The Croatian People's Party (HNS) has denied media reports that it is planning to set up a new coalition for the next parliamentary elections, and has underscored that it remains a stable partner in the current ruling four-member coalition including also the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Istrian Democratic Party (IDS) and the Croatian Pensioners' Party (HSU).
"The HNS is a stable coalition partner. The HNS is not leaving the incumbent ruling coalition," the party said in a press release it issued on Monday.
The party also refuted in the strongest terms the media allegations and stressed that it would not communicate with its coalition partners through media.
The Zagreb-based Jutarnji List daily on Monday quoted an unnamed senior HNS official as saying that the party is drawing up a platform for the future cooperation with the SDP and other coalition partners and that the HNS would leave the current coalition if its conditions were not met.
The strategic document is likely to be elaborated this autumn, according to the newspaper's report.
The paper also alleges that the HNS is planning to set up a coalition with the IDS and possibly with the nonparliamentary Croatian Social and Democratic Party (HSLS) as a counterbalance to the SDP and the strongest opposition Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) for the next elections.
