Parliamentary elections were held in Croatia on 11 September 2016, with all 151 seats in the Croatian Parliament up for election. The elections were preceded by a successful motion of no confidence against Prime Minister Tihomir Orešković and his cabinet on 16 June 2016, with 125 MPs voting in favour of the proposal. A subsequent attempt by the Patriotic Coalition to form a new parliamentary majority, with Minister of Finance Zdravko Marić as Prime Minister, failed and the Parliament voted to dissolve itself on 20 June 2016. The dissolution took effect on 15 July 2016, which made it possible for President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović to officially call for elections on 11 September 2016. These were the ninth parliamentary elections since the 1990 multi-party elections.
The elections were contested by the two largest parties in the outgoing eighth Parliament; the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), led by Andrej Plenković, and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) led by Zoran Milanović. The SDP contested the election as part of the People's Coalition, consisting of the SDP, HNS, HSS and HSU. They were also challenged by a number of other parties and coalitions, including the Bridge of Independent Lists (Most), which held the balance of power after the 2015 elections. The incumbent Prime Minister Tihomir Orešković, a non-partisan technocrat, announced that he would not be running on any party's candidate list and would not seek reelection.
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 Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, therefore far more than the necessary majority of 76 signatures and he was thus made Prime Minister-designate with a 30-day mandate to form a government until 9 November 2016. The 9th Assembly of the Croatian Parliament was constituted on 14 October with the election of Most leader Božo Petrov as Speaker. On 19 October a parliamentary vote of 91 in favor, 45 against and 3 abstentions formally confirmed Croatia's 14th government cabinet since the first multi-party elections in 1990, with Andrej Plenković as Croatia's 12th Prime Minister. The new cabinet consisted of 20 ministers, including Goran Marić, a minister without portfolio who was on later tasked with leading the newly formed Ministry of State Property.
Background Following the 2015 elections a government was formed by independent businessman Tihomir Orešković who was supported by the conservative Patriotic Coalition, led by Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), and Bridge of Independent Lists (MOST). However, HDZ put forward a motion of no confidence on 16 June, with 125 of 151 MPs voting in favor of the motion.Croatian prime minister toppled in confidence vote BBC News, 16 June 2016 The HDZ sought to form a new government with Minister of Finance Zdravko Marić as Prime Minister, however it was clear that he would not get support of 76 MPs. On 20 June MPs voted to dissolve parliament effective on 15 July, resulting in snap elections being called by President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, who called for elections on 11 September.
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:Electoral system Inter-Parliamentary Union 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 electionPeople's Coalition Social Democratic Party of CroatiaSocijaldemokratska partija Hrvatske SDP Social democracyStatute of the Social Democratic Party of Croatia Social Democratic Party of Croatia Centre-left Zoran Milanović 42 42 Croatian People's Party-Liberal DemocratsHrvatska narodna stranka - liberalni demokrati HNS Liberalism Centre Ivan Vrdoljak 9 9 Croatian Party of PensionersHrvatska stranka umirovljenika HSU Single-issue politics (pensioner's rights) Centre Silvano Hrelja 2 2 Croatian Peasant PartyHrvatska seljačka stranka HSS Agrarianism Centre Krešo Beljak 2 1HDZ "Coalition" Croatian Democratic UnionHrvatska demokratska zajednica HDZ National conservatism Centre-right Andrej Plenković 49 51 Croatian Social Liberal PartyHrvatska socijalno liberalna stranka HSLS Conservative liberalism Centre-right Darinko Kosor 2 2 Croatian Christian Democratic PartyHrvatska demokršćanska stranka HDS Christian democracy Right-wing Goran Dodig 1 1 Croatian Growth - Movement for a successful Croatia"HDZ predao liste, Glasnović ipak odustao"Hrast - Pokret za uspješnu Hrvatsku Hrast Social conservatism, Political Catholicism Right-wing Ladislav Ilčić 1 1For Prime Minister Coalition Bandić Milan 365 - Labour and Solidarity PartyBandić Milan 365 - stranka rada i solidarnosti BM 365 Populism Centre Milan Bandić 2 2 People's Party - ReformistsNarodna stranka - Reformisti Reformisti Social liberalism Centre Radimir Čačić 1 1 New Wave - Party of DevelopmentNovi val - Stranka razvoja Novi val Social democracy Centre-left Ljubo Jurčić 0 0 Croatian Peasant Party Stjepan RadićHrvatska seljačka stranka Stjepan Radić HSS SR Agrarianism