The Croatian candidates running in the elections for the European Parliament are 50 years old on average, and only 29 candidates are under 30, according to the State Electoral Commission's reports after the slates for the 9 June polls were submitted.

This time, the average age of the Croatian candidates is higher than in the last three EP polls held in Croatia. During the first elections which Croatia held for its 12 candidates in the EP in mid-2013, the average age of the aspirants for the position of Croatian MEPs was 46, in 2014 it was 45 and in 2019, the average age was 48.

In the current campaign, the youngest female and male candidates are 19 years old, and they are on the slate of the Party of Ivan Pernar.

The oldest female candidate, 83, is on the slate of the Green non-parliamentary party called Zelena alternativa ORaH, and the oldest male candidate (80) is among the 12 candidates proposed by the non-parliamentary right wing party Autohtona Hrvatska stranka prava Dražena Keleminca.

One in 10 candidates younger than 30

Out of a total of 300 candidates on the 25 slates submitted for these polls, 29 candidates are under 30.

Broken down by gender, 46.3% are women and 53.7% are men.

The representation of one gender on the candidate lists must not be less than 40%. Out of 12 candidates, at least five must be women or men. All the slates respect this rule.

MEPs from Croatia elected by direct universal suffrage and secret ballot for 5-year term

Members of the European Parliament from Croatia are elected by direct universal, free and equal voting right and secret ballot for a five-year term, the the State Electoral Commission recalls on its web site.

This year’s polls will elect 720 representatives, while the outgoing European Parliament has 705. The distribution of seats is determined by EU treaties. Countries with larger populations have more seats than those with smaller populations, but the latter have more seats than they would have with strict proportionality. The smallest members have 6 representatives each, while Germany has the most with 96.

These are fourth EP polls in Croatia

This will be the fourth time for Croatia to hold elections for its representatives in the European Parliament.

Just before its admission to the European Union in mid-2013, Croatia held its first elections for the European Parliament on 14 April 2013. Those candidates were elected for a one-year term which lasted until the regular EP elections throughout the European Union, which were organised from 22 to 25 May 2014.

Five years after that, the third EP elections took place in Croatia.