Prime Minister of Croatia

President of the Government of Croatia Predsjednik Vlade Republike Hrvatske
Coat of Arms of Croatia
Incumbent Jadranka Kosor since 6 July 2009
Appointer	President of the Republic
Inaugural holder	Stjepan Mesić
Formation	30 May 1990
Website	www.vlada.hr

Croatia

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Croatia

Constitution Constitution Legislative Sabor Speaker Luka Bebić Assembly Opposition Zoran Milanović Judiciary Supreme Court Constitutional Court Executive President (List) Ivo Josipović Government (List) Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor Cabinet Political parties Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) Social Democratic Party (SDP) Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats (HNS-LD) Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS) Croatian Democratic Alliance of Slavonia and Baranja (HDSSB) Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) Croatian Party of Pensioners (HSU) Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) Elections Presidential: 2009–2010 Parliamentary: 2007, 2011 Local: 2009 Divisions Counties (Županija) Foreign relations EU accession

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The Prime Minister of Croatia, officially "President of the Government of the Republic of Croatia" (Croatian: Predsjednik Vlade Republike Hrvatske), is Croatia's head of government. In the formal Croatian order of precedence used in ceremonial matters, the position of prime minister is the third most important Croatian state office, behind the President of the Republic and the President of Parliament. The Constitution of Croatia prescribes that the Parliament "supervises" the Government (Article 81) and that the President of the Republic "ensures the regular and balanced functioning and stability of government" (as a whole; Article 94), while the Government is introduced in Article 108.^[1]

The prime minister is today the most powerful and the most important person in the Croatian system of government. Since 2000, the prime minister has had various added constitutional powers and happens to be mentioned earlier than the Government itself in the text of the Constitution, in Articles 87, 97, 99, 100, 101, 103, 104.^[1] The current Prime Minister of Croatia is Jadranka Kosor, who took office following the resignation of the former prime minister Ivo Sanader in July of 2009. The Government of Croatia meets in Banski dvori, a historical building located on the west side of St. Mark's Square in Zagreb.

History

The first head of government and Prime Minister of Croatia (then the People's Republic of Croatia by full name) was Vladimir Bakarić (Predsjednik Vlade), who assumed the position on 14 April 1945. The position was then, as it is today, the most powerful public office in the state (which was then part of the Yugoslav federation). The name of the office was changed 8 years later with the Yugoslav constitutional reforms of 1953, into "President of the Executive Council" (Predsjednik Izvršnog Vijeća), and remained the central office of Croatian politics in spite of the institution of a collective Presidency (previously the mostly-nominal function of the head of state belonged to the speaker of the Croatian parliament, the Sabor). After another round of constitutional reforms in 1990, the office was was renamed back to its original 1945-1953 title of "Prime Minister" (Predsjednik Vlade). Since then, Croatia has had nine holders of the title, eight of them nominated by the Croatian Democratic Union. The first Prime Minister of Croatia since the 1990 constitutional reforms was Stjepan Mesić, assuming office on 30 May 1990.^[2][3] Franjo Gregurić was the first prime minister of Croatia after the secession from Yugoslavia.

List

Yugoslav period

In the Socialist Republic of Croatia, which was at the time a federal republic in Yugoslavia, a single-party system was in place. During this time there were twelve heads of government, all from the ranks of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (KPJ), which was reformed and renamed into the League of Communists of Yugoslavia (SKJ) in 1952. The federal party was organized into six sub-organizations - the republic parties, one for each of the six federal republics. Croatian politicians and prime ministers of the period were members of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia through their membership in the League of Communists of Croatia (SKH), the Croatian part of the federal party (as was respectively the case with all Yugoslav politicians).

      League of Communists of Yugoslavia       League of Communists of Croatia

No.	Head of Government		Lifespan	Term of office		Party	Notes
Minister for Croatia 1945
N/A		Pavle Gregorić	1892–1989	7 March 1945	14 April 1945	Communist Party of Yugoslavia	De facto prime minister. Temporary representative for Croatia in the Yugoslav federal government.
Prime Minister 1945 - 1953
12		Vladimir Bakarić	1912–1983	14 April 1945	6 February 1953	Communist Party of Yugoslavia (party renamed in 1952)	The first Croatian Head of Government.
						League of Communists of Yugoslavia (party renamed in 1952)
Presidents of the Executive Council 1953 - 1990
1		Vladimir Bakarić	1912–1983	6 February 1953	December 1953	League of Communists of Yugoslavia
2		Jakov Blažević	1912–1996	December 1953	July 1962	League of Communists of Yugoslavia	Longest term as Croatian head of government.
3		Zvonko Brkić	1912–1977	July 1962	June 1963	League of Communists of Yugoslavia
4		Mika Špiljak	1916–2007	June 1963	May 1967	League of Communists of Yugoslavia
5		Savka Dabčević-Kučar	1923–2009	May 1967	May 1969	League of Communists of Yugoslavia	Led the MASPOK movement during the Croatian Spring
6		Dragutin Haramija	1923–	May 1969	December 1971	League of Communists of Yugoslavia
7		Ivo Perišin	1925–2008	December 1971	April 1974	League of Communists of Yugoslavia	Also at one time held the positions of Speaker of the Sabor of Croatia (Head of State), and Mayor of Split.
8		Jakov Sirotković	1922–2002	April 1974	9 May 1978	League of Communists of Yugoslavia
9		Petar Fleković		9 May 1978	July 1980	League of Communists of Yugoslavia
10		Ante Marković	1924–	July 1980	20 November 1985	League of Communists of Yugoslavia	Also at one time President of the Presidency of Croatia, and last Prime Minister of Yugoslavia. Led successful economic liberalization reforms that were terminated by the coming conflict.
11		Ema Derossi-Bjelajac	1926–	20 November 1985	10 May 1986	League of Communists of Yugoslavia
12		Antun Milović	1934–2008	10 May 1986	30 May 1990	League of Communists of Yugoslavia (until January 1990)	The pan-Yugoslav League of Communists of Yugoslavia (SKJ) splintered in January 1990 into its republic member-parties, in Croatia the League of Communists of Croatia (soon to be reformed into the Social Democratic Party) seceded from the central party and instituted democratic elections.
						League of Communists of Croatia (from January 1990)

