DOCSLIB.ORG

Factsheet: the Croatian Parliament

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Factsheet: the Croatian Parliament Directorate-General for the Presidency Directorate for Relations with National Parliaments Factsheet: The Croatian Parliament 1. At a glance Croatia is a republic and a parliamentary democracy. The Croatian Parliament is a unicameral body, following the abolition of the Chamber of Counties in March 2001. Currently the Assembly is composed of 151 Members. The Croatian Parliament is a representative body of citizens and is vested with the legislative power in the Republic of Croatia. It has been a democratic, multiparty legislature since 1990. MPs are elected directly by secret ballot based on universal suffrage for a term of four years. The current Croatian centre-right 13th Government is formed by the 'Patriotic coalition', which is headed by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) supported by the MOST alliance (Bridge of Independent Lists) as well as by the Milan Bandić 365 party. Mr Tihomir Orešković took office as the 11th Prime Minister on 22 January 2016. The incumbent President of Croatia is Mrs Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović (HDZ) sworn in on 15 February 2015 for a five years term. 2. Composition Results of the Croatian Parliament elections on 8 November 2015 Party EP affiliation % Seats Domoljubna koalicija: 'Patriotic Coalition' 39% 59 Hrvatska demokratska zajednica (HDZ) Croatian Democratic Union Hrvatska stranka prava dr. Ante Starčević (HSP) Croatian Party of Rights dr. Ante Starčević Hrvatska seljačka stranka (HSS) Croatian Peasant Party Hrvatska socijalno liberalna stranka (HSLS) Croatian Social Liberal Party Hrvatski rast (HRAST) Non-affiliated Croatian Growth Blok umirovljenici zajedno (BUZ) Non-affiliated Bloc Pensioners Together Hrvatska demokršćanska stranka (HDS) Non-affiliated Croatian Christian Democratic Party Zagorska demokratska stranka (ZDS) Non-affiliated Democratic Party of Zagorje Hrvatska raste: 'Croatia is growing' coalition 37% 56 Socijaldemokratska partija Hrvatske (SDP) Social Democratic Party Hrvatska narodna stranka – liberalni demokrati (HNS) Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats Hrvatska stranka umirovljenika (HSU) Non-affiliated Croatian Party of Pensioners Hrvatski laburisti - Stranka rada Non-affiliated Croatian Labourists – Labour Party Autohtona hrvatska seljačka stranka Non-affiliated Authentic Croatian Peasant Party Zagorska stranka Non-affiliated Zagorje Party Most nezavisnih lista (MOST) Non-affiliated MOST alliance - Bridge of Independent Lists 13% 19 Pravo na svoje: 2% 3 'Our Own Right' coalition Istarski demokratski sabor- Dieta democratica istriana (IDS- DDI) Istrian Democratic Assembly Primorsko goranski savez (PGS) Alliance of Primorje-Gorski Kotar Lista za Rijeku - Lista per Fiume List for Rijeka Hrvatski demokratski savez Slavonije i Baranje (HDSSB) Non-affiliated 1.3% 2 Croatian Democratic Alliance of Slavonia and Baranja Koalicija rada i solidarnosti: Non-affiliated 1.3% 2 Labour and Solidarity Coalition Milan Bandić 365-Stranka rada i solidarnosti 'Milan Bandić 365' - The Party of Labour and Solidarity + DPS, DSŽ, HES, HRS, Zeleni, ID-DI, MS, NSH, Novi val, SU, UDU, Zeleni, ZS Živi zid (ZZ) Non-affiliated 0.6% 1 Human Shield / Living Wall Uspješna Hrvatska: Non-affiliated 0.6% 1 'Successful Croatia' coalition Narodna stranka - Reformisti Non-affiliated People's Party - Reformists Naprijed Hrvatska! - Progresivni savez Non-affiliated Forward Croatia! - Progressive Alliance + Pensioners, ZF, DDS Representatives of national minorities Non-affiliated (Serbian-3, Albanian-1, Czech/Slovak-1, Hungarian-1, Italian- 5% 8 1, Roma-1) 100% 151 Turnout: 60,83% The next Parliamentary elections must take place in 2019 at the latest. 