The slate of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) for the European Parliament elections is headed by 30-year-old Karlo Ressler, who coordinated the preparation of the HDZ platform for the upcoming European elections and whom the HDZ Youth unanimously nominated for the list which was presented to the public on Friday evening.

Croatian MEP, Dubravka Suica, took the second place in the 12-candidate slate. She is followed by MP Tomislav Sokol, while one more HDZ MEP, Zeljana Zovko, ranks fourth. Two members of the national parliament, Suncana Glavak and Marijana Balic are fifth and sixth.

The slate which also includes the heads of Sibenik-Knin and Brod-Posavina counties – Goran Pauk and Danijel Marusic, respectively, Transport Ministry state secretary Nikolina Brnjac, Osijek-Baranja County Development Agency head Stjepan Ribic, Split-Dalmatia County Port Authority head Domagoj Maroevic, and assistant HDZ secretary-general Stjepan Adanic was unanimously adopted at meetings of the HDZ Presidency, National Council, and the Main Committee which considered the party’s platform for the EP elections called “Croatia for Generations”.

Presenting the slate at a news conference on late Friday evening, HDZ leader and Prime Minister Plenkovic said that the party platform for the upcoming elections had five planks that concentrate on a successful European Croatia, growth- and enterprise-friendly Europe, a Europe pursuing values of Democrat Christians and solidarity, a new generation Europe, and a safe and globally strong Europe.

Plenkovic expressed confidence in a convincing victory of his party in the elections which will be held on 26 May.

Recent projections released by the European Parliament show that the HDZ is set to win six of the 12 seats, allotted to Croatia in the next European Parliament, (EP), while the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) can expect three seats and the Human Shield, the GLAS-led Amsterdam Coalition and the Bridge party can win one seat each.