Politics of Croatia

Constitution

* Constitutional Act on the Rights of National Minorities in the Republic of Croatia

Executive

* President (list)
* Zoran Milanović
* Cabinet (list)
* Prime Minister: Andrej Plenković

Legislative

* Sabor (parliament)
* Speaker: Gordan Jandroković
* Current members
* Opposition
* Leader: Peđa Grbin

Judiciary

* Supreme Court
* Constitutional Court
* State's Attorney Office
* National Judicial Council

Political parties in Sabor

* Centre (CENTAR)
* Civic Liberal Alliance (GLAS)
* Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ)
* Croatian Demochristian Party (HDS)
* Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats (HNS-LD)
* Croatian Party of Pensioners (HSU)
* Croatian Peasant Party (HSS)
* Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS)
* Croatian Sovereignists (HS)
* Democratic Union of Hungarians of Croatia (DZMH)
* Focus (FOKUS)
* Homeland Movement (DP)
* Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS)
* Independent Platform of the North (NPS)
* Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS)
* Law and Justice (PiP)
* Social Democratic Party (SDP)
* The Bridge (MOST)
* We can! (Možemo)

Elections and referendums

Recent elections

*     * Presidential:
* 2019–20
* 2024–25

*     * Parliamentary:
* 2020
* 2024

*     * Local: 2017
* 2021
* 2025

*     * European:
* 2019
* 2024

Recent referendums

* 1991 (independence)
* 2012 (EU membership)
* 2013 (constitution)

Administrative divisions

* Counties (Županije)
* Towns (Gradovi)
* Municipalities (Općine)

Foreign relations

* Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs

Minister: Gordan Grlić-Radman
Diplomatic missions of / in Croatia
Passport

Visa requirements

* * *

* Politics of the European Union

* Croatia portal

* Other countries

* v
* t
* e

The politics of Croatia are defined by a parliamentary, representative democratic republic framework, where the Prime Minister of Croatia is the head of government in a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the Government and the President of Croatia. Legislative power is vested in the Croatian Parliament (Croatian: Sabor). The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The parliament adopted the current Constitution of Croatia on 22 December 1990 and decided to declare independence from Yugoslavia on 25 June 1991. The Constitutional Decision on the Sovereignty and Independence of the Republic of Croatia came into effect on 8 October 1991. The constitution has since been amended several times.[1] The first modern parties in the country developed in the middle of the 19th century, and their agenda and appeal changed, reflecting major social changes, such as the breakup of Austria-Hungary, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, dictatorship and social upheavals in the kingdom, World War II, the establishment of Communist rule and the breakup of the SFR Yugoslavia.

The President of the Republic (Croatian: Predsjednik/ica Republike) is the head of state and the commander in chief of the Croatian Armed Forces and is directly elected to serve a five-year term.[2] The government (Croatian: Vlada), the main executive power of Croatia, is headed by the prime minister, who has four deputy prime ministers who serve also as government ministers. Twenty ministers are in charge of particular activities. The executive branch is responsible for proposing legislation and a budget, executing the laws, and guiding the foreign and internal policies. The parliament is a unicameral legislative body. The number of Sabor representatives (MPs) ranges from 100 to 160; they are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. The powers of the legislature include enactment and amendment of the constitution and laws; adoption of the government budget, declarations of war and peace, defining national boundaries, calling referendums and elections, appointments and relief of officers, supervising the Government of Croatia and other holders of public powers responsible to the Sabor, and granting of amnesties. The Croatian constitution and legislation provides for regular presidential and parliamentary elections, and the election of county prefects (county presidents) and assemblies, and city and municipal mayors and councils.

Croatia has a three-tiered, independent judicial system governed by the Constitution of Croatia and national legislation enacted by the Sabor. The Supreme Court (Croatian: Vrhovni sud) is the highest court of appeal in Croatia,[3] while municipal and county courts are courts of general jurisdiction. Specialised courts in Croatia and the Superior Commercial Court, misdemeanour courts and the Superior Misdemeanour Court, administrative courts and the Superior Administrative Court. Croatian Constitutional Court (Croatian: Ustavni sud) is a court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional, i.e., whether they conflict with constitutionally established rights and freedoms. The State Attorney's Office represents the state in legal proceedings.

The Economist Intelligence Unit rated Croatia a "flawed democracy" in 2023.[4]

## Legal framework

[edit]

Main article: Constitution of Croatia

Croatia is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic. Following the collapse of the ruling Communist League, Croatia adopted a new constitution in 1990 – which replaced the 1974 constitution adopted by the Socialist Republic of Croatia – and organised its first multi-party elections.[5] While the 1990 constitution remains in force, it has been amended four times since its adoption—in 1997, 2000, 2001 and 2010.[6][7] Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia on 8 October 1991, which led to the breakup of Yugoslavia. Croatia's status as a country was internationally recognised by the United Nations in 1992.[8][9] Under its 1990 constitution, Croatia operated a semi-presidential system until 2000 when it switched to a parliamentary system.[10] Government powers in Croatia are divided into legislative, executive and judiciary powers.[11] The legal system of Croatia is civil law and, along with the institutional framework, is strongly influenced by the legal heritage of Austria-Hungary.[12] By the time EU accession negotiations were completed on 30 June 2010, Croatian legislation was fully harmonised with the Community acquis.[13] Croatia became a member state of the European Union on 1 July 2013.

