Consultations for the Prime Minister: Does Plenković have 76 MPs' votes?

President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović begins consultations at noon on the mandate for forming a new Government with MPs and leaders of parties elected to the 9th convocation of the Croatian Parliament, following the early elections held on September 11, reports the Patria News Agency.

The consultations at Pantovčak follow the official election results published on Monday, and according to the Constitution, the Croatian President entrusts the mandate for forming the Government to a person who, based on the distribution of seats in Parliament and the consultations held, enjoys the confidence of a majority of all MPs.

To obtain the mandate, support from at least 76 MPs is required, but it is unlikely that anyone will appear before the Croatian President with that many signatures on Wednesday.

The closest to this is the leader of HDZ, Andrej Plenković, as his party achieved a relative victory in the elections, winning 61 out of 151 seats, either alone or with partners, and is negotiating the formation of a parliamentary majority with Most, which won 13 seats in the elections, as well as with eight MPs from national minorities.

The President will first receive the MPs of national minorities at Pantovčak, followed by representatives of parties according to the number of seats won, and the last to be received will be the leader of HDZ, Andrej Plenković.

Most representatives will be led by the party leader Božo Petrov.

The President will receive parties that ran in the elections as part of the People's Coalition separately. The President of SDP, Zoran Milanović, will not attend, as he has recused himself from representing the party due to internal party elections; the SDP delegation will be led by the party's vice-president, Milanka Opačić.

The HNS delegation will be led by the party president Ivan Vrdoljak, and Silvano Hrelja, leading the HSU delegation, and HSS president Krešo Beljak have also confirmed their attendance at Pantovčak, Index reports.