Croatia to hold race for its representatives in European Parliament on May 26

ZAGREB, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic announced here on Tuesday that the elections for Croatian representatives in the European Parliament will be held on May 26.

In the new assembly of the European Parliament, Croatia will have 12 deputies, but the final number will only be known when the Brexit situation is clear.

Elections in Croatia will be held on the principle that the entire country is one constituency, including the polling stations outside Croatia.

Political parties and independent lists should propose 12 candidates, and it is necessary to collect 5,000 signatures of candidates for candidacy.

An election campaign will begin when the State Election Commission confirms all electoral lists, at least 40 percent of which should be represented by women.

All citizens who have reached the age of 18 have the right to vote in European elections.

A survey conducted earlier this month shows that the biggest political parties will have more seats. The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) could get five to six seats, and the Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDP) three.

Croatia has had 11 representatives in the European Parliament since 2013 when the southeastern European country joined the European Union.