3. Officeholders Speaker of the Croatian Parliament Chairperson of the European Affairs Committee Mr Željko Reiner (HDZ/EPP), Mr Gordan Jandroković (HDZ/EPP), since 28 December 2015 since 28 January 2016 Secretary General of the Croatian Parliament: Mr Damir Sesvečan, since 28 January 2016 4. Relations with Members of the European Parliament Participation rights for Croatian MEPs in Yes plenary sittings Last updated on 20/10/2016. Photo credits: Croatian Parliament. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/relnatparl [email protected] Participation rights for Croatian MEPs in Yes committee meetings Availability of videoconferencing system in No Croatian Parliament 5. Information links – Official website: http://www.sabor.hr – Rules of procedure in English – List of committees – Recent documents submitted by the Croatian Parliament to the Interparliamentary EU Information Exchange (IPEX) – European Parliament Information Office in Zagreb 6. Contacts Factsheet author and contact in the Brussels-based contact of the Croatian EP Directorate for Relations with National Parliament: Parliaments: Mr Ivo Klemenčič Ms Tanja Babić Office WIE 05U020, 1047 Brussels Office WIE 06U034, 1047 Brussels Phone +32 228 34895 Phone +32 2 28 41612 [email protected] [email protected] Last updated on 20/10/2016. Photo credits: Croatian Parliament. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/relnatparl [email protected] .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Growth Anatomy of Croatian Economy
    Munich Personal RePEc Archive Growth Anatomy of Croatian Economy Cizmovic, Mirjana and Jankovic, Jelena and Popovic, Milenko ISEA Mediterranean Univerzity, ISEA, ISEA Mediterranean Univerzity 1 September 2015 Online at https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/66478/ MPRA Paper No. 66478, posted 08 Sep 2015 14:48 UTC RIFIN and Faculty of Economics, Zagreb: International Scientific Conference: Croatian Economic Crisis and Shift from Recession to Economic Development Zagreb, Croatia, October 2015 Mirjana Čizmović, Institute for Socio-Economic Analysis, Podgorica, Montenegro & Mediterranean University, Podgorica, Montenegro Jelena Janković, Institute for Socio-Economic Analysis, Podgorica, Montenegro & Central Bank of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro Milenko Popović, Institute for Socio-Economic Analysis, Podgorica, Montenegro & Mediterranean University, Podgorica, Montenegro Growth Anatomy of Croatian Economy Abstract: In this paper presented is research on anatomy of growth of Croatian economy in the period 1990-2013. Results of this analysis basically should be understood as a kind of growth diagnostic of Croatian economy. Conventional sources of growth analysis, which measure contribution of different factors of production, is given for growth of GDP and per capita GDP in relevant sub-periods. To get deeper understanding of results provided in this way, authors continue with analysis of sectorial side sources of growth. Further insights are provided by demand side sources of growth. Particular attention is, in that respect, devoted to analysis of net-export, capital formation and final consumption. Brief notions on institutional and other fundamental causes of growth are given as well. Policy recommendations for overcoming existing deadlock and acceleration of economic growth are only briefly discussed in concluding section of the paper.
