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Conservatives in the lead in Croatia election Croatia's conservative HDZ win tight election
(about 17 hours later)
Preliminary results in Croatia show the conservative HDZ party in the lead after Sunday's parliamentary election. Croatia's conservative HDZ party has won Sunday's parliamentary election but is expected to seek the support of a centrist party to form a coalition.
With almost a third of the votes counted, they have 60 out of 151 seats. A Social Democrat-led four-party alliance has 55 seats. HDZ won 61 of 151 seats while the Social Democrat-led four-party alliance had 54 seats.
A close result could force either group to seek the support of the centre-right Most (Bridge) party, analysts say. Snap elections were called after the HDZ government collapsed in June over a conflict of interest scandal.
Croatia joined the EU in 2013 but political stalemate has prevented much-needed reforms from being carried out.
In its eight months in power, the HDZ-led coalition had been characterised by a shift to the right and growing antipathy towards the independent media and minorities, especially ethnic Serbs.
The BBC 's Guy Delauney in Zagreb described how nationalism and neighbour-bashing had become a feature of Croatian politics in recent months.
However, the party's new and more moderate leader, Andrej Plenkovic, has promised a "Europe-oriented" government and the HDZ ran on its own in Sunday's poll, without any of the more extreme nationalist parties.
It is thought Mr Plenkovic will look initially to form a coalition with the centre-right Most (Bridge) party, which won 13 seats.
The centre-left SDP conceded victory and drew attention to the low 53% turnout.
Its leader Zoran Milanovic criticised the previous "unstable and destructive" HDZ-led coalition and said what Croatia needed was a stable government.
Some 3.8 million people were eligible to vote in the country's second election in less than a year.Some 3.8 million people were eligible to vote in the country's second election in less than a year.
Correspondents say a weak coalition would not have the clear mandate needed to introduce the tough reforms being demanded by the European Union.
A government formed in November and led by the HDZ collapsed in June over a conflict of interest scandal.
The BBC 's Guy Delauney in Zagreb says the rhetoric turned ugly in the run-up to the election.
Our correspondent says that Croatia joined the EU three years ago, but nationalism and neighbour-bashing became a feature of the debate.
And memories of the Balkan Wars of the 1990s and World War Two have been stirred up as rivals try to bolster support and distract from domestic problems, our correspondent says.
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Almost a year of political deadlock has impeded urgently-needed economic reforms, with the economy relying heavily on tourism along the Adriatic coast.
Croatia remains one of the EU's mostly poorly performing economies despite recent positive developments linked to its EU membership.Croatia remains one of the EU's mostly poorly performing economies despite recent positive developments linked to its EU membership.
Short-lived coalition Almost a year of political deadlock impeded urgently needed economic reforms, with the economy relying heavily on tourism along the Adriatic coast.
The HDZ-led coalition was characterised by a shift to the right and growing antipathy towards the independent media and minorities, especially ethnic Serbs.
This triggered international concern. Strained ties with Serbia became even more difficult.
The HDZ is running on its own this time, without any of the more extreme nationalist parties. Its new leader Andrej Plenkovic is a former career diplomat who has a reputation as a moderate with little time for nationalist causes.
On the left, Zoran Milanovic is hoping to return to power with a coalition led by his Social Democrats.
But his junior partners, the Croatian People's Party, are keen to steer him away from populism and back towards the sort of policies enacted during the four years when he was prime minister.