Croatia after Tudjman: New Chance for Democracy© Peter Weber
Apr 25, 2000
Franjo Tudjman (HDZ) will probably be remembered in history as the father of Croatian independence. His secret pact with Slobodan Milosevic for the partition of Bosnia between Serbia and Croatia has given the signal for the definitive dissolution of former Yugoslavia. With his successful offensives against the Serbs castled in Krajina and Slavonia he has restabilized the territorial integrity of the Croatian Republic. But after ten years of quasi dictatorial regime president Tudjman's death in December 1999 has come as a relief for Croatia's democrats. In January parliamentary and presidential elections have sentenced the victory of the democratic opposition. State president in Zagreb is now Stipe Mesic (HNS). New prime minister is the Social Democrat Ivica Racan (SDP) who has formed a center-left coalition. Both agree to drag Croatia away from Balkan absolutisms towards democracy and cooperation. After ten years of international isolation their ambition is joining the EU and NATO.
Deep fall for Tudjman's party
The old leader and state founder had died only a few weeks before, but citizens of the young Republic of Croatia have not been losing time with nostalgic feelings. Asked to elect a new parliament less than a month after president Franjo Tudjman's death on 10th December 1999, over two thirds of Croatian voters decided to turn their back on Tudjman's national-conservative party, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), which had been dominating the political scene for ten years. Although the number of representatives in parliament has been increased from 127 to 151, the HDZ fell from its comfortable absolute majority of 75 seats won in 1995 down to a desolating 40 seats. Thus, with the turn of the century the Croatian people have even turned the page for a new chapter in the history of their young and uncertain democracy.
Winner of the elections was the alliance of Social Democrats (SDP) and Social-Liberals (HSLS). The Social-Democrats conquered 46 seats (+36), the Social Liberals 25 seats (+13). New prime minister became Ivica Racan (SDP), who has formed a government coalition with a centrist alliance of five minor parties: the Croatian Peasant Party HSS with 16 seats, the Istrian Democratic Assembly IDS with 4 seats, the Liberal Party LS with 2 seats, the Croatian People's Party HNS with 2 seats and the Croatian Social Democrats' Action ASH with one seat.
A new majority and a new president
The opposition is now formed by the HDZ and a minor center-right alliance consisting of the xenophobic Croatian Right's Party HSP with 5 seats and the Croatian Christian Democratic Union HKDU with one seat. The total number of HDZ deputies is 46, due to the fact that six deputies are elected by Croatians living abroad who have expressed an absolute preference for the Nationalists. Five seats are reserved for ethnic minorities such as Hungarians and Serbs, whose share of the country's population exceeds 8%.
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