    [Show full text]
  • Croatian Radical Separatism and Diaspora Terrorism During the Cold War
    Purdue University Purdue e-Pubs Purdue University Press Book Previews Purdue University Press 4-2020 Croatian Radical Separatism and Diaspora Terrorism During the Cold War Mate Nikola Tokić Follow this and additional works at: https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/purduepress_previews Part of the European History Commons This document has been made available through Purdue e-Pubs, a service of the Purdue University Libraries. Please contact [email protected] for additional information. Central European Studies Charles W. Ingrao, founding editor Paul Hanebrink, editor Maureen Healy, editor Howard Louthan, editor Dominique Reill, editor Daniel L. Unowsky, editor Nancy M. Wingfield, editor The demise of the Communist Bloc a quarter century ago exposed the need for greater understanding of the broad stretch of Europe that lies between Germany and Russia. For four decades the Purdue University Press series in Central European Studies has enriched our knowledge of the region by producing scholarly monographs, advanced surveys, and select collections of the highest quality. Since its founding, the series has been the only English-language series devoted primarily to the lands and peoples of the Habsburg Empire, its successor states, and those areas lying along its immediate periphery. Among its broad range of international scholars are several authors whose engagement in public policy reflects the pressing challenges that confront the successor states. Indeed, salient issues such as democratization, censorship, competing national narratives, and the aspirations
    [Show full text]
  • Freedom House, Its Academic Advisers, and the Author(S) of This Report
    Croatia by Tena Prelec Capital: Zagreb Population: 4.17 million GNI/capita, PPP: $22,880 Source: World Bank World Development Indicators. Nations in Transit Ratings and Averaged Scores NIT Edition 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 National Democratic 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.75 Governance Electoral Process 3.25 3.25 3.25 3.25 3.25 3.25 3.25 3 3 3 Civil Society 2.75 2.75 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.75 2.75 2.75 2.75 2.75 Independent Media 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4.25 4.25 Local Democratic 3.75 3.75 3.75 3.75 3.75 3.75 3.75 3.75 3.75 3.75 Governance Judicial Framework 4.25 4.25 4.25 4.25 4.25 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 and Independence Corruption 4.5 4.5 4.25 4 4 4 4 4.25 4.25 4.25 Democracy Score 3.71 3.71 3,64 3.61 3.61 3.68 3.68 3.68 3.71 3.75 NOTE: The ratings reflect the consensus of Freedom House, its academic advisers, and the author(s) of this report. The opinions expressed in this report are those of the author(s). The ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 7, with 1 representing the highest level of democratic progress and 7 the lowest. The Democracy Score is an average of ratings for the categories tracked in a given year.
    [Show full text]
  • ESS9 Appendix A3 Political Parties Ed
    APPENDIX A3 POLITICAL PARTIES, ESS9 - 2018 ed. 3.0 Austria 2 Belgium 4 Bulgaria 7 Croatia 8 Cyprus 10 Czechia 12 Denmark 14 Estonia 15 Finland 17 France 19 Germany 20 Hungary 21 Iceland 23 Ireland 25 Italy 26 Latvia 28 Lithuania 31 Montenegro 34 Netherlands 36 Norway 38 Poland 40 Portugal 44 Serbia 47 Slovakia 52 Slovenia 53 Spain 54 Sweden 57 Switzerland 58 United Kingdom 61 Version Notes, ESS9 Appendix A3 POLITICAL PARTIES ESS9 edition 3.0 (published 10.12.20): Changes from previous edition: Additional countries: Denmark, Iceland. ESS9 edition 2.0 (published 15.06.20): Changes from previous edition: Additional countries: Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden. Austria 1. Political parties Language used in data file: German Year of last election: 2017 Official party names, English 1. Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs (SPÖ) - Social Democratic Party of Austria - 26.9 % names/translation, and size in last 2. Österreichische Volkspartei (ÖVP) - Austrian People's Party - 31.5 % election: 3. Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs (FPÖ) - Freedom Party of Austria - 26.0 % 4. Liste Peter Pilz (PILZ) - PILZ - 4.4 % 5. Die Grünen – Die Grüne Alternative (Grüne) - The Greens – The Green Alternative - 3.8 % 6. Kommunistische Partei Österreichs (KPÖ) - Communist Party of Austria - 0.8 % 7. NEOS – Das Neue Österreich und Liberales Forum (NEOS) - NEOS – The New Austria and Liberal Forum - 5.3 % 8. G!LT - Verein zur Förderung der Offenen Demokratie (GILT) - My Vote Counts! - 1.0 % Description of political parties listed 1. The Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs, or SPÖ) is a social above democratic/center-left political party that was founded in 1888 as the Social Democratic Worker's Party (Sozialdemokratische Arbeiterpartei, or SDAP), when Victor Adler managed to unite the various opposing factions.