## Executive

[edit]

Main articles: Government of Croatia and President of Croatia

Banski dvori, seat of the Government of Croatia

The President of the Republic (Croatian: Predsjednik/ica Republike) is the head of state. The president is directly elected and serves a five-year term. The president is the commander in chief of the armed forces, has the procedural duty of appointing the prime minister with the consent of the Sabor (Parliament) through a majority vote (majority of all MPs), and has some influence on foreign policy.[11] The most recent presidential election was held on 29 December 2024 and was won by Zoran Milanović.[14] He took the oath of office for his second term on 18 February 2025. The constitution limits holders of the presidential office to a maximum of two terms and prevents the president from being a member of any political party.[15] Consequently, the president-elect withdraws from party membership before inauguration.

The government (Croatian: Vlada), the main executive power of Croatia, is headed by the prime minister who has four deputies, who also serve as government ministers. There are 16 other ministers who are appointed by the prime minister with the consent of the Sabor (majority of all MPs); these are in charge of particular sectors of activity. As of 19 October 2016, the Deputy Prime Ministers are Martina Dalić, Davor Ivo Stier, Ivan Kovačić, and Damir Krstičević. Government ministers are from the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), and the Bridge of Independent Lists (MOST) with five independent ministers. The executive branch is responsible for proposing legislation and a budget, executing the laws, and guiding the country's foreign and domestic policies. The government's official residence is at Banski dvori.[11] As of 19 October 2016, the prime minister is Andrej Plenković.

Main office-holders  Office  | Name  | Party  | Since

|
|
|

President | Zoran Milanović | Social Democratic Party of Croatia | 19 February 2021
Prime Minister | Andrej Plenković | Croatian Democratic Union | 19 October 2016

## Legislature

[edit]

Main article: Croatian Parliament

Headquarters of the Sabor, Parliament of the Republic of Croatia

The Parliament of Croatia (Croatian: Sabor) is a unicameral legislative body. A second chamber, the Chamber of Counties (Croatian: Županijski dom), was set up in 1993 pursuant to the 1990 Constitution. The Chamber of Counties was originally composed of three deputies from each of the twenty counties and the city of Zagreb. However, as it had no practical power over the Chamber of Representatives, it was abolished in 2001 and its powers were transferred to the county governments. The number of Sabor representatives can vary from 100 to 160; they are all elected by popular vote and serve four-year terms. 140 members are elected in multi-seat constituencies, up to six members are chosen by proportional representation to represent Croatians living abroad and five members represent ethnic and national communities or minorities.[16] The two largest political parties in Croatia are the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDP). The last parliamentary election was held on 17 April 2024.

The Sabor meets in public sessions in two periods; the first from 15 January to 30 June, and the second from 15 September to 15 December. Extra sessions can be called by the President of the Republic, by the president of the parliament or by the government. The powers of the legislature include enactment and amendment of the constitution, enactment of laws, adoption of the state budget, declarations of war and peace, alteration of the country's boundaries, calling and conducting referendums and elections, appointments and relief of office, supervising the work of the Government of Croatia and other holders of public powers responsible to the Sabor, and granting amnesty. Decisions are made based on a majority vote if more than half of the Chamber is present, except in cases of constitutional issues.[16]

## Elections

[edit]

For other political parties, see List of political parties in Croatia. An overview on elections and election results is included in Elections in Croatia.

Ivo Josipović, 2010 election victory speech

The Croatian constitution and legislation provides for regular elections for the office of the President of the Republic, parliamentary, county prefects, county assemblies, city and municipal mayors and city and municipal councils. The President of the Republic is elected to a five-year term by a direct vote of all citizens of Croatia. A majority vote is required to win. A runoff election round is held in cases where no candidate secures the majority in the first round of voting. The presidential elections are regulated by the constitution and dedicated legislation; the latter defines technical details, appeals and similar issues.[15]

Map of the new Croatian electoral districts 2023

140 members of parliament are elected to a four-year term in ten multi-seat constituencies, which are defined on the basis of the existing county borders, with amendments to achieve a uniform number of eligible voters in each constituency to within 5%. Citizens of Croatia living abroad are counted in an eleventh constituency; however, its number of seats was not fixed for the last parliamentary election. It was instead calculated based on numbers of votes cast in the ten constituencies in Croatia and the votes cast in the eleventh constituency. In the 2007 parliamentary election the eleventh constituency elected five MPs. Constitutional changes first applied in the 2011 parliamentary election have abolished this scheme and permanently assigned three MPs to the eleventh constituency.[17] Additionally, eight members of parliament are elected by voters belonging to twenty-two recognised minorities in Croatia: the Serb minority elects three MPs, Hungarians and Italians elect one MP each, Czech and Slovak minorities elect one MP jointly, while all other minorities elect two more MPs to the parliament.[18] The Standard D'Hondt formula is applied to the vote, with a 5% election threshold.[19][20] The last parliamentary election, held in 2016, elected 151 MPs.[17]

The county prefects and city and municipal mayors are elected to four-year terms by majority of votes cast within applicable local government units. A runoff election is held if no candidate achieves a majority in the first round of voting.[21] Members of county, city, and municipal councils are elected to four-year terms through proportional representation; the entire local government unit forms a single constituency. The number of council members is defined by the councils themselves based on applicable legislation. Electoral committees are then tasked with determining whether the national minorities are represented in the council as required by the constitution. If the minorities are not represented, further members, who belong to the minorities and who have not been elected through the proportional representation system, are selected from electoral candidate lists and added to the council.[22]

### Latest presidential election

[edit]

