"The first elections for the European Parliament are of extreme importance to the Republic of Croatia, both for the affirmation of Europeanism in Croatia and for Croatia's reputation in the European Union. In accordance with the law, the President of the Republic of Croatia will call elections after consultations with the government, political parties, bodies responsible for the conduct of elections and other relevant stakeholders in public life. The President of the Republic will also take into consideration the views of political and other interested stakeholders in society and the possibility of coordinating local and European elections given that local elections are taking place in Croatia in May," the statement said.

The statement noted the importance of amending the law on the election of Croatian representatives to the European Parliament so that elections could take place before July 1, when Croatia is scheduled to join the EU. A bill of amendments to the law has been sent to Parliament for adoption, without which the President cannot set a date for the elections.

Most parliamentary parties said on Friday that elections for the European Parliament should be held together with local elections. The Opposition said that Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic's call to them to propose a date for European Parliament elections was an attempt to manipulate the public.