Exit poll: Croatia's ruling conservatives win big in vote - ABC News

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An exit poll released after a vote ended in Croatia's parliamentary election indicates that the ruling conservatives have a strong lead over their main center-left rivals

By

The Associated Press

July 5, 2020, 6:04 PM

3 min read

ZAGREB, Croatia -- Croatia's ruling conservatives have a strong lead over their main center-left rivals at a parliamentary election Sunday held amid a spike in the new coronavirus cases, according to an exit poll.

The governing Croatian Democratic Union is projected to win 61 seats in Croatia's 151-seat parliament, according to the Ipsos polling agency's unofficial vote count carried by Croatia's national broadcaster HRT.

An alliance led by the liberal Social Democratic Party won 44 seats while in third place is the right-wing Homeland Movement led by folk singer Miroslav Skoro with 16 seats.

If confirmed in the official tally expected later Sunday, the exit poll projections would mean that the ruling conservatives are likely to form a new government with a help of a few votes from some of the smaller parties, probably pushing the European Union member state further to the right.

The Homeland Movement was recently formed and swiftly gained popularity despite public outrage over some of its staunchly hard-line and nationalist views. The party is believed to have chipped away votes from HDZ, which has dominated the political scene in Croatia since independence in 1991.

Croatia has faced a surge in coronavirus cases that followed reopening of the country's borders and easing of lockdown rules, struggling to salvage its main source of revenue — tourism along the Adriatic Sea coast.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, who is HDZ leader, said upon voting on Sunday that anti-virus recommendations are being respected and urged people to come out to vote.

“Democracy means that citizens get to have their say, and today is such a moment when we all get to meet the will of the people," Plenkovic said. “I’m looking forward to the choice made by our citizens and also to continue working for the benefit of Croatia.”

A country of 4.2 million people, Croatia has kept the outbreak largely under control, reporting 113 deaths and around 3,100 confirmed infections. But Plenkovic was criticized over an outbreak at a tennis tournament organized by top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the coastal town of Zadar.

The Restart coalition led by SDP has alleged the government is plagued by corruption and voters should choose a new beginning if they want the country to move forward.

“Today your future is being decided, the fate of your families will be decided, and the future of our country,” SDP leader Davor Bernardic said. “Every vote counts. Do not throw away your vote, and don’t let somebody else decide for you. We offered a clear alternative, a clear direction, and a clear vision of the future.”

Right-wing Skoro also called for change, saying that “today voters decide and politicians wait in anticipation."

“I hope that voters will come out in large numbers and I hope that they will make a right decision and that after this election we will have necessary changes that we all expect," he said.

About 3.8 million people were eligible to vote. Voters were advised to take their own temperature and stay away from polling stations if they had a fever.

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