Main article: 2019–20 Croatian presidential election

Candidate  | Party  | First round  | Second round

|
|
|

Votes  | %  | Votes  | %
| Zoran Milanović | Social Democratic Party | 562,783 | 29.55 | 1,034,170 | 52.66
| Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović | Independent (HDZ) | 507,628 | 26.65 | 929,707 | 47.34
| Miroslav Škoro | Independent | 465,704 | 24.45 |
| Mislav Kolakušić | Independent | 111,916 | 5.88
| Dario Juričan | Independent | 87,883 | 4.61
| Dalija Orešković | Independent | 55,163 | 2.90
| Ivan Pernar | Party of Ivan Pernar | 44,057 | 2.31
| Katarina Peović | Workers' Front | 21,387 | 1.12
| Dejan Kovač | Croatian Social Liberal Party | 18,107 | 0.95
| Anto Đapić | DESNO | 4,001 | 0.21
| Nedjeljko Babić | HSSČKŠ | 3,014 | 0.16
Invalid/blank votes | 22,218 | 1.17 | 89,415 | –
Total | 1,903,861 | 100 | 2,053,292 | 100
Registered voters/turnout | 3,719,741 | 51.18 | 3,734,115 | 54.99
Source: Izbori, Izbori

### Latest parliamentary election

[edit]

Main article: Croatian parliamentary election, 2016

Parties and coalitions  | Votes  | %  | Swing  | Seats  | +/–

|
|
|
|
|

Domestic electoral districts (1st–10th)
| HDZ Coalition  | HDZ, HSLS, HDS | 682,687  | 36.27%  | +2.91%  | 59  | +3
| People's Coalition | SDP, HNS, HSU, HSS | 636,602  | 33.82%  | +0.62%  | 54  | -2
| Bridge of Independent Lists | 186,626  | 9.91%  | -3.60%  | 13  | -6
| The Only Option Coalition  | Human Blockade, Change Croatia, Youth Action, Alphabet of democracy, HDSS | 117,208  | 6.23%  | +1.99%  | 8  | +7
| For Prime Minister Coalition  | BM 365, Reformisti, Novi val, HSS SR, BUZ  | 76,054  | 4.04%  | +0.72%  | 2  | ±0
| Even Stronger Istria Coalition  | IDS, PGS, List for Rijeka | 43,180  | 2.29%  | +0.46%  | 3  | ±0
| Turn Croatia Around Coalition  | Pametno, Za Grad  | 38,812  | 2.06%  | New | 0  | New
| HDSSB Coalition  | HDSSB, HKS | 23,573  | 1.25%  | -0.11%  | 1  | -1
| Homeland Coalition  | HSP AS, Desno, HKDU, USP, HDS  | 11,100  | 0.59%  |  | 0  | -3
| Croatian Labourists - Labour Party | 4,821  | 0.26%  |  | 0  | -1
| Other parties and independent lists  | 61,654  | 3.28%  |  | 0  | ±0
| Invalid  | 36,871  | 1.92%  |  | \-  | \-
Domestic total  | 1,919,188  | 100%  | \-  | 140  | ±0
Registered voters / turnout  | 3,531,279  | 54.35%  | -6.47%  | \-  | \-
District XI – Croatian citizens living abroad
| Croatian Democratic Union | 13,117  | 62.72%  | -22.97%  | 2  | -1
| Independent list led by Željko Glasnović  | 5,211  | 24.91%  | New | 1  | New
| For Prime Minister Coalition  | BM 365, Reformisti, Novi val, HSS SR, BUZ  | 936  | 4.47%  | +0.17%  | 0  | ±0
| Bridge of Independent Lists | 656  | 3.13%  | -0.76%  | 0  | ±0
| Other District XI lists  | 993  | 4.75%  |  | 0  | ±0
| Invalid  | 295  | 1.39%  |  | \-  | \-
District XI total  | 21,208  | 100%  | \-  | 3  | ±0
Registered voters / turnout  | 21,223  | 99.93%  | +0.02%  | \-  | \-
District XII – National minority electoral district
| Independent Democratic Serb Party | Differing election system | 3  | ±0
| Democratic Union of Hungarians of Croatia | 1  | +1
| Union of Roma in Croatia "Kali Sara"  | 1  | ±0
| Union of Albanians in Croatia  | 1  | +1
| Independents (Italian minority)  | 1  | ±0
| Independents (Czech/Slovak minority)  | 1  | ±0
District XII total  | 37,902  | 100%  | \-  | 8  | ±0
Registered voters / turnout  | 211,267  | 17.94%  | -1.14%  | \-  | \-
Total parliamentary seats  | 151  | ±0
Sources: State Election Committee;[23]

### Latest European elections

[edit]

Main article: 2024 European Parliament election in Croatia

Party| Votes| %| Seats| +/–

|
|
|
|

| Croatian Democratic Union| 264,415| 35.13| 6| +2
| Rivers of Justice| 192,859| 25.62| 4| 0
| Homeland Movement| 66,541| 8.84| 1| New
| We can!| 44,670| 5.93| 1| +1
| Fair Play List 9| 41,710| 5.54| 0| -1
| Independent list of Nina Skočak| 30,369| 4.03| 0| New
| The Bridge–HS–HSP| 30,155| 4.01| 0| -1
| Law and Justice| 22,425| 2.98| 0| -2
| Determination and Justice [hr]| 10,328| 1.37| 0| New
| Independent list of Ladislav Ilčić| 9,156| 1.22| 0| New
| Ričard Independent| 8,757| 1.16| 0| New
| Croatian Party of Pensioners| 5,235| 0.70| 0| New
| Workers' Front| 4,729| 0.63| 0| 0
| Pensioners Together| 4,298| 0.57| 0| New
| Movement for Animals| 3,060| 0.41| 0| New
| Agrarian Party| 2,840| 0.38| 0| New
| Party of Ivan Pernar| 2,280| 0.30| 0| New
| Green Alternative – ORaH| 1,636| 0.22| 0| 0
| Autochthonous Croatian Party of Rights| 1,402| 0.19| 0| 0
| Republic| 1,099| 0.15| 0| New
| Movement for a Modern Croatia| 1,005| 0.13| 0| 0
| Croatian Civil Resistance Party| 986| 0.13| 0| New
| Dalmatian Action| 973| 0.13| 0| New
| Righteous Croatia| 963| 0.13| 0| New
| Public Good| 770| 0.10| 0| New
Total| 752,661| 100.00| 12| 0
Valid votes| 752,661| 98.50|
Invalid/blank votes| 11,428| 1.50|
Total votes| 764,089| 100.00|
Registered voters/turnout| 3,731,860| 20.47|
Source: Results

