Politics in Croatia have been dominated for more than 30 years by the party that led the armed struggle for a separate state from a disintegrating Yugoslavia. But the general election that takes place on Wednesday has left the Balkan nation’s governing party exposed to an unexpectedly strong challenge from populist forces. The Croatian Democratic Union, known as HDZ, first emerged in 1989 as an ethnonationalist champion of Croat primacy, but later evolved into a more conventional, pro-European, right-wing party. Opinion polls put HDZ ahead of its main rival, the Social Democratic Party, and a plethora of smaller groups. But swamped by corruption scandals, disquiet over the rising cost of living and anger over its aloof (critics say authoritarian) ways, HDZ has faced mounting pressure from both the left and right.

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Organizations: Balkan, Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, Social Democratic Party Locations: Croatia, Yugoslavia, Croatia’s Parliament