    [Show full text]
  • EUI Working Papers
    ROBERT SCHUMAN CENTRE FOR ADVANCED STUDIES EUI Working Papers RSCAS 2009/42 ROBERT SCHUMAN CENTRE FOR ADVANCED STUDIES DIASPORA POLITICS AND TRANSNATIONAL TERRORISM: AN HISTORICAL CASE STUDY Mate Nikola Tokić EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE, FLORENCE ROBERT SCHUMAN CENTRE FOR ADVANCED STUDIES Diaspora Politics and Transnational Terrorism: An Historical Case Study MATE NIKOLA TOKIC EUI Working Paper RSCAS 2009/42 This text may be downloaded only for personal research purposes. Additional reproduction for other purposes, whether in hard copies or electronically, requires the consent of the author(s), editor(s). If cited or quoted, reference should be made to the full name of the author(s), editor(s), the title, the working paper, or other series, the year and the publisher. The author(s)/editor(s) should inform the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the EUI if the paper will be published elsewhere and also take responsibility for any consequential obligation(s). ISSN 1028-3625 © 2009 Mate Nikola Tokić Printed in Italy, August 2009 European University Institute Badia Fiesolana I – 50014 San Domenico di Fiesole (FI) Italy www.eui.eu/RSCAS/Publications/ www.eui.eu cadmus.eui.eu Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies The Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies (RSCAS), directed by Stefano Bartolini since September 2006, is home to a large post-doctoral programme. Created in 1992, it aims to develop inter-disciplinary and comparative research and to promote work on the major issues facing the process of integration and European society. The Centre hosts major research programmes and projects, and a range of working groups and ad hoc initiatives.
    [Show full text]
  • LÄNDERBERICHT Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung E.V
    LÄNDERBERICHT Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V. KROATIEN DR. MICHAEL A. LANGE 9. September 2015 Kandidaten positionieren und www.kas.de/kroatien Wahlbündnisse formieren sich PARLAMENTSWAHLEN IN KROATIEN Die Debatte um die Festsetzung des Wahl- überzeugt zeigt, auf, sich nicht weiter in termins für die anstehenden Parlaments- seinem Parteizentrale zu verkriechen son- wahlen in Kroatien kommt nicht zur Ruhe. dern sich endlich einer öffentlichen TV- Der kroatische Ministerpräsident Milano- Debatte zu stellen. vic unterstrich jüngst noch einmal, dass die aktuelle Legislaturperiode erst am 22. Aufbauend auf der Ankündigung eines be- Dezember endet und dass das kroatische vorstehenden Abschlusses einer Koalitions- Parlament in der verfassungsgemäß vor- vereinbarung seiner Partei mit den drei bis- gegebenen Frist aufgelöst werden wird, herigen Koalitionspartnern: der „Croatian sodass die Staatspräsidentin dann den People’s Party (HNS )“, der „Croatian Pensi- genauen Termin der Wahlen innerhalb der oners' Party ( HSU )“, der „Croatian Labou- 30-60 Tagefrist festlegen kann. Nach der rists ( HL )“ sowie der neuen „Autochthonous überraschenden Einberufung einer außer- Croatian Peasants’ Party ( AHSS )“, zeigte er ordentlichen Parlamentssitzung für den 8. sich optimistisch, was den Abschluss einer -11. September gehen viele politische Be- solchen Vereinbarung mit der sich diesbe- obachter nun davon aus, dass das Parla- züglich weiterhin zurückhaltenden „Istrian ment sich noch vor Ende September auf- Democratic Congress ( IDS )“ angeht. Nur lösen und damit der Staatspräsidentin den zusammen mit der IDS meint Milanovic Weg ebnen wird, einen Wahltermin zwi- Kroatien auf dem richtigen Weg halten zu schen Ende Oktober (25.) und Mitte No- können und bot deshalb allen politischen vember (1., 8. und 15.) zu bestimmen. Da Partnern bereits sichere Listenplätze an.
    [Show full text]
  • February 13, 1992 Volume 4, Issue 4
    February 13, 1992 Volume 4, Issue 4 His Excellency Franjo Tudjman President of the Republic of Croatia Radi ev Trg 2 41000 Zagreb Croatia Dear President Tudjman: The U.S. Helsinki Watch Committee is deeply concerned by reports of serious human rights abuses by forces responsible to the Croatian government and by individual extremists in Croatia. Our own investigations of these reports, conducted during a series of fact-finding missions to Croatia in the past year, indicate that many of these reports are well-founded. We call upon you to investigate the abuses enumerated in this letter and to punish those responsible for them. We call upon you to take immediate measures to ensure that such violations of human rights do not occur again. The abuses described in this letter include violations of the laws of war in the current conflict between Croatian and Serbian forces and the Yugoslav army, including the summary execution of civilians and disarmed combatants; the torture and mistreatment of detainees; arbitrary arrests and disappearances; destruction of civilian property and the killing of journalists covering the war. In addition to violations connected with the war, Helsinki Watch has also documented restrictions on freedom of expression and the press and interference with the independence of the judiciary. Finally, we are gravely concerned about the harassment, discrimination and rising violence against Serbs not engaged in the armed conflict in Croatia. Rules of War Violations in Croatia by Croatian Forces Violations of the rules of war are often committed by local police officers and members of the Croatian army1 in areas which are under heavy siege by Serbian forces and the Yugoslav army.
