Polls open for new govt as virus concern mounts
ZAGREB: Croatians were set to choose a government to navigate the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in a general election yesterday, after a campaign dominated by the health crisis.
The pandemic has put the country’s tourism-dependent economy on course for a contraction of nearly 10% — its worst fall in decades.
The ruling conservative HDZ party has been touting its relative success in containing Croatia’s outbreak thus far, reporting roughly 100 deaths and 3,000 infections.
But a rise of cases in recent weeks, with dozens recorded daily, has renewed fears over the health situation and given the opposition fresh ammunition.
“Everyone is scared about what will happen in autumn,” Vesna Trnokop, a 60-year-old economist from Zagreb, said.
“The coronavirus has changed economies, not only in Croatia, everywhere, so we should change our ideas.”
HDZ is set for a close race with the main centre-left opposition and also risks losing votes to a new right-wing movement gunning for third place.
Neither of the two main contenders — Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic’s
HDZ or the ‘Restart’ coalition led by the Social Democrats (SDP) — are expected to win an outright majority in the 151seat assembly, surveys show.
That leaves the populist ‘Homeland Movement’ of folk singer-turned-politician Miroslav Skoro, a potentially key coalition partner.
Opposition leader and prime minister candidate Davor Bernardic has accused the government of “consciously pushing Croatia into a risk” by deciding to hold the elections.
His party cancelled electoral rallies over health concerns while voters, who can cast ballots from 7am local time to 7pm, have been asked to wear masks and bring their own pens.
Mr Plenkovic, meanwhile, is hoping the uncertain future will inspire voters to stick with HDZ, in power since 2016.
Now is the time for “serious choices and not for political quackery”, said the former MEP, who has dismissed his rivals as ill-prepared.
“Croatia doesn’t have time for experiments like Bernardic or Skoro.”
Yet some Croatians are hungry for new faces in a country struggling with massive emigration driven by low salaries and corruption at home.