Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković is capitalising on divisions and inconsistencies within the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) during the appointment process for Constitutional Court judges and the president of the Supreme Court, a political analyst said.
Jakov Žižić, a political scientist and lecturer at the Catholic University of Croatia, said there has traditionally been an informal understanding between the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the SDP over the selection of Constitutional Court judges. However, he said the current round of appointments has exposed the opposition’s weak negotiating position.
“While there was never an explicit formula, the balance now effectively stands at two to one,” Žižić told N1 television. “It seems that Plenković is exploiting the SDP’s weaknesses and lack of consistency.”
Žižić said the opposition faces a tactical dilemma because it wants to secure the appointment of at least one judge, leaving the ruling party with leverage over the remaining nominations. He added that the SDP could have proposed reducing the number of Constitutional Court judges to an even figure, a move he said would likely have attracted public support.
He also criticised the linking of Constitutional Court appointments with the selection of the president of the Supreme Court, saying the two processes would not have been tied together had President Zoran Milanović not been involved in proposing the Supreme Court candidate.
“The political weight of Constitutional Court judges is not the same as that of the Supreme Court president,” Žižić said, adding that the Constitutional Court has far-reaching powers, including the ability to block constitutional changes.
The analyst also questioned whether the opposition would maintain its stance against approving the current nominees, a move that would leave the Constitutional Court operating with fewer judges than required.
Separately, Žižić said there was no sign of progress in resolving a long-running dispute between the president and prime minister over ambassadorial appointments, warning that prolonged vacancies undermine Croatia’s diplomatic standing.
“We must have ambassadors. This is a matter of the country’s credibility,” he said, adding that there was sufficient room for compromise but no indication that an agreement was imminent.