Croatia’s top court bars President Milanovic from PM post

BELGRADE: Croatia’s Constitutional Court ruled on Friday that President Zoran Milanovic cannot take up the more powerful position of prime minister after this week’s elections, saying the firebrand leader could not head any potential coalition.

Hours later, Milanovic dismissed the court´s ruling, saying parliament was the only institution that could decide who will be prime minister - though he did not spell out how he planned to challenge the decision of the country’s top tribunal.

The president has accused the court of being biased in favour of his rivals in the ruling conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party. He has also often criticised the EU and NATO and opposed helping Ukraine in its war with Russia.

The HDZ, led by current Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovicwon Wednesday’s election with 61 seats but without securing a parliamentary majority, triggering negotiations among various parties to form a governing coalition.