Croatia's Leftists Seek Allies to Stay in Power

After Croatia's parliamentary elections resulted in no clear winner, the ruling centre-left coalition, Croatia Grows, is seeking to gather a majority in parliament to form a new government.

Croatia Grows, led by the governing Social Democratic Party, SDP, won 56 of the 151 seats in total. The minimum number of MPs needed to form a government is 76.

The opposition centre-right Patriotic Coalition, led by the Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, won 59 seats. Both blocs are looking for partners to form a government.

After both coalitions rejected the offer of a national unity government, made on Wednesday by the third strongest option, the Bridge of Independent Lists, MOST, the SDP-led coalition is courting new allies to obtain a working majority.

After a senior MOST member, Drago Prgomet, was expelled from the party on Thursday for holding a secret meeting with Prime Minister and SDP chief Zoran Milanovic, Croatia Grows is reportedly trying to break MOST into fractions.

Prgomet left the HDZ in February after coming into conflict with party president Tomislav Karamarko.

The SDP-led coalition claims it already has the support of its former coalition partner in the government, the Istrian Democratic Assembly, IDS, a regional party that won three seats.

It also claims the support of the eight MPs representing national minorities.

Croatia Grows may also win over the two MPs elected for Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic's party, Bandic Milan 365 - Party of Labour and Solidarity, plus former economy minister Radimir Cacic, who has entered parliament with his party.

There is even a possibility that a right-wing party, the Croatian Democratic Alliance of Slavonia and Baranja, HDSSB, may support the centre-left coalition, without...