The State Electoral Commission (DIP) has reminded political parties and voters, most of whom will submit their lists of candidates for the European elections on Tuesday, the last day for submitting their candidate lists, that men and women must be equally represented on the lists.

The representation of one gender on the candidate lists must not be less than 40%. Of the 12 candidates, at least five must be women or men. If this is not the case, the list will not be excluded from the election, but DIP will inform the State Attorney’s Office and the Ombudswoman for Gender Equality in order to initiate administrative offence proceedings. Those who disregard the principle of gender equality could face a fine of €6,636.

Although the lists of candidates for the European Parliament elections can be submitted since 10 April, DIP has not yet received any. The submission of the first two, from the Social Democratic Party and its partners and the Green Alternative – ORAH, was announced for today. The HDZ party will submit its list on Tuesday.

Candidate lists can be proposed by political parties that were registered in Croatia on 15 March, the day the President’s decision to call the elections was published in the Official Gazette, as well as by voters, who must collect at least 5,000 signatures for their list to be valid.

The DIP will publish the valid lists by midnight on 25 April, when the official election campaign begins. The election campaign will last until midnight on 7 June. From then until the polling stations close at 7pm on election day, 9 June, there will be voting silence.

Thirty-three Croatian candidates stood in the European Parliament elections five years ago, eight more than in 2014. This year’s elections in Croatia will take place on Sunday 9 June and 12 MEPs will be elected for a five-year term.