Third consecutive term
Following a parliamentary election remarkable in many ways, the centreright ruling party, led by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), won the election for the fourth consecutive time, the third time under the leadership of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. The campaign was marked by the surprise involvement of President Zoran Milanović, who sided with the Social Democratic Party and presented himself as their candidate for Prime Minister. This violation of the Constitution led the Constitutional Court to remind that the President of the Republic must remain above party politics and cannot participate in parliamentary elections without first resigning. Ultimately, the HDZ won 61 mandates, compared to 42 for the left-wing coalition "Rivers of Justice". The parliamentary majority now includes the HDZ, the Homeland Movement (12 seats), liberal and Christian Democratic deputies, members of the retirees' party, independents, and the majority of deputies representing national minorities.
