Croatia holds election amid sharp economic downturn, rising coronavirus infections – Reuters

ZAGREB (Reuters) – Croatia’s ruling centre-suitable Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) convincingly won a parliamentary election on Sunday, held at a time of soaring coronavirus infections and a sharp economic downturn owing to the pandemic.

The official benefits soon after all over sixty% of votes had been counted gave the HDZ sixty eight seats in the 151-seat parliament, although its prime opponent, the Social Democrats (SDP) and its small allies, secured 43 seats.

Nationalist and eurosceptic bloc Domovinski Pokret (Homeland Motion), led by well known singer Miroslav Skoro, arrived 3rd with fifteen seats adopted by the conservative Most (Bridge) party with 8 seats and leftist Mozemo (We can) with six seats.

The HDZ will now look for associates to variety nevertheless a different ruling coalition which analysts think should not be far too challenging given their sturdy overall performance.

“They have a quite comfortable place now as they may well be ready to select their partners and could not need to have to negotiate with their opponents on the suitable-wing spectrum of the political scene,” political analyst Berto Salaj advised condition tv.

The HDZ chief and incumbent Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic stated the victory introduced with it an obligation to get the job done challenging.

“Croatia is going through significant problems which need from us accountability, know-how and expertise. That is exactly what we have provided to the Croatian voters,” he mentioned addressing his celebration supporters.

The new federal government will have an uphill task to hold a grip on the coronavirus though attempting to restore the overall economy, which is envisioned to shrink about ten% this year. Tourism revenues are forecast to slump 70%.

Croatia has noted a reasonably modest range of COVID-19 infections – a small around three,000 cases and some a hundred deaths so considerably – but infections have accelerated in the earlier two weeks, with the every day amount of new instances peaking at about eighty.