Centre Jurica Šoić 0 0 Bloc Pensioners TogetherBlok umirovljenici zajedno BUZ Single-issue politics (Pensioners' rights) Centre Milivoj Špika 1 1The Only Option Coalition Human BlockadeŽivi zid Živi zid Populism, Anti-establishment, Euroscepticism Centre Ivan Vilibor Sinčić 1 1 Always FrankersUvijek Frankeri UF Populism 0 0 Change CroatiaPromijenimo Hrvatsku PH Populism Centre Ivan Lovrinović 0 3 Youth ActionAkcija mladih AM Liberalism Centre Vjekoslav Rubeša 0 0 Alphabet of democracyAbeceda demokracije AD 0 0Even Stronger Istria Coalition Istrian Democratic AssemblyIstarski demokratski sabor IDS Regionalism (Istria), Social liberalism Centre-left Boris Miletić 3 3 Alliance of Primorje-Gorski KotarPrimorsko goranski savez PGS Regionalism (Primorje-Gorski Kotar) Centre Darijo Vasilić 0 0 List for RijekaLista za Rijeku RI Regionalism (Rijeka) Centre Danko Švorinić 0 0Homeland Coalition Croatian Party of Rights dr. Ante StarčevićHrvatska stranka prava dr. Ante Starčević HSP AS National conservatism Right-wing Ivan Tepeš 3 3 Democratic Union of National Renewal – RightDemokratski savez nacionalne obnove – Desno Desno National conservatism, Croatian nationalism Far-right Anto Đapić 0 0 Croatian Christian Democratic UnionHrvatska kršćanska demokratska unija HKDU Christian democracy, National conservatism Right Marko Veselica 0 0 United Party of RightsUjedinjena stranka prava USP National conservatism Right-wing Antun Kljenko 0 0 Croatian Democratic PartyHrvatska demokratska stranka HDS Christian democracy Right wing 0 0HDSSB Coalition Croatian Democratic Alliance of Slavonia and BaranjaHrvatski demokratski savez Slavonije i Baranje HDSSB Regionalism (Slavonia), Conservativism Right-wing Dragan Vulin 2 2 Croatian Conservative PartyHrvatska konzervativna stranka HKS National conservatism, Economic liberalism Right-wing Ruža Tomašić 0 0No Selling Coalition Independent List Stipe PetrinaNezavisna lista Stipe Petrina NLSP Stipe Petrina 0 1 Free CroatiaSlobodna Hrvatska SH 0 0 Together MovementPokret Zajedno PZ 0 0 Sustainable Development of CroatiaOdrživi razvoj Hrvatske ORaH Sustainable development, Environmentalism, Progressivism Centre-left Luka Keller 0 0Shift Coalition Croatian Party of RightsHrvatska stranka prava HSP Croatian nationalism, National conservativism, Euroscepticism Far right Daniel Srb 0 0 Croatian Pure Party of RightsHrvatska čista stranka prava HČSP Croatian nationalism, National conservativism Far right Ivan Pandža 0 0 Action for Better CroatiaAkcija za bolju Hrvatsku ABH Croatian nationalism, National conservativism Right-wing Željko Cvrtila 0 0 Family PartyObiteljska stranka OS Social conservatism, Political Catholicism Right-wing Mate Knezović 0 0Turn Croatia Around Coalition SmartPametno Pametno Social liberalism, Progressivism, Economic liberalism Centre Marijana Puljak 0 0 For the CityZa Grad Za Grad Social Democracy, Liberal socialism Centre Iva KvakićIvan Zelenić 0 0Not part of any coalition Autochthonous Croatian Party of RightsAutohtona – Hrvatska stranka prava A-HSP Croatian nationalism, Anti-communism, Radical nationalism, Euroscepticism Far-right Dražen Keleminec 0 0 Bridge of Independent ListsMost nezavisnih lista Most Fiscal conservatism, Economic liberalism Centre Božo Petrov 19 12 Blocked - Deblock CroatiaBlokirani - Deblokirajmo Hrvatsku 0 0 Defenders' Patriotic Party of CroatiaBraniteljsko domoljubna stranka Hrvatske BDSH 0 0 Croatian Defenders' People's PartyHrvatska braniteljska pučka stranka HPBS 0 0 Croatian Workers PartyHrvatska radnička stranka HRS Left-wing populism, Labor rights Left-wing Mladen Novosel 0 0 Croatian Labourists - Labour PartyHrvatski laburisti - stranka rada Laburisti Labor rights Left-wing Tomislav Končevski 3 2 Movement for Modern CroatiaPokret za modernu Hrvatsku PMH 0 0 Quite a small partySasvim mala stranka SMS 0 0 Socialist Labour Party of CroatiaSocijalistička radnička partija SRP Communism, Socialism Far-left Vladimir Kapularin 0 0 Croatian Party of OrderHrvatska stranka reda HSR 0 0 Međimurje Democratic AllianceMeđimurske demokratski savez MDS 0 0 Independent List Željko KnapićNeovisna lista Željko Knapić 0 0 Active Defenders' and Pensioners PartyAktivni branitelji i umirovljenici Hrvatske ABU Hrvatske 0 0 Croatian Aspect PartyStranka hrvatski vidik SHV 0 0 Women's Democratic PartyDemokratska stranka žena DSŽ Women's rights Centre Marija Maja Jelinčić 0 0 Independent List Dragutin DukićNeovisna lista Dragutin Dukić 0 0 Green AllianceZeleni savez ZS 0 0 Development and Progress PartyStranka razvoja i napretka SRNA 0 0 Istrian democratsIstarski demokrati ID-DI Regionalism (Istria) Centre-left Damir Kajin 0 0 Croatian Party of Rights 1861Hrvatska stranka prva 1861 HSP 1861 Anti-communism, Anti-globalism, Anti-tudjmanism, Croatian nationalism Far-right Dobroslav Paraga 0 0 Zagorje PartyZagorska stranka ZS Regionalism (Hrvatsko Zagorje) Centre Miljenko Jerneić 0 0 Pensioners PartyStranka 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.