Croatia’s parliamentary election follows harsh contest between country’s top two officials WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio [Video]

ZAGREB, Croatia — (AP) — Croatia’s upcoming parliamentary election, set for Wednesday, follows a campaign that was marked by heated exchanges between the country’s two top officials, sparking a political crisis in the Balkan country that belongs to both the European Union and NATO.

The ballot will pit the ruling conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) led by incumbent Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic against an alliance of centrist and left-wing parties informally led by populist President Zoran Milanovic and his Social Democratic Party (SDP).

A lot is at stake in the race for Croatia’s 151-seat parliament, not just in the country itself but for Europe as it grapples with the instability from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

If the HDZ stays in power, the country would maintain relative political stability and continue on the pro-Western course in supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia. A success for SDP could put it on …