Committee agrees on candidates for Constitutional Court

After months of discussions and repeated delays due to a lack of quorum, the Parliamentary Committee on the Constitution, Standing Orders and Political System has agreed on a final list of candidates for three positions on the Constitutional Court.

The list includes Željko Pajelić and Mladen Sučević, nominated by the ruling majority, and Goran Selanec, who is seen as the preferred candidate of the left-leaning opposition.

The ruling majority has argued that, based on its parliamentary strength, it should nominate two judges, with the opposition selecting the third. This position led to months of deadlock, as the majority refused to proceed without agreement on that principle.

However, the appointments are not yet guaranteed, as judges require support from both the ruling parties and the opposition. Opposition members left the committee session before the final vote.

Committee chairman Ivan Malenica (HDZ) said:

“Clearly, they already know how they will vote when the time comes to appoint Constitutional Court judges. It will be particularly interesting to see how they vote on the nomination of Mr. Selanec, who was their own condition during these talks. We have shown a constructive approach throughout the process.”

Deputy committee chair Saša Đujić (SDP) responded:

“I believe it is unprecedented for the prime minister to intervene in this way-effectively dictating terms and saying, ‘these are our two candidates, you choose one, and if you don’t, you’re responsible for the breakdown of negotiations.’ That is simply not true. We have consistently made it clear that we reject ultimatums, blackmail, and political bargaining.”

“We held a session of the Committee at which we established a proposal of three candidates for judges of the Constitutional Court, and unfortunately, representatives of the opposition, who initiated the session, did not participate in its work. This shows that from the beginning they were not interested in filling the Constitutional Court,” added Malenica.

He added that the HDZ supports electing all three judges and expects a parliamentary vote next week, on April 30.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said:

“This situation has completely exposed them-they are now, so to speak, naked and barefoot. The very people who have been accusing us all this time have now rejected two entirely independent candidates, as well as one who was fully their own. So what do they actually want? Then they should say it openly: that they do not want the Constitutional Court to be filled with three judges. This is destructive, hypocritical and, worst of all, dishonest. And those who support the SDP or Možemo! in this situation should be aware of what they are backing.”