ZAGREB, 29 April (Hina) – The results of the elections for the 11th Croatian parliament, held on 17 April, are final, the State Election Commission (DIP) decided on Monday, and its chairman Radovan Dobronić will submit the results to the President of the Republic.

The final election results were determined after the expiry of the deadlines for complaints. They were published on the DIP’s website on Monday morning, and during the day they will be published in the Official Gazette.

The relative winner of the election is the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) with its partners, having won 61 of the 151 parliamentary seats, which is not enough for it to form a government on its own.

The Social Democratic Party (SDP)-led Rivers of Justice coalition won 42 seats, the Homeland Movement 14, the Bridge-Sovereignists coalition 11, the We Can! platform 10, the Istrian Democratic Party (IDS) and the Independent Platform North two each, and Fokus one. The ethnic minorities hold eight seats.

Today’s publication of the final official election results means that the 20-day deadline to call the first session of the new parliament starts running on Tuesday and expires on Sunday 19 May.

The first session of the new parliament is called by the President of the Republic, who does not have to wait for this deadline to expire and can call the session sooner, making sure there is enough time left for MPs to get invitations to the session in time, as was the case in the previous elections.

Whether the parliament will be inaugurated at its first session remains to be seen. The parliament is inaugurated when its speaker is elected, which requires the support of a majority of 76 deputies, which none of the parties and coalitions have for the time being.