    [Show full text]
  • Croatia's Parliamentary Elections
    106th CONGRESS Printed for the use of the 2nd Session Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe CROATIAS PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS JANUARY 3, 2000 A Report Prepared by the Staff of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe WASHINGTON:2000 Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe 234 Ford House Office Building Washington, DC 20515-6460 (202) 225-1901 [email protected] http://www.house.gov/csce/ LEGISLATIVE BRANCH COMMISSIONERS HOUSE SENATE CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey, Chairman BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL, Colorado, Co-Chairman FRANK R. WOLF, Virginia KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas MATT SALMON, Arizona SPENCER ABRAHAM, Michigan JAMES C. GREENWOOD, Pennsylvania SAM BROWNBACK, Kansas JOSEPH R. PITTS, Pennsylvania TIM HUTCHINSON, Arkansas STENY H. HOYER, Maryland FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland BOB GRAHAM, Florida LOUISE MCINTOSH SLAUGHTER, New York RUSSELL D. FEINGOLD, Wisconsin MICHAEL P. FORBES, New York CHRISTOPHER J. DODD, Connecticut EXECUTIVE BRANCH COMMISSIONERS HAROLD HONGJU KOH, Department of State EDWARD L. WARNER III, Department of Defense PATRICK A. MULLOY, Department of Commerce COMMISSION STAFF DOROTHY DOUGLAS TAFT, Chief of Staff RONALD J. MCNAMARA, Deputy Chief of Staff BEN ANDERSON, Communications Director ELIZABETH CAMPBELL, Office Administrator OREST DEYCHAKIWSKY, Staff Advisor JOHN F. FINERTY, Staff Advisor CHADWICK R. GORE, Staff Advisor ROBERT HAND, Staff Advisor JANICE HELWIG, Staff Advisor MARLENE KAUFMANN, Counsel KAREN S. LORD, Counsel for Freedom of Religion MICHELE MADASZ, Staff Assistant/Systems Administrator MICHAEL OCHS, Staff Advisor ERIKA B. SCHLAGER, Counsel for International Law MAUREEN WALSH, General Counsel ii ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION (OSCE) The Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki process, traces its origin to the signing of the Helsinki Final Act in Finland on August 1, 1975, by the leaders of 33 European countries, the United States and Canada.
    [Show full text]
  • CROATIA 2013 Transparency International Croatia Was Founded in June 2000
    Transpa– rency in Funding of Politi– cal Parties CROATIA 2013 Transparency International Croatia was founded in June 2000. www.transparency.hr Author: Dr.Sc. Hrvoje Mataković Main project researcher: Zorislav Antun Petrović ©2011 TI Croatia. All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-953-7045-17-3 CIP record is available in the computer catalogue of the National and University Library in Zagreb under No. 786416. Every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of the information contained in this report. All information was believed to be correct as of March 2013. Nevertheless, TI Croatia cannot accept responsibility for the consequences of its use for other purposes or in other contexts. This document has been produced with the fi nancial assistance of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of Transparency International Croatia and can under no circumstances be regarded as refl ecting the position of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Acknowledgements CRINIS is an assessment tool that evaluates legislative sys- tems and studies the practices of key actors involved in po- litical fi nance. It aims to identify gaps and shortcomings in political fi nancing systems, with the objective of promoting transparency in political party funding. It is premised on the conviction that transparency is a prerequisite for monitoring money in politics. With necessary adaptations to regional circumstances, the methodology, developed by Transparency International (TI) and the Carter Center, has been successfully carried out in a number of countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa. This report focuses on fi ndings in Croatia, as part of the regional project carried out in Albania, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia and Serbia.
