Parliamentary elections are most likely to be held on November 8. Although no one officially confirms this yet, sources close to the leadership of the strongest parties inform Lider that both HDZ and SDP are preparing for the second Sunday in November.
Not specifying the election date, Tomislav Karamarko said before the start of the last session of the Parliament that if the Parliament is dissolved on September 25, he expects ‘to resolve this in November because this suffering is already too much, this is agony.’ The Speaker of the Parliament, Josip Leko, also announced that he believes the decision to dissolve the Parliament will be made next Friday, September 25, and that it will come into effect on September 28, after which the deadlines for calling elections will begin. In this way, the ruling coalition will avoid Sunday, October 25, as elections can be called no earlier than 30 and no later than 60 days after the dissolution of the Parliament.
The first Sunday after October 25 is All Saints’ Day, so that day is not an option for elections. On the other hand, holding elections on November 8 will also avoid additional politicization of the commemoration of the anniversary of the Vukovar tragedy, as that date falls in the week between two Sundays that can still be constitutionally ‘candidates for the election date – November 15 or 22. The escalation around Vukovar, it seems, does not suit either SDP or HDZ. Therefore, the second Sunday in November is actually a date that imposes itself. So, although the elections are called by the president, it is unlikely that she will oppose the discreet, quiet, or at least tacit agreement of the two strongest parties on elections on November 8.
