The leader of the HDZ and the party's lead candidate in the European Parliament (EP) elections, Andrej Plenkovic, expressed his satisfaction on Sunday evening after the announcement of the first unofficial election results and described winning six seats as a "brilliant success".

“It is wonderful to celebrate such a big victory for the HDZ for the second time in just a month and a half and to win six seats in these elections for the EP, which is half of Croatia’s 12 seats. This is a great success, two seats more than in the last EP elections in 2019,” he said.

Plenkovic also said that of the ten or so additional seats won by the European People’s Party (EPP) in these elections, the HDZ “brought home” two. “This is also a European victory that we have won tonight,” he said, thanking all those who voted.

Unfortunately, the turnout in Croatia was not as high “as we had hoped”,” he said, referring to the 21% of voters who cast their ballots today.

“We have made Croatia better”

“Obviously, there was some fatigue after the (Croatian) parliamentary elections, but in any case, these elections, which take place every five years, are an opportunity for citizens to express their opinion about Croatian European policy, what they think about the parties that present their programmes to the Croatian people, what they think about the people on the ballot papers, and we have shown that we have made Croatia better, both in economic and social terms, as well as in terms of strategic achievements.”

The six seats won are “in a way also a reward” for Croatia in the Schengen and euro area, in the European Stability Mechanism and “a thank you” for the Peljesac Bridge, the second tube of the Ucka Tunnel (as part of the Y motorway) and the 12 Rafales “guarding the Croatian sky”,” Plenkovic said.

“I thank you for all these achievements that we have accomplished together. We still have a lot to do… we will support our whole family very much so that the European Commission and the new institutions are such that Croatia is exactly as we said in our platform, strong and important, influential.”

We have great people, I look forward to working with the new MEPs,” he said, thanking all HDZ members in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina for their commitment. “Let us all move forward together, to victories. Always and only for our eternal Croatia.”