    [Show full text]
  • Information Guide Euroscepticism
    Information Guide Euroscepticism A guide to information sources on Euroscepticism, with hyperlinks to further sources of information within European Sources Online and on external websites Contents Introduction .................................................................................................. 2 Brief Historical Overview................................................................................. 2 Euro Crisis 2008 ............................................................................................ 3 European Elections 2014 ................................................................................ 5 Euroscepticism in Europe ................................................................................ 8 Eurosceptic organisations ......................................................................... 10 Eurosceptic thinktanks ............................................................................. 10 Transnational Eurosceptic parties and political groups .................................. 11 Eurocritical media ................................................................................... 12 EU Reaction ................................................................................................. 13 Information sources in the ESO database ........................................................ 14 Further information sources on the internet ..................................................... 14 Copyright © 2016 Cardiff EDC. All rights reserved. 1 Cardiff EDC is part of the University Library
    [Show full text]
  • European Election Study 2014 EES 2014 Voter Study First Post-Electoral Study
    European Election Study 2014 EES 2014 Voter Study First Post-Electoral Study Release Notes Sebastian Adrian Popa Hermann Schmitt Sara B Hobolt Eftichia Teperoglou Original release 1 January 2015 MZES, University of Mannheim Acknowledgement of the data Users of the data are kindly asked to acknowledge use of the data by always citing both the data and the accompanying release document. How to cite this data: Schmitt, Hermann; Popa, Sebastian A.; Hobolt, Sara B.; Teperoglou, Eftichia (2015): European Parliament Election Study 2014, Voter Study. GESIS Data Archive, Cologne. ZA5160 Data file Version 2.0.0, doi:10.4232/1. 12300 and Schmitt H, Hobolt SB and Popa SA (2015) Does personalization increase turnout? Spitzenkandidaten in the 2014 European Parliament elections. European Union Politics, Online first available for download from: http://eup.sagepub.com/content/early/2015/06/03/1465116515584626.full How to cite this document: Sebastian Adrian Popa, Hermann Schmitt, Sara B. Hobolt, and Eftichia Teperoglou (2015) EES 2014 Voter Study Advance Release Notes. Mannheim: MZES, University of Mannheim. Acknowledgement of assistance The 2014 EES voter study was funded by a consortium of private foundations under the leadership of Volkswagen Foundation (the other partners are: Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, Stiftung Mercator, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian). It profited enormously from to synergies that emerged from the co-operation with the post-election survey funded by the European Parliament. Last but certainly not least, it benefited from the generous support of TNS Opinion who did the fieldwork in all the 28 member countries . The study would not have been possible the help of many colleagues, both members of the EES team and country experts form the wider academic community, who spent valuable time on the questionnaire and study preparation, often at very short notice.
    [Show full text]
  • Politicka Misao 4 2017.Indd
    Croatian Political Science Review, Vol. 54, No. 4, 2017, pp. 61-84 61 Review Article Received: 15 May 2017 Gaining Political Power by Utilizing Opportunity Structures: An Analysis of the Conservative Religious-Political Movement in Croatia ANTONIJA PETRIČUŠIĆ, MATEJA ČEHULIĆ, DARIO ČEPO Chair of Sociology, Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb Summary This paper explores a connection between religion and politics in Croatia by analyzing the conservative civic initiative “In the Name of the Family” (U ime obitelji). It is a part of a broader religious-political movement, which emerged over the course of the last decade, that is connected to other international con- servative organizations and initiatives. They advocate for a decrease of secular influence on the family, oppose sexual and reproductive rights, and insist on the primacy of religious freedoms. The political nature of the movement mani- fests itself through multiple attempts to scrap the legislation and practices of both state and private institutions that are contradicting the value system of the Christian (Catholic) majority. The religious-political nexus of the movement is confirmed by its continuous involvement in policy-making, here manifested through the use of direct democracy institutes. Keywords: Religious-Political Movement, Contentious Politics, Opportunity Structure, Referendum, Same-Sex Marriage Introduction The referendum on the constitutional definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman,1 held in December 2013, was the first successful national refe- rendum in Croatia initiated by a citizens’ initiative. “In the Name of the Family” (U ime obitelji) argued that the traditional values of Croatian society must be pro- tected through enshrining the traditional, heteronormative, definition of family.
    [Show full text]