## Judiciary

[edit]

Main article: Judiciary of Croatia

Croatia has a three-tiered, independent judicial system governed by the constitution and national legislation enacted by the Sabor. The Supreme Court (Croatian: Vrhovni sud) is the highest court of appeal in Croatia; its hearings are open and judgments are made publicly, except in cases where the privacy of the accused is to be protected. Judges are appointed by the National Judicial Council and judicial office is permanent until seventy years of age. The president of the Supreme Court is elected for a four-year term by the Croatian Parliament at the proposal of the President of the Republic. As of 2017, the president of the Supreme Court is Đuro Sessa.[24][25] The Supreme Court has civil and criminal departments.[24] The lower two levels of the three-tiered judiciary consist of county courts and municipal courts.[25] There are fifteen county courts and sixty-seven municipal courts in the country.[26]

Croatian Supreme Court building

There are other specialised courts in Croatia; commercial courts and the Superior Commercial Court, misdemeanour courts that try trivial offences such as traffic violations, the Superior Misdemeanour Court, the Administrative Court and the Croatian Constitutional Court (Croatian: Ustavni sud).[27] The Constitutional Court rules on matters regarding compliance of legislation with the constitution, repeals unconstitutional legislation, reports any breaches of provisions of the constitution to the government and the parliament, declares the speaker of the parliament acting president upon petition from the government in the event the country's president becomes incapacitated, issues consent for commencement of criminal procedures against or arrest of the president, and hears appeals against decisions of the National Judicial Council. The court consists of thirteen judges elected by members of the parliament for an eight-year term. The president of the Constitutional Court is elected by the court judges for a four-year term.[6] As of June 2012, the president of the Constitutional Court is Jasna Omejec.[28] The National Judicial Council (Croatian: Državno Sudbeno Vijeće) consists of eleven members, specifically seven judges, two university professors of law and two parliament members, nominated and elected by the Parliament for four-year terms, and may serve no more than two terms.[29] It appoints all judges and court presidents, except in case of the Supreme Court. As of January 2015, the president of the National Judicial Council is Ranko Marijan, who is also a Supreme Court judge.[30]

The State Attorney's Office represents the state in legal procedures. As of April 2018, Dražen Jelenić is the General State Attorney, and there are twenty-three deputies in the central office and lower-ranking State Attorneys at fifteen county and thirty-three municipal State Attorney's Offices.[31][32] The General State Attorney is appointed by the parliament.[33] A special State Attorney's Office dedicated to combatting corruption and organised crime, USKOK, was set up in late 2001.[34]

## Local government

[edit]

2009 Local elections: County council election winners (left), and county prefect election winners (right)
HDZ SDP HSS IDS HNS-LD HDSSB

Main article: Counties of Croatia

Croatia was first subdivided into counties (Croatian: županija) in the Middle Ages.[35] The divisions changed over time to reflect losses of territory to Ottoman conquest and the subsequent recapture of the same territory, and changes to the political status of Dalmatia, Dubrovnik and Istria. The traditional division of the country into counties was abolished in the 1920s, when the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and the subsequent Kingdom of Yugoslavia introduced oblasts and banovinas respectively.[36] After 1945 under Communist rule, Croatia, as a constituent part of Yugoslavia, abolished these earlier divisions and introduced municipalities, subdividing Croatia into approximately one hundred municipalities. Counties, significantly altered in terms of territory relative to the pre-1920s subdivisions, were reintroduced in 1992 legislation. In 1918, the Transleithanian part of Croatia was divided into eight counties with their seats in Bjelovar, Gospić, Ogulin, Požega, Vukovar, Varaždin, Osijek and Zagreb; the 1992 legislation established fifteen counties in the same territory.[37][38] Since the counties were re-established in 1992, Croatia is divided into twenty counties and the capital city of Zagreb, the latter having the authority and legal status of a county and a city at the same time. In some instances, the boundaries of the counties have been changed, with the latest revision taking place in 2006. The counties subdivide into 128 cities and 428 municipalities.[39]

The county prefects, city and municipal mayors are elected to four-year terms by a majority of votes cast within applicable local government units. If no candidate achieves a majority in the first round, a runoff election is held.[21] Members of county, city and municipal councils are elected to four-year terms, through proportional representation with the entire local government unit as a single constituency.[22]

The number of members of the councils is defined by the councils themselves, based on applicable legislation. Electoral committees are then tasked with determining whether the national ethnic minorities are represented on the council as required by the constitution. Further members who belong to the minorities may be added to the council if no candidate of that minority has been elected through the proportional representation system.[22] Election silence, as in all other types of elections in Croatia, when campaigning is forbidden, is enforced the day before the election and continues until 19:00 hours on the election day when the polling stations close and exit polls may be announced.[40] Eight nationwide local elections have been held in Croatia since 1990, the most recent being the 2017 local elections to elect county prefects and councils, and city and municipal councils and mayors. In 2017, the HDZ-led coalitions won a majority or plurality in fifteen county councils and thirteen county prefect elections. SDP-led coalitions won a majority or plurality in five county councils, including the city of Zagreb council, and the remaining county council election was won by IDS-SDP coalition. The SDP won two county prefect elections, the city of Zagreb mayoral election, the HSS and the HNS won a single county prefect election each.[41]

