Second Round of Local Elections Kicks Off in Croatia

On Sunday, Croatia commenced the second round of its regional and local elections. Voters in the capital city of Zagreb, along with 46 other cities and 61 municipalities, are set to choose their mayors. Additionally, major officials will be elected in twelve counties, which are comparable to federal states. The candidates competing in these runoff elections are those who did not secure an absolute majority in the first round held on May 18.

The polling stations will remain open from 7:00 AM until 7:00 PM. The runoff elections are particularly significant in Croatia's three largest cities: Zagreb, Split, and Rijeka. In Zagreb, the current mayor Tomislav Tomasevic appears to be leading comfortably, having narrowly missed an outright win in the initial round. His main opponent, independent candidate Marija Selak Raspudic, is not expected to pose a serious threat to his re-election.

In Split, the race is expected to be much closer. The incumbent liberal mayor, Ivica Puljak, holds a slight edge over Tomislav Suta, the candidate from the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). The first round of elections saw Puljak winning by less than five percentage points, setting the stage for a closely contested runoff.

A notable shift is anticipated in the coastal city of Rijeka, where the long-standing dominance of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) appears to be coming to an end after over 30 years. Independent candidate Iva Rincic, who achieved a significant victory over incumbent mayor Marko Filipovic in the first round, is considered the overwhelming favorite to win the runoff. Filipovic, previously a member of the SDP, is also running as an independent after his party nominated a different candidate. Despite receiving some support from former SDP members in the lead-up to the second round, analysts suggest that this will likely not be sufficient to secure his re-election.

As the election results unfold, many are watching closely to see how these changes will affect the political landscape in Croatia, particularly in regions where the SDP has historically held power. The outcomes in these local elections could potentially signal a shift in voter sentiment and party dynamics ahead of future national elections.