Croatia’s parliamentary election follows harsh contest between country’s top two officials

By DUSAN STOJANOVIC
Associated Press

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Croatia’s upcoming parliamentary election, set for Wednesday, follows a campaign that was marked by heated exchanges between the country’s two top officials. The ballot pits the ruling conservative Croatian Democratic Union, or HDZ, led by acting Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic against an alliance of centrist and left-leaning parties informally led by populist President Zoran Milanovic and his Social Democratic Party. If HDZ stays in power, the country would maintain relative political stability and continue on the pro-West and Pro-Ukraine course. An SDP win could put it on track for victory in the European Parliament elections in June and the presidential election in December.