Požega

Virovitica

Bjelovar

Koprivnica

Čakovec

Varaždin

Krapina

Pazin

Rijeka

Zagreb

Osijek

Vukovar

Slavonski Brod

Karlovac

Dubrovnik

Split

Šibenik

Zadar

Sisak

Gospić

class=notpageimage|

Counties of Croatia

County | Seat | Area (km2) | Population

|
|
|

Bjelovar-Bilogora | Bjelovar | 2,652 | 119,743
Brod-Posavina | Slavonski Brod | 2,043 | 158,559
Dubrovnik-Neretva | Dubrovnik | 1,783 | 122,783
Istria | Pazin | 2,820 | 208,440
Karlovac | Karlovac | 3,622 | 128,749
Koprivnica-Križevci | Koprivnica | 1,746 | 115,582
Krapina-Zagorje | Krapina | 1,224 | 133,064
Lika-Senj | Gospić | 5,350 | 51,022
Međimurje | Čakovec | 730 | 114,414
Osijek-Baranja | Osijek | 4,152 | 304,899
Požega-Slavonia | Požega | 1,845 | 78,031
Primorje-Gorski Kotar | Rijeka | 3,582 | 296,123
Šibenik-Knin | Šibenik | 2,939 | 109,320
Sisak-Moslavina | Sisak | 4,463 | 172,977
Split-Dalmatia | Split | 4,534 | 455,242
Varaždin | Varaždin | 1,261 | 176,046
Virovitica-Podravina | Virovitica | 2,068 | 84,586
Vukovar-Srijem | Vukovar | 2,448 | 180,117
Zadar | Zadar | 3,642 | 170,398
Zagreb County | Zagreb | 3,078 | 317,642
City of Zagreb | Zagreb | 641 | 792,875

## History

[edit]

See also: History of Croatia

### Within Austria-Hungary

[edit]

Meeting of the Sabor in 1848

Events of 1848 in Europe and the Austrian Empire brought dramatic changes to Croatian society and politics, provoking the Croatian national revival that strongly influenced and significantly shaped political and social events in Croatia. At the time, the Sabor and Ban Josip Jelačić advocated the severance of ties with the Kingdom of Hungary, emphasising links to other South Slavic lands within the empire. Several prominent Croatian political figures emerged, such as Ante Starčević, Eugen Kvaternik, Franjo Rački and Josip Juraj Strossmayer. A period of neo-absolutism was followed by the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 and the Croatian–Hungarian Settlement, which granted limited independence to Croatia. This was compounded by Croatian claims of uninterrupted statehood since the early Middle Ages as a basis for a modern state. Two political parties that evolved in the 1860s and contributed significantly to the sentiment were the Party of Rights, led by Starčević and Kvaternik, and the People's Party, led by Janko Drašković, Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski, Josip Juraj Strossmayer and Ivan Mažuranić. They were opposed by the National Constitutional Party, which was in power for most of the period between the 1860s and the 1918, and advocated closer ties between Croatia and Hungary.[42]

Other significant parties formed in the era were the Serb People's Independent Party, which later formed the Croat-Serb Coalition with the Party of Rights and other Croat and Serb parties. The Coalition ruled Croatia between 1903 and 1918. The leaders of the Coalition were Frano Supilo and Svetozar Pribićević. The Croatian Peasant Party (HSS), established in 1904 and led by Stjepan Radić, advocated Croatian autonomy but achieved only moderate gains by 1918.[42] In Dalmatia, the two major parties were the People's Party – a branch of the People's Party active in Croatia-Slavonia – and the Autonomist Party, advocating maintaining autonomy of Dalmatia, opposite to the People's Party demands for unification of Croatia-Slavonia and Dalmatia. The Autonomist Party, most notably led by Antonio Bajamonti, was also linked to Italian irredentism. By 1900, the Party of Rights had made considerable gains in Dalmatia.[43] The Autonomists won the first three elections, but all elections since 1870 were won by the People's Party. In the period 1861–1918 there were seventeen elections in the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia and ten in the Kingdom of Dalmatia.[42]

### First and Second Yugoslavia

[edit]

A session of Sabor, 29 October 1918

After the establishment of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, the HSS established itself as the most popular Croatian political party and was very popular despite efforts to ban it.[44] The 1921 constitution defined the kingdom as a unitary state and abolished the historical administrative divisions, which effectively ended Croatian autonomy; the constitution was opposed by HSS.[45] The political situation deteriorated further as Stjepan Radić of the HSS was assassinated in the Yugoslav Parliament in 1928, leading to the dictatorship of King Alexander in January 1929.[46] The HSS, now led by Vladko Maček, continued to advocate the federalisation of Yugoslavia, resulting in the Cvetković–Maček Agreement of August 1939 and the autonomous Banovina of Croatia. The Yugoslav government retained control of defence, internal security, foreign affairs, trade, and transport while other matters were left to the Croatian Sabor and a crown-appointed Ban.[47] This arrangement was soon made obsolete with the beginning of World War II, when the Independent State of Croatia, which banned all political opposition, was established.[48] Since then, the HSS continues to operate abroad.[49]

In the 1945 election, the Communists were unopposed because the other parties abstained.[50] Once in power, the Communists introduced a single-party political system, in which the Communist Party of Yugoslavia was the ruling party and the Communist Party of Croatia was its branch.[51] In 1971, the Croatian national movement, which sought greater civil rights and the decentralisation of the Yugoslav economy, culminated in the Croatian Spring, which was suppressed by the Yugoslav leadership.[52] In January 1990, the Communist Party fragmented along national lines; the Croatian faction demanded a looser federation.[53]

