In a recent ruling by Croatia's top court, the country's president has been prohibited from running for prime minister, participating in the upcoming parliamentary election, or campaigning for an opposition party without resigning from his current position. The ruling came after President Zoran Milanovic announced his intention to run for prime minister on the list of the opposition Social Democratic Party, triggering a political crisis in the European Union and NATO-member country.
The constitutional court emphasized that the president, as a nonpartisan figure according to the constitution, is not permitted to engage in election campaigns or advocate for a specific political party. The court's decision stated that if the president wishes to partake in a political campaign, he must promptly submit his resignation to the president of the Constitutional Court.
The upcoming parliamentary election scheduled for April 17 will see a contest between the ruling conservative Croatian Democratic Union and the SDP-led alliance of centrist and left-leaning parties. Milanovic's move to challenge the current conservative prime minister, Andrej Plenkovic, and the ruling HDZ party was deemed unconstitutional by the court.
Croatia, a member of the European Union since 2013, has been embroiled in political tensions between the ruling party and the opposition. The country is also set to hold a presidential election later this year, with the president holding a ceremonial role while the prime minister wields significant political power.
