Andrej Plenkovic, left, meets President Zoran Milanovic at the presidential palace in Zagreb, Croatia on May 10, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Croatia’s incumbent Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic was on May 10 asked to form a new government after securing the backing of a right-wing party following an inconclusive election last month.

Mr. Plenkovic, 54, reached a deal earlier this week with the nationalist anti-migrant Homeland Movement (DP), which emerged as kingmaker after the April 17 parliamentary election.

After handing over to President Zoran Milanovic the signatures of 78 MPs in the 151-seat parliament expressing support, “I was given a mandate to form a Croatian government”, Mr. Plenkovic said on X.

Mr. Plenkovic pledged he would “continue to work for prosperity” in his third term. He has 30 days to form a new cabinet

Mr. Plenkovic’s centre-right HDZ party bagged 61 seats while the DP secured 14.

A centre-left coalition led by the Social Democrats (SDP) came second with 42 seats.

Mr. Plenkovic eventually secured parliamentary majority with the backing of DP as well as representatives of national minorities.

The new government will not include the main ethnic Serb SDSS party, Mr. Plenkovic’s traditional ally, as the nationalist DP insisted on their being excluded from the coalition.

Although the SDSS is not in the coalition, Mr. Plenkovic said his stance on the Serb minority would not waver.

“As far as Croatia’s direction and inclusiveness is concerned, that will not change,” he said earlier.

Relations with ethnic Serbs remain sensitive since the Croatian war of independence in the 1990s against Belgrade-backed rebel Serbs.

The newly elected parliament’s inaugural session will be held on Thursday.

The April elections were held as the European Union nation of 3.8 million people struggles with challenges including corruption, a labour shortage, the highest inflation rate in the eurozone, and undocumented migration.