### Modern Croatia

[edit]

Cabinet of Zoran Milanović in December 2011

In 1989, the government of the Socialist Republic of Croatia decided to tolerate political parties in response to growing demands to allow political activities outside the Communist party. The first political party founded in Croatia since the beginning of the Communist rule was the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), established on 20 May 1989, followed by the Croatian Democratic Union on 17 June 1989. In December 1989, Ivica Račan became the head of the reformed Communist party. At the same time, the party cancelled political trials, released political prisoners and endorsed a multi-party political system. The Civil Organisations Act was formally amended to allow political parties on 11 January 1990, legalising the parties that were already founded.[54]

By the time of the first round of the first multi-party elections, held on 22 April 1990, there were 33 registered parties. The most relevant parties and coalitions were the League of Communists of Croatia – Party of Democratic Changes (the renamed Communist party), the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), and the Coalition of People's Accord (KNS), which included the HSLS led by Dražen Budiša, and the HSS, which resumed operating in Croatia in December 1989.[49][54] The runoff election was held on 6 May 1990. The HDZ, led by Franjo Tuđman, won ahead of the reformed Communists and the KNS. The KNS, led by Savka Dabčević-Kučar and Miko Tripalo – who had led the Croatian Spring – soon splintered into individual parties. The HDZ maintained a parliamentary majority until the 2000 parliamentary election, when it was defeated by the Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDP), led by Račan. Franjo Gregurić, of the HDZ, was appointed prime minister to head a national unity government in July 1991 as the Croatian War of Independence escalated in intensity. His appointment lasted until August 1992.[55] During his term, Croatia's declaration of independence from Yugoslavia took effect on 8 October 1991.[8] The HDZ returned to power in the 2003 parliamentary election, while the SDP remained the largest opposition party.[41]

Franjo Tuđman won the presidential elections in 1992 and 1997. During his terms, the Constitution of Croatia, adopted in 1990, provided for a semi-presidential system.[7] After Tuđman's death in 1999, the constitution was amended and much of the presidential powers were transferred to the parliament and the government.[10] Stjepan Mesić won two consecutive terms in 2000 and 2005 on a Croatian People's Party (HNS) ticket. Ivo Josipović, an SDP candidate, won the presidential elections in December 2009 and January 2010.[41] Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović defeated Josipović in the January 2015 election run-off, becoming the first female president of Croatia.[56]

In January 2020, former prime minister Zoran Milanovic of the Social Democrats (SDP) won the presidential election. He defeated center-right incumbent Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) in the second round of the election.[57] In July 2020, the ruling right-wing HDZ won the parliamentary election. Since 2016 ruled HDZ-led coalition of prime minister Andrej Plenković continued to govern.[58]

## See also

[edit]

* List of political parties in Croatia
* Foreign relations of Croatia
* Left-wing politics in Croatia
* Far-right politics in Croatia

