President considers calling an extraordinary session of Parliament, while SDP and Most prepare a no-confidence vote against the government. Without an extraordinary session, the vote would not take place until mid-October.
The political crisis sparked by illegal waste dumping in Lika could take on a new dimension. Croatian President Zoran Milanović has begun considering the possibility of convening an extraordinary session of the Croatian Parliament, which would mean cutting short MPs' summer recess. The news was first reported by journalist Dražen Ciglenečki in Novi list, and Jutarnji list has received unofficial confirmation from the President's Office.
According to these unofficial reports, Milanović is considering an extraordinary session dedicated to the issue of illegally dumped waste in Lika, as well as other similar cases across Croatia. For now, the option of directly linking the extraordinary session to a vote of no confidence in the government is not being considered.
Using constitutional powers to convene Parliament before its regular session would carry significant political weight. Milanović took a similar step in 2023, when he called for an extraordinary session due to the prolonged strike in the judiciary and the 'gas for a cent' affair.
While the President weighs his options, the opposition is working on its own initiative to oust Plenković's government. The SDP plans to initiate proceedings for a vote of no confidence, and Most has already drafted its proposal and begun collecting signatures. However, chances are slim that Most will independently gather the required one-fifth of MPs' signatures.
"We ask all our colleagues to support the initiative to bring down Plenković's government. Specifically, to send us any possible amendments and corrections to the text of the proposal itself, and if they have no objections, to sign the initiative immediately so that we can gather enough signatures as soon as possible to initiate the procedure," Most told Jutarnji list yesterday.
If there is no extraordinary session, any SDP proposal would only be discussed after the start of the autumn session. Due to procedural deadlines, the vote could be postponed until mid-October. With Milanović's move, the debate on illegal waste in Lika could begin much sooner.
