President Milanović’s Quest for Power Thwarted: The Legal Implications of Croatia’s Political Showdown

Following the parliamentary elections in Croatia, the Constitutional Court declared on Friday that President Zoran Milanović could not become the Head of Government due to his involvement in the election campaign despite warnings. This decision has caused uproar among the left-liberal camp and thwarted the plans of the opposition alliance led by the Social Democrats (SDP) to appoint Milanović as prime minister.

Although informally considered the top candidate of the left-liberal opposition alliance “Rivers of Justice,” Milanović was not allowed to run officially due to a decision by the Supreme Court. In response, he expressed that he would order the formation of a government and whoever secured support from at least 76 MPs would be appointed, stating that it was within his rights as president. He further emphasized that there were no legal remedies against this decision.

The Constitutional Court’s President Miroslav Šeparović defended the decision made by nine votes to three, stating that Milanović had behaved unconstitutionally throughout the election campaign despite reminders from