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Chronology". Constitute. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
2. ^ "Croatia 1991 (rev. 2010)". Constitute. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
3. ^ "Croatia 1991 (rev. 2010)". Constitute. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
4. ^ Democracy Index 2023: Age of Conflict (PDF). Economist Intelligence Unit (Report). 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 June 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
5. ^ "EVOLUTION IN EUROPE; Conservatives Win in Croatia". The New York Times. 9 May 1990. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
6. ^ a b "History of Croatian Constitutional Judicature". Croatian Constitutional Court. Archived from the original on 26 September 2014. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
7. ^ a b Veronika Rešković (17 June 2010). "Arlović: Bilo bi dobro da ovaj Ustav izdrži dulje, ali me strah da ipak neće" [Arlović: It would be good if this constitution lasts, but I fear i will not]. Jutarnji list (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 30 December 2019. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
8. ^ a b "Ceremonial session of the Croatian Parliament on the occasion of the Day of Independence of the Republic of Croatia". Official web site of the Parliament of Croatia. Sabor. 7 October 2004. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
9. ^ Paul L. Montgomery (23 May 1992). "3 Ex-Yugoslav Republics Are Accepted into U.N." The New York Times. Archived from the original on 16 April 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
10. ^ a b "Croatia country profile". BBC News. 20 July 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
11. ^ a b c "Political Structure". Government of Croatia. 6 May 2007. Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
12. ^ Tomasz Giaro (2006). Modernisierung durch Transfer im 19. und frühen 20. Jahrhundert Von Tomasz Giaro (in German). Vittorio Klostermann. ISBN 978-3-465-03489-6. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
13. ^ "Overview of EU – Croatia relations". Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Croatia. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
14. ^ "The President of the Republic of Croatia. Zoran Milanovic - Biography". Archived from the original on 9 May 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
15. ^ a b "Ustav Republike Hrvatske" [Constitution of the Republic of Croatia]. Narodne Novine (in Croatian). 9 July 2010. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
16. ^ a b "About the Parliament". Sabor. Archived from the original on 6 July 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
17. ^ a b "U novi saziv Hrvatskoga sabora bira se 151 zastupnik" [151 MPs to be Elected to the next Sabor] (in Croatian). Sabor. Archived from the original on 25 May 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
18. ^ "Zakon o izborima zastupnika u Hrvatski Sabor" [Croatian Parliament Members Election Act]. Narodne Novine (in Croatian). 23 April 2003. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
19. ^ Petra Maretić-Žonja; Vojislav Mazzocco (15 July 2011). "Kukuriku-koalicija podijelila mjesta na listama, ali ne i resore" [Kukuriku coalition carves out candidate lists, not the ministries]. Večernji list (in Croatian). Retrieved 9 November 2011.
20. ^ "Izborni postupak u izborima za Hrvatski sabor" [Election process for Croatian parliamentary elections] (in Croatian). State Electoral Commission. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
21. ^ a b "Zakon o izborima općinskih načelnika, gradonačelnika, župana i gradonačelnika grada Zagreba" [Municipal Mayor, City Mayor, County Prefect and the City of Zagreb Mayor Election Act]. Narodne Novine (in Croatian). 24 October 2007. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
22. ^ a b c "Zakon o izboru članova predstavničkih tijela jedinica lokalne i područne (regionalne) samouprave" [Members of Local and Regional Self-Government Representation Bodies Election Act]. Narodne Novine (in Croatian). 5 April 2005. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
23. ^ "Izbori 2016 - Rezultati" (in Croatian). State Election Committee of the Republic of Croatia. 16 September 2016. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
24. ^ a b "O Vrhovnom sudu" [About the Supreme Court] (in Croatian). Croatian Supreme Court. 14 October 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
25. ^ a b "Ustavne odredbe" [Provisions of the Constitution] (in Croatian). Croatian Supreme Court. 21 May 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
26. ^ "Zakon o područjima i sjedištima sudova" [Court Districts and Headquarters Act]. Narodne Novine (in Croatian). 22 December 2010. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
27. ^ "Sudbena vlast" [Judiciary] (in Croatian). Croatian Supreme Court. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
28. ^ "Judges of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia". Croatian Constitutional Court. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
29. ^ "O nama" [About us] (in Croatian). Croatian National Judicial Council. Archived from the original on 1 January 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
30. ^ "Članovi" [Members] (in Croatian). Croatian National Judicial Council. Archived from the original on 27 December 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
31. ^ "Opći podaci" [General Data] (in Croatian). Croatian State Attorney's Office. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
32. ^ "Županijska i općinska državna odvjetništva" [County and Municipal State Attorney's Offices] (in Croatian). Croatian State Attorney's Office. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
33. ^ "Sabor imenovao Bajića na treći mandat" [Sabor appoints Bajić for the third term] (in Croatian). Poslovni dnevnik. 12 February 2010. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
34. ^ "O USKOK-u" [About USKOK] (in Croatian). USKOK. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
35. ^ Oleg Mandić (1952). "O nekim pitanjima društvenog uređenja Hrvatske u srednjem vijeku" [On some issues of social system of Croatia in the Middle Ages] (PDF). Historijski Zbornik (in Croatian). 5 (1–2). Školska knjiga: 131–138\. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 October 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2011.1–2&rft.pages=131-138&rft.date=1952&rft.au=Oleg+Mandić&rft_id=http://www.historiografija.hr/hz/1952/HZ_5_11_MANDIC.pdf&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Politics+of+Croatia" class="Z3988">
36. ^ Richard C. Frucht (2005). Eastern Europe: An Introduction to the People, Lands, and Culture. ABC-CLIO. p. 429\. ISBN 978-1-57607-800-6. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
37. ^ Mark Biondich (2000). Stjepan Radić, the Croat Peasant Party, and the politics of mass mobilization, 1904–1928. University of Toronto Press. p. 11\. ISBN 978-0-8020-8294-7. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
38. ^ "Zakon o područjima županija, gradova i općina u Republici Hrvatskoj" [Territories of Counties, Cities and Municipalities of the Republic of Croatia Act]. Narodne novine (in Croatian). 30 December 1992. Archived from the original on 28 August 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
39. ^ "Zakon o područjima županija, gradova i općina u Republici Hrvatskoj" [Territories of Counties, Cities and Municipalities of the Republic of Croatia Act]. Narodne novine (in Croatian). 28 July 2006. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
40. ^ "Lokalni izbori: Počela izborna šutnja" [Local elections: Election silence starts]. Jutarnji list (in Croatian). 16 May 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
41. ^ a b c "Arhiva izbora" [Elections Archive] (in Croatian). State Election Commission. Archived from the original on 31 October 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
42. ^ a b c Stjepan Matković (April 2011). "Croatian-Slovenian relations in politics, 1848–1914: examples of mutual ties". Review of Croatian History. 6 (1). Croatian Institute of History: 115–132\. ISSN 1845-4380. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
43. ^ Šime Peričić (September 2003). "O broju Talijana/talijanaša u Dalmaciji XIX. stoljeća" [Concerning the Number of Italians/Pro-Italians in Dalmatia in the 19th century]. Radovi Zavoda za povijesne znanosti HAZU u Zadru (in Croatian) (45). Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts: 327–355\. ISSN 1330-0474. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
44. ^ "YUGOSLAVIA: The Opposition". Newsweek. 6 April 1925. Archived from the original on 20 February 2008. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
45. ^ "Parlamentarni izbori u Brodskom kotaru 1923. godine" [Parliamentary Elections in the Brod District in 1932]. Scrinia Slavonica (in Croatian). 3 (1). Croatian Institute of History – Slavonia, Syrmium and Baranya history branch: 452–470\. November 2003. ISSN 1332-4853. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
46. ^ Zlatko Begonja (November 2009). "Ivan Pernar o hrvatsko-srpskim odnosima nakon atentata u Beogradu 1928. godine" [Ivan Pernar on Croatian-Serbian relations after 1928 Belgrade assassination]. Radovi Zavoda za povijesne znanosti HAZU u Zadru (in Croatian) (51). Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts: 203–218\. ISSN 1330-0474. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
47. ^ Matjaž Klemenčič; Mitja Žagar (2004). The former Yugoslavia's diverse peoples: a reference sourcebook. ABC-CLIO. pp. 121–123\. ISBN 978-1-57607-294-3. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
48. ^ R.J.B. Bosworth (2009). The Oxford handbook of fascism. Oxford University Press. p. 431\. ISBN 978-0-19-929131-1.
49. ^ a b "Statut" [Constitution] (in Croatian). Croatian Peasant Party. 19 December 2009. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
50. ^ Davorin Rudolf; Saša Čobanov (June 2009). "Jugoslavija: unitarna država ili federacija povijesne težnje srpskoga i hrvatskog naroda – jedan od uzroka raspada Jugoslavije" [Yugoslavia: A Unitary State or Federation (Conflicting historical tensions – one of the causes of the dissolution of Yugoslavia)]. Zbornik Radova Pravnog Fakulteta U Splitu (in Croatian). 46 (2). University of Split, Faculty of Law: 287–317\. ISSN 0584-9063. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
51. ^ Marina Štambuk-Škalić (April 2003). "Prilog poznavanju institucija: Sabor Narodne Republike Hrvatske, saziv 1953–1963" [Contribution to the History of Institutions: Parliament of the People's Republic of Croatia, Convocation 1953–1963]. Arhivski vjesnik (in Croatian) (45). Croatian State Archive: 83–102\. ISSN 0570-9008. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
52. ^ Vlado Vurušić (6 August 2009). "Heroina Hrvatskog proljeća" [Heroine of the Croatian Spring]. Jutarnji list (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 13 August 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
53. ^ Davor Pauković (1 June 2008). "Posljednji kongres Saveza komunista Jugoslavije: uzroci, tijek i posljedice raspada" [Last Congress of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia: Causes, Consequences and Course of Dissolution]. Časopis Za Suvremenu Povijest (in Croatian). 1 (1). Centar za politološka istraživanja: 21–33\. ISSN 1847-2397. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
54. ^ a b Šime Dunatov (December 2010). "Začetci višestranačja u Hrvatskoj 1989. godine" [The Origins of the Multi-Party System in Croatia in 1989]. Radovi Zavoda za povijesne znanosti HAZU u Zadru (in Croatian) (52). Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts: 381–397\. ISSN 1330-0474. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
55. ^ "Prethodne vlade RH" [Previous governments of the Republic of Croatia] (in Croatian). Government of Croatia. Archived from the original on 23 November 2011. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
56. ^ "Croatia elects conservative in presidential election runoff". TheGuardian.com. 11 January 2015.
57. ^ "Croatia election: Ex-leftist PM Zoran Milanovic wins | DW | 05.01.2020". Deutsche Welle.
58. ^ "Croatia's rightwing ruling party wins election victory". TheGuardian.com. 6 July 2020.