Transition from Yugoslavia

After the democratic changes that allowed multi-party elections in SFR Yugoslavia, the Croatian parliamentary election, 1990 was held, and for the first time since World War II a government was elected not from the ranks of the League of Communists of Croatia. Stjepan Mesić led the first such government, and despite the fact the country was still under a socialist constitution as well as part of Yugoslavia, this government is widely attributed to have been the "first" government of modern-day Croatia.

The newly elected Parliament proceeded to change the Constitution of Croatia, and on 22 December 1990, this so-called "Christmas Constitution" defined the Republic of Croatia and its governmental structure.

Since the 1990 constitution Croatia was a semi-presidential republic, which meant the President of Croatia had broad executive powers, including naming the Prime Minister and dissolving the government.

      Croatian Democratic Union

No.	Head of Government		Lifespan	Term of office — Electoral mandates		Party	Notes
Prime Ministers 1990 onwards, within Yugoslavia
1 (13)		Stjepan Mesić	1934–	30 May 1990	24 August 1990	Croatian Democratic Union	First official to hold the title "Prime Minister of Croatia" since 1953. Also at a later date held the office of President of Croatia, and served as the last President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia.
				1990
2 (14)		Josip Manolić	1920–	24 August 1990	17 July 1991	Croatian Democratic Union
				—
3 (15)		Franjo Gregurić	1939–	17 July 1991	12 August 1992	Croatian Democratic Union	First Croatian prime minister during and after its secession from Yugoslavia. Led the joint "Government of National Unity", instituted due to the escalating conflict.
				—

Since independence

Croatia proclaimed independence from SFR Yugoslavia on 25 June 1991 following the May 1991 independence referendum. However, the country then signed the July 1991 Brijuni Agreement in which it agreed to postpone the formal declaration of independence for three months. Meanwhile, the Croatian War of Independence ensued, and the Gregurić cabinet was modeled as a Government of National Unity. In October the same year, Croatia formally declared independence. It was internationally recognized by January 1992 and admitted to the United Nations in May that year.

Until 2000 the country employed a semi-presidential system. Following the January 2000 general election the winning centre-left coalition led by the Social Democratic Party amended the Constitution and effectively stripped the President of most of his executive powers, strengthening the role of the Parliament and the Prime Minister, turning it into a parliamentary republic.

      Croatian Democratic Union       Social Democratic Party

No.	Head of Government		Lifespan	Term of office — Electoral mandates		Party	Notes
Prime Ministers since independence (June 25 / October 8, 1991)
4 (16)		Hrvoje Šarinić	1935–	12 August 1992	3 April 1993	Croatian Democratic Union
				1992
5 (17)		Nikica Valentić	1950–	3 April 1993	7 November 1995	Croatian Democratic Union
				—
6 (18)		Zlatko Mateša	1949–	7 November 1995	27 January 2000	Croatian Democratic Union
				1995
7 (19)		Ivica Račan	1944–2007	27 January 2000	23 December 2003	Social Democratic Party	First prime minister with expanded powers after the implementation of the parliamentary system in 2000, which restored the head-of-government as the most powerful political office in the country.
				2000
8 (20)		Ivo Sanader	1953–	23 December 2003	6 July 2009	Croatian Democratic Union	Longest term as prime minister since 1962. Resigned, granting support to Jadranka Kosor as his successor. Returned to politics in October 2010, was indicted on charges of corruption, subsequently arrested in Austria, and is currently awaiting trial in Remetinec prison.
				2003, 2007
9 (21)		Jadranka Kosor	1953–	6 July 2009	Incumbent	Croatian Democratic Union	Assumed office upon the resignation of Ivo Sanader, recommended for the office by the latter.
				—

See also

• List of Croatian Governments
• Politics of Croatia
• President of Croatia
• List of Presidents of Croatia
• List of heads of state of Yugoslavia
• Prime Minister of Yugoslavia

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "The Constitution of the Republic of Croatia (consolidated text)". Croatian Parliament. http://www.sabor.hr/Default.aspx?sec=729. Retrieved 2011-02-16. 
2. ^ "Chronology of Croatian governments" (in Croatian). Croatian Information-Documentation Referral Agency. http://www.hidra.hr/cro/hr_vodic/kronologija_vlade. Retrieved 2011-05-13. 
3. ^ "Prethodne Vlade RH [Former Governments of the Republic of Croatia]" (in Croatian). Croatian Government. http://www.vlada.hr/hr/naslovnica/o_vladi_rh/prethodne_vlade_rh. Retrieved 2010-12-13.