Technical Prime Minister and President of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) Andrej Plenković said tonight that preliminary talks are underway with the right-wing Homeland Movement on the formation of a parliamentary majority and said that he will form a new government, not the opposition led by the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
He assessed that the SDP is the loser of the election, and their prime ministerial candidate, Croatian President Zoran Milanović, is a violator of the constitution.
"I guarantee them that they will not reach 76 deputies (parliamentary majority)," Plenković told reporters after the meeting of the party leadership in Zagreb.
He reiterated that preliminary talks are underway with the Homeland Movement (DP) and that they have already talked with MPs of national minorities, with whom HDZ has been cooperating in the government.
Asked about cooperation with the DP, a party that harshly criticized the HDZ before the parliamentary elections, Plenković replied that "before the elections, it's one thing, and after the elections, it's another".
When asked about DP's position that it will not enter into a coalition with SDSS, the party that won three parliamentary seats reserved for the Serbian national minority, he replied that HDZ and DP are only in the phase of preliminary talks.
"As far as we are concerned, we will continue cooperation with all minority MPs, and when we precisely define the position, we will find a solution so that the functionality of the majority and the care of minorities will be such that everyone is satisfied," answered Plenković, N1 television reported.
He also said that "out of spite, out of desperation, he will form 76 (majority)".
On the occasion of the European Parliament elections in June, Plenković said that the HDZ will submit its list tomorrow and that he will be its leader.
Asked about Bild's report that he was interested in the head of the EU Commission, Plenković replied that it was a construction and a "German-German story".
In Croatia, in the parliamentary elections on April 17, no party won an absolute majority (76) to independently form a new government.
The ruling HDZ won the most mandates - 61, second place with 42 mandates is the center-left coalition gathered around the SDP.
Both parties are holding discussions on the formation of a parliamentary majority.
The third most powerful is the right-wing Homeland Movement with 14 mandates, followed by Most with 11 and the green-left coalition gathered around the We Can party, with ten mandates.
Three more minor left-center political options entered the Parliament, the regional Istrian Democratic Parliament and the Independent Platform North with two mandates each, as well as the Fokus-Republika coalition with one mandate.
Before the elections, all parties declared that they would not form a majority with the HDZ, which they unanimously accused of corruption.
On the eve of the weekend, the Constitutional Court of Croatia announced that Milanović cannot be a mandate holder or prime minister even if he resigns, which caused sharp criticism from the opposition, as well as the works of constitutional experts.
At the extraordinary session, the Constitutional Court concluded that Milanović put himself in such a position by his statements and behavior, that is, by participating in the pre-election campaign for the parliamentary elections held on Wednesday, without submitting his resignation to the presidential office.
Nine judges supported the decision, while three were against, claiming that the decision was "deeply unconstitutional". One judge did not come to vote.
Milanović said at the press conference that the Constitutional Court is "preparing a coup d'état" and told the citizens not to be afraid, because that court cannot do anything and said that "that decision will not pass".
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