* v
* t
* e

Croatia articles

History|

* Prehistoric
* Origins of Croats
* White Croats
* White Croatia
* Medieval duchy
* Dalmatian city-states
* Lower Pannonia
* Red Croatia
* Narentines
* Zachlumia
* Travunia
* Kanalites
* Medieval kingdom
* Ban of Croatia
* Ban of Slavonia
* Personal union with Hungary
* Venetian Dalmatia
* Republic of Ragusa
* Habsburg kingdom
* Illyrian Provinces
* Austrio-Hungarian kingdom
* World War I
* Kingdom of Yugoslavia
* Banovina
* World War II
* 'Independent State'
* Socialist Republic
* Independence
* War of Independence
* Croatia since 1995
* NATO
* European Union

Geography|

* Climate
* Extreme points
* Islands
* Lakes
* Mammals
* Mountains
* Protected areas
* Rivers
* Topography

Politics|

* Administrative divisions
* Constitution
* President
* Government
* Prime Minister
* Human rights
* LGBT
* Law enforcement
* Military
* General Staff
* Chief of the General Staff
* Parliament
* Speaker
* Political parties
* Elections
* Foreign relations
* Security and intelligence

Economy|

* Brands
* Energy
* Gross domestic product (GDP)
* Industry
* History of currency
* National Bank
* The euro
* Privatization
* Stock Exchange
* Telecommunications
* Tourism
* Transport

Society|

* Croats
* Demographics
* Education
* Ethnic groups
* Genetics
* Healthcare
* Languages
* Religion
* Women

Culture|

* Architecture
* Art
* Cinema
* Cuisine
* Wine
* Croatian language
* Literature
* Music
* Public holidays
* Radio stations
* Sport
* Television
* World Heritage Sites

Symbols|

* Anthem
* Checkerboard
* Coat of arms
* Costume
* Crown
* Decorations
* Flags
* Interlace
* Motto
* Names

* Outline
* Index

* Category
* Portal

* v
* t
* e

Politics of Europe

Sovereign states|

* Albania
* Andorra
* Armenia
* Austria
* Azerbaijan
* Belarus
* Belgium
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Georgia
* Germany
* Greece
* Hungary
* Iceland
* Ireland
*   * Italy
* Kazakhstan
* Latvia
* Liechtenstein
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Malta
* Moldova
* Monaco
* Montenegro
* Netherlands
* North Macedonia
* Norway
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Russia
* San Marino
* Serbia
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Turkey
* Ukraine
* United Kingdom
* England
* Northern Ireland
* Scotland
* Wales
* Vatican City

States with limited
recognition|

* Abkhazia
* Kosovo
* Northern Cyprus
* South Ossetia
* Transnistria

Dependencies and
other entities|

* Åland
* Faroe Islands
* Gibraltar
* Guernsey
* Isle of Man
* Jersey
* Svalbard

Other entities|

* European Union

Authority control databases: National |

* United States
* Israel

|

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template