Current events within the coalition and political confrontation in the national parliament have affected the rating of political parties, but also politicians.
The regular monthly opinion poll of the Promocija Plus Agency on social and political preferences, CRO Demoskop, took place between 2 and 4 May and showed that 76 percent of Croatian adult citizens feel the country is heading in the wrong direction, a result close to the level during last year’s crisis of government, Jutarnji List reported on May 5, 2017.
Current events within the coalition and political confrontation in the national parliament have affected the rating of political parties, but also politicians.
If parliamentary elections were held at the beginning of May (with all of Croatia as one electoral unit and 53-59% turnout), the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) would be the relative winner. On the scale of preferences of political parties the top belongs to HDZ with 30.8% (down from 31.3% in April). This is also the second weakest monthly rating of this party since the last parliamentary elections.
In the last four months the advantage of HDZ over the Socialist Democratic Party (SDP) has been nearly halved (in February it was almost 12 percent, now it is 6.7). In that period, SDP has halted the negative trend and has generated a growth of electoral support whichm at the start of May amounted to 24.1% (up from 22.8% in April). MOST has held third place with 10.2% support (up from 9.6% a month ago).
Next is Živi Zid with 7.6% support (up from 7.1 in April). HNS is in fifth place with 3.6% (the same as last month), while HSS holds sixth place with 2.3% (2% a month ago). Next comes a group of five parties with 1 to 2 percent support: Pametno (2%), IDS (1,7%), Stranka rada i solidarnosti BM 365 (1,3%), HDSSB (1,2%), HSU and HSP AS (both at 1%). Below 1 percent is HSLS (0.8%). The share of ''undecided'' is 10.7%.
At the top of the scale of politicians with a positive image is Prime Minister Andrej Plenković with 20.8% (compared to 21.8% in April). Second place is held by “no one” (no individual politician) with 13.8%. For the first time Anka Mrak-Taritaš has climbed to third place with 9.8% support, while President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović is in fourth place with 7.6% (down from 10.7% in April). Fifth place is held by the now former Parliament Speaker Božo Petrov with 7.3% (4.5% a month ago).
The top of the scale of politicians with a negative image is held by the main protagonists of the current political crisis. Leading is PM Plenković with 18.5% (only 7% a month ago). His now former coalition partner Božo Petrov is second with 12.2% (compared to 3.4% last month). In third place is Tomislav Karamarko with 8.7%, while “all politicians” is the answer for fourth place at 7.9%.
Support for government policies and activities amounts to 35.5% compared to 46.2% in April. The opposite position on the government is held by 51%, up from 36.9 percent last month. At the beginning of May 76 percent of polled persons said the country is going in the wrong direction, compared to 60.8 percent in April.
As the most important topic/event of the month is Agrokor for two months in a row, despite the height of the political crisis.
