Croatia to hold parliamentary elections on Nov. 8

ZAGREB (Reuters) - Croatia's president on Monday called a parliamentary election for Nov. 8, with the opposition conservatives bidding for a return to power in the European Union’s newest member following six years of recession. The Social Democrat-led ruling coalition of Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic is trailing in opinion polls and faces a fight to defeat the conservative HDZ, led by former intelligence chief Tomislav Karamarko. The gap between them has closed in recent weeks, with Milanovic appearing to benefit from the economy’s return to growth this year, his handling of the migrant crisis buffeting Europe and a decision to impose on banks the cost of converting Swiss franc-denominated loans into euros to aid borrowers.. A poll published on Sunday by Promocija Plus put the HDZ-led opposition coalition on 32.9 percent and Milanovic’s bloc on 31.9 percent, meaning smaller parties may yet decide who gets to govern. (Reporting by Igor Ilic; Editing by Toby Chopra)