According to the poll for next year’s local elections, potential candidates of HDZ and SDP do not have much chance to win.
According to the latest poll, current Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandić still enjoys the greatest support of citizens, but trends indicate that the election to be held in May next year could be one of the most exciting in the last 15 years, reports Jutarnji List on November 13, 2016.
The latest poll of candidates for Zagreb Mayor was conducted late last month. Milan Bandić has the support of 32.7 percent of citizens. Sandra Švaljek (supported by HSLS) is second with 24.5 percent, followed by Anka Mrak-Taritaš (HNS; 17.4 percent), Davor Bernardić (SDP; 8 percent), former Culture Minister Zlatko Hasanbegović (listed as an independent candidate; 6.5 percent), Drago Prgomet (HDZ; 4 percent), and Ivan Pernar (Živi Zid; 3.6 percent).
The poll was commissioned by HNS, and since the results were good for their candidate they decided to make it available to the public. HNS is satisfied because, in comparison with a poll from May, their candidate’s support has increased, Bandić’s has stagnated, while Švaljek’s has declined. In May, Bandić was at 32.9 percent, Švaljek at 30.1 percent, and Mrak-Taritaš at 7.7 percent. Results are comparable since the survey was conducted by the same pollster, with the same method and the same number of respondents.
Importantly, data shows that the HNS candidate predominantly has the support of left-wing, centre-left and centre voters, while centre-right voters give more support to Švaljek. The two largest parties, HDZ and SDP, have still not presented their candidates, so their voters are largely opting for other candidates. SDP's voters support Mrak-Taritaš (31.3 percent), followed by Bandić (27.8 percent), and Švaljek (19.4 percent), while only 17.2 percent would vote for Bernardić, who is currently also running to become SDP party president.
On the other hand, HDZ voters would vote for Bandić (40.4 percent), Hasanbegović (19.1 percent), and Prgomet (8.1 percent).
SDP contested the results of the poll and claims that they are being used for the purposes of its internal party campaign. “According to polls, Hillary Clinton is US President, Great Britain is still in the EU, and SDP is in power in Croatia”, said people close to Davor Bernardić, who claim that the real results of the polls are significantly different.
HDZ did not dispute the results of the poll, but sources claim that neither Hasanbegović nor Prgomet would be its candidate. “Prgomet is aware that he lost popularity after leaving HDZ, going over to MOST, and then returning to HDZ. More importantly, he has no base within the party”, said a source. According to unofficial information, HDZ is thinking about a completely unexpected candidate. Some mention Martina Bienenfeld, current head of the Zagreb Tourist Board, but HDZ leadership denies it, although she was also mentioned recently as a possible HDZ candidate for Tourism Minister.
