Croatia conservative leader Plenkovic appointed as prime minister

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Croatian conservative leader Andrej Plenkovic was formally appointed prime minister-designate on Friday for a third consecutive term after he forged an alliance with an extreme right party following an inconclusive election.

Plenkovic’s ruling Croatian Democratic Union won the most votes at last month’s parliamentary vote in the European Union nation, but not enough to stay in power on their own. The party this week agreed to form a coalition with far-right Homeland Movement for a parliamentary majority.

Lawmakers are set to approve Plenkovic’s new government next week. It will have a slim majority of 78 lawmakers in the 151-member assembly, which could herald political uncertainty.

“We will continue in our third mandate to work for progress,” Plenkovic said on X, former Twitter, after he was appointed by President Zoran Milanovic.