ZAGREB, 27 July 2022 - The financial reports on the costs of the run-up to Split's early election show that the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) spent HRK 460,000, the Centre, the winner of the elections, spent HRK 81,000, while, for instance, the We Can! party spent HRK 241,000 but won none of the 31 seats in the city council.

All the 11 slates that ran in the recent snap election were obliged to submit reports on electioneering costs until Tuesday midnight.

The failure to lodge such a report in a timely manner carries a fine ranging from HRK 2,000 to 20,000.

The HDZ party disbursed HRK 460,000 for the costs and received HRK 370,000, so its financial sheet ended in the red by HRK 90,000. The party secured eight seats in the snap election, a seat fewer than before the polls.

The Centre party of Mayor Ivica Puljak reported costs in the amount of HRK 81,000 and receipts in the amount of HRK 68,000. As a result, its financial sheet was also in the red, by HRK 13,000. 

The Centre now has 15 seats in the city council, only one seat short of the absolute majority in the council.

The HGS party, led by former mayor Željko Kerum, finished the election race with a deficit of HRK 44,000 as its electioneering costs amounted to HRK 75,000 and its receipts HRK 31,000. It has won two seats in the city council, two fewer than in the previous election.

Bridge now also has two deputies, one fewer than in the council before the snap election. This party's electioneering costs totalled HRK 40,447 and it reported receipts of the same value.

The Homeland Party (DP) has entered the Split City Council for the first time. It now has two seats. It reported that its campaigning costs and receipts were the same, HRK 42,141 each.

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) now has two councillors in the City Council, one fewer than before. It received HRK 36,000 for electioneering costs and spent HRK 55,000, ending the election in the red (-HRK 19,000).

The We Can! party spent HRK 241,130 on the campaigning in the run-up to the early election, and it reported having ensured the same amount to cover the cost. The party did not manage to win any seat in the new council.

The remaining three slates did not manage to enter the council either.

(€1 = HRK 7.51)

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 26 April 2022 - Split City Council president Jakov Prkić said on Tuesday, after the Council could not hold a session due to a lack of quorum, that the incumbent council would no longer hold meetings and that the Justice and Public Administration Ministry would launch activities to dissolve it and call an early election.

"There was a lack of quorum at today's session, the seven deputies from the Centre party have in the meantime resigned, which means that the present Council will no longer hold meetings," Prkić said.

He added that even though he could try once more to convene the City Council, he would not do so due to a lack of quorum following the resignation of nine HDZ councillors on Monday and the resignation of seven councillors of the Centre party today, which constitutes a majority in the 31-seat council.

The three deputies of the opposition Bridge party in the City Council today tendered their resignations as well.

Prkić said that once the Split City Council was dissolved, the government would appoint a commissioner who would ensure the Council performs the minimum necessary activities.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated politics section.

ZAGREB, 6 April 2022 - Split Mayor Ivica Puljak said that leaders of the party groups in the Split City Council decided at their meeting on Wednesday to hold a session of the City Council next week at which the councillors of his Centre party would tender their irrevocable resignations, adding that he expected the same from the HDZ councillors.

"At that session of the City Council a decision will be made to hold district elections and the proposal is that they be held on 26 June. We will propose that on the same day early elections be held for the mayor and for the City Council," Puljak told reporters.

He noted that today's meeting was not attended by the councillors from the HDZ and the HGS party of Željko Kerum, both in the opposition in the Split City Council.

Puljak said that after next week's City Council session, the councillors from his Centre party would tender their irrevocable resignations and he called on the nine HDZ councillors to resign simultaneously with the Centre deputies. That way 16 councillors would resign, which is the majority of the 31 city councillors necessary to dissolve the City Council, Puljak said.

Second deputy mayor to resign together with HDZ councillors 

Puljak repeated that he and his first deputy Bojan Ivošević would resign by the end of this week to clear the way for mayoral elections.

"My (second) deputy Kuzmanić will prepare his resignation and hand it in together with the resignations of the HDZ councillors," Puljak said, adding that Kuzmanić would do so because the Centre party did not trust the HDZ.

"The HDZ has cheated us and the residents of Split, and not only them but all Croatians, a number of times. Our offer is for deputy mayor Kuzmanić to resign together with the HDZ councillors," Puljak said, noting that that would pave the way to elections for the City Council.

Asked earlier in the day about the political situation in Split and Puljak's allegations that he was interfering in the election process, PM and HDZ party leader Andrej Plenković said that he did not know "what Puljak is hallucinating about."

"I am aware that Andrej Plenković and the government will do everything to take Split again and that in that process they will not hesitate to violate the law, which is what they announced yesterday with the opinion of the Justice and Public Administration Ministry on the government commissioner for Split, contrary to legal experts' view. We are not afraid of Plenković's and the government's interference," Puljak said.

He called the HDZ councillors in Split cowards who were trying to avoid the dissolution of the City Council for fear of voters.

Puljak also said that Plenković and the government would stall for as long as possible and try to prevent early elections in Split being held on the same day as district elections and move them to the summer.

The entire country is looking at Split and the fight against the HDZ, the clientelism, the crime and the corruption, Puljak said, adding that in parliamentary elections in two years' time that fight will spread to the entire country because "citizens are fed up with what the HDZ has been doing."

Asked if he had any political ambitions at the national level, Puljak said that Split was his sole ambition.

For more, check out our dedicated politics section.

Is greater cooperation between two cities at either end of the country on the cards?

The 22nd session of the City Council Trilja convenes today, 6/6/2016.