site.btaCroatians Vote for Local Authorities This Sunday

Croatians will be voting for local authorities this Sunday.  According to official data from the State Electoral Commission (SEC), cited by Croatian national television HRT, a total of 31,082 candidates are running for mayors, deputy mayors, municipal leaders, county governors, and their deputies. This is nearly 7,800 fewer candidates than in the previous local elections four years ago.

There are more male candidates than female: 57% against 42%. The average age of male candidates is almost 48 years and of female 45. The two youngest candidates have only just reached adulthood, and the oldest candidate is 96 years old.

According to the candidate lists published on the official website of the State Electoral Commission, the most candidates for mayor are in the city of Pula - seven men and three women are running there, followed by Dubrovnik with nine candidates (seven men and two women). The fewest candidates are in Vukovar (three men), and in Osijek (four men).

In the capital Zagreb, there are seven candidates for mayor (six men and one woman), as well as seven male candidates for mayor of Zadar. In the other major cities, there are six candidates each: Split (five men and one woman), Rijeka (three men and three women), and Sibenik (four men and two women).

Croatia has a total of 576 units of local and regional self-government: 428 municipalities, 127 cities, 20 counties, and the city of Zagreb, which has a special status as both a city and a county. In places where mayors and county governors are elected, a second round will be held 14 days later, on June 1, 2025. The two candidates with the highest number of votes will compete, and the one who receives the greater support from voters will be declared the winner.