The pro-Western ruling conservative HDZ party won most seats in Croatia’s parliamentary elections but faced tough talks to secure a majority in parliament and form a governing coalition, results released Thursday showed.
Elections in Croatia were expected to decide whether the Balkan nation will move closer to Russia or remain on its pro-Western course.
“Apocalyptic” flooding continued to hit northern Italy, with at least 13 deaths being reported, and in the Balkans where the army and rescue workers struggled to reach people in flood-hit areas of Croatia, Bosnia, and Slovenia.
Heavily Catholic Croatia rang in the New Year with the euro currency and by joining European Union’s border-free Schengen zone a decade after joining the EU.