Croatian Democratic Alliance of Slavonia and Baranja is a regionalist and right wing populist

Populism

Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...

 political party in Croatia

Croatia

Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...

n region of Slavonia

Slavonia

Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...

.

It was formally founded on May 6, 2006, but had its origins one year earlier, when the group of local Croatian Democratic Union

Croatian Democratic Union

The Croatian Democratic Union is the main center-right political party in Croatia. It is the biggest and strongest individual Croatian party since independence of Croatia. The Christian democratic HDZ governed Croatia from 1990 to 2000 and, in partial coalition, from 2003...

 politicians, led by controversial Branimir Glavaš

Branimir Glavaš

Branimir Glavaš is a controversial Croatian right-wing politician and a convicted war criminal.Glavaš came to prominence in his home city of Osijek during the Croatian war of independence, when he led its defense and became a major general in the Croatian Army...

, launched a political organisation with a very similar name, the Croatian Democratic Assembly of Slavonia and Baranja at the eve of May 2005 local elections. The stated aim of new group was the regional reorganisation of Croatia in order to improve conditions in Slavonia, which was - according to Glavaš and his supporters - neglected by central government in Zagreb

Zagreb

Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...

.

The HDZ leadership under Ivo Sanader

Ivo Sanader

Ivo Sanader |Split]]) is a Croatian politician who served as the Prime Minister of Croatia from 2003 to 2009.Sanader obtained his education in comparative literature in Austria, where he also later worked in the 1980s. He worked as a journalist, in marketing, publishing and also as a private...

 denounced that platform and ejected Glavaš out of the party. However, most of the local HDZ organisation followed Glavaš and his independent election ticket that won a relative majority in the Osijek-Baranja County

Osijek-Baranja County

Osijek-Baranja county is a county in Croatia, located in northeastern Slavonia and Baranja. Its center is Osijek; other cities include Đakovo, Našice, Valpovo, Belišće, Beli Manastir.-Administrative divisions:Osijek-Baranja county is divided into:