSSB—<40% NLSP—40–50% |
The elections yielded a surprise victory for the conservative HDZ, though most opinion polls had predicted the
It is considered likely that the next governing majority will be formed by a coalition of the HDZ and the centre-right
National minorities elected 8 representatives through a separate election system: Milorad Pupovac (84,55% of votes), Mile Horvat (63,68%) and Boris Milošević (60,04%) for the
Three Members of Parliament were elected by Croatian citizens living abroad in an overseas constituency. Traditionally, the HDZ is heavily favored to win all three seats, however in this election Željko Glasnović, who ran his own independent party list, won one seat in Parliament.
Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Union of Albanians of Croatia | 1 | +1 | |||
Czech and Slovak minority | 1 | 0 | |||
Italian minority | 1 | 0 | |||
Total | 8 | 0 | |||
Total votes | 37,902 | – | |||
Registered voters/turnout | 211,267 | 17.94 | |||
Source: State Election Committee |
Government formation
Following the announcement of election results late on 11 September 2016 it was thought that there could be a repeat of the long-lasting and somewhat tumultuous talks that followed the
and five representatives of other national minorities.See also
- Cabinet of Andrej Plenković
Notes
References
- ^ a b Croatian prime minister toppled in confidence vote BBC News, 16 June 2016
- ^ Plucinska, Joanna (16 July 2016). "Croatian president calls snap election". POLITICO. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
- ^ Electoral system Inter-Parliamentary Union
- ^ Statute of the Social Democratic Party of Croatia Archived 2013-09-27 at the Wayback Machine Social Democratic Party of Croatia (in Croatian)
- ^ "Programske smjernice | Hrvatska narodna stranka - liberalni demokrati". Archived from the original on December 2, 2014. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
- ^ "Statut | Hrvatska narodna stranka - liberalni demokrati". Archived from the original on December 2, 2014. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
- ^ "HDZ predao liste, Glasnović ipak odustao"
- ^ "Milan Bandić Presents His Coalition"
- ^ "Predstavljeni novi predsjednik i novi članovi predsjedništva Akcije mladih". Akcija mladih (in Croatian). Retrieved 16 September 2016.
- ^ "Croatia Votes Again in Parliamentary Elections :: Balkan Insight". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
- ^ ČITATELJI JUTARNJEG OCIJENILI: Milanović i Plenković zaslužili 'trojku' (in Croatian)
- ^ a b Pavelic, Boris (8 September 2016). "Croatian election fuels regional tensions". EU Observer. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
- ^ "Mystery man hoping to rule Croatia". POLITICO. 11 August 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
- ^ "Croatia at a crossroads between the past and the future - Ifimes". IFIMES. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
- ^ "Croatian parliamentary elections 2016: voters reject the centre-left's tilt to the right". EUROPP. 12 September 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
- ^ a b c Milardovic, Andjelko. "Snap vote outcome startles Croatia, HDZ chief Plenkovic real winner - analyst". SeeNews. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
- ^ Pavlic, Vedran. "Zoran Milanović Will Not Run for Another Term as SDP President". Total Croatia News. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
- ^ "Croatia's share indices open higher following conservatives election win". SeeNews. Retrieved 13 September 2016.