The 2021 Rijeka local elections were the elections for the 15th mayor of Rijeka, the two deputy mayors and the 31 members of the Rijeka City Council. It was a part of the Croatian local elections which were held on 16 May 2021. The incumbent mayor, Vojko Obersnel of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), announced on 6 November 2020 that he would be retiring at the end of his sixth consecutive term in office. The first round saw Marko Filipović (30.25%) and Davor Štimac (16.10%). Filipović was defending the "long-time stronghold" of the SDP against independent centre-right candidate Štimac.
Results
Mayoral election CandidatesFirst roundRunoffCandidatePartyVotes%Votes% Marko Filipović Social Democratic Party11,97030.2518,90252.64 Davor Štimac Independent6,37116.1011,21046.13 Josip Ostrogović Croatian Democratic Union5,58714.11 Marin Miletić Bridge of Independent Lists4,47411.30 Nikola Ivaniš Alliance of Primorje-Gorski Kotar4,39611.10Nebojša ZeličWe Can!1,7074.31 Ana Blečić-Jelenović List for Fiume1,5153.82Katarina PeovićWorker's Front1,1422.88 Vedran Vivoda Youth Action9792.47 Hrvoje Burić Bura4441.12Antun AntunovićIndependent3110.78 Valid votes:38,89698.3734,69796.63 Invalid votes:6441.631,2113.37 Turnout:39,54037.6035,90834.13 Expected voters:105,231105,195 The percentages of votes from each candidate are calculated from number of valid voters The percentages of valid and invalid votes are calculated from the turnout number The turnout percentage is calculated from the number of expected voters Source: City of Rijeka (Election results)
City council election Party listPreviousseatsVotes%Seats%SeatchangeSocial Democratic Party of Croatia Croatian Party of Pensioners Istrian Democratic Assembly Croatian Peasant Party10,88328.0532.26 5 Croatian Democratic Union6,32516.3019.35 1Independent list of Davor Štimac4,31211.1112.90 4 The Bridge4,03010.3812.90 2Alliance of Primorje-Gorski Kotar Croatian Labourists – Labour Party3,3488.629.68 3 We can! New Left2,9647.646.45 2 Youth Action Union of KvarnerAlternativa2,1685.586.45 3 List for Fiume1,9214.950.00 2Worker's Front1,5123.890.00 0 Homeland Movement Croatian Party of Rights7691.980.00 0 Bura5631.450.00 4 Total:38,79598.19 31 6 Invalid votes:7141.81 Turnout:39,50937.55 Expected voters:105,231 The percentages of votes from each list are calculated from number of valid voters The percentages of valid and invalid votes are calculated from the turnout number The turnout percentage is calculated from the number of expected voters Source: City of Rijeka ('Election results')
Serbian minority by-election Party listVotes%Seats%SeatchangeSocial Democratic Party of CroatiaIndependent Democratic Serb PartyAlliance of Primorje-Gorski KotarIstrian Democratic AssemblyCroatian Party of PensionersCroatian Peasant Party16551.24 100.00 1 List for FiumeDemocratic Alliance of Serbs15748.76 0.00 0 Total:32296.121 1 Invalid votes:133.88 Turnout:3354.82 Expected voters:6,953The percentages of votes from each list are calculated from number of valid voters The percentages of valid and invalid votes are calculated from the turnout number The turnout percentage is calculated from the number of expected voters Source: City of Rijeka ('Election results')
Opinion polls Mayoral election First round Polling Firm Fieldwork date Sample size Marko Filipović Davor Štimac Nikola Ivaniš Josip Ostrogović Marin Miletić Nebojša Zelič Ana Blečić Jelenović Katarina Peović Vedran Vivoda Hrvoje Burić Antun Antunović Undecided Lead Election results 16 May — 30.3 16.1 11.1 14.1 11.3 4.3 3.8 2.9 2.5 1.1 0.8 -14.2IPSOS4–5 May60022.821.214.411.59.63.53.02.92.01.81.26.31.6MASMI28 April3 May60023.316.312.114.110.14.94.34.52.0 - - -7.0IPSOS PULS16−21 April80022.914.913.810.912.54.52.64.23.0 - - -8.0MASMI11–14 March60020.614.57.913.314.63.2 -6.8 4.5 3.2 - -6.0IPSOS PULS27 February3 March80015.414.910.98.115.84.26.35.63.21.9 - -0.4
Second round Polling Firm Fieldwork date Sample size Marko Filipović Davor Štimac Nikola Ivaniš Marin Miletić Josip Ostrogović Undecided Will not vote LeadIPSOS4–5 May60040.446.9–––4.57.46.538.8–38.8––6.915.10.049.2––30.7–8.111.318.552.2–––31.06.59.721.2MASMI28 April3 May 60039.136.4–––12.012.52.748.3–––22.113.116.526.249.0––20.7–−−28.3
Rijeka City Council Polling Firm Fieldwork date Sample size SDP Davor Štimac List PGS HDZ Most MožemoRIRF DPAM Others Undecided Lead Election results 16 May — 28.1 11.1 8.6 16.3 10.4 7.6 4.9 3.9 2.0 5.6 1.5 -11.8IPSOS4–5 May60024.217.51512.77.84.84.12.92.01.5 -6.96.7MASMI28 April3 May 60023.613.18.016.79.3 -4.7 - -4.9 - -6.9IPSOS PULS16−21 April80025.312.29.412.610.77.14.82.82.26.3 - -12.8IPSOS PULS27 February3 March80021.612.75.811.011.35.85.43.61.17.7 -9.98.9MASMI11–14 March60020.912.15.813.99.58.45.14.8 -5.1 - -7.0
Background Workers' Front's announcement of Katarina Peović's candidature for the mayor of Rijeka caused a rift in the Green–Left Coalition and ultimately resulted in the expulsion of the Workers' Front from the coalition in December 2020, ahead of the elections.
Aftermath The constituent session of the city council was held on June 29 at the Croatian Cultural Center in Sušak. Ana Trošelj (PGS) was elected president of the council, and Josip Ostrogović (HDZ) and Željko Jovanović (SDP) were elected vice presidents. The majority in the council will be made up of the SDP coalition and the coalition of PGS and Labor, while the opposition includes HDZ, Most and the coalition of AM, UK and Alternativa.
Due to the failure to represent the representatives of the Serbian national minority in the council, by-elections were announced for October 3, 2021 for the election of one representative of the minority. This will increase the number of representatives in the council to 32.
See also List of mayors in Croatia 2021 Zagreb local elections 2021 Split local elections 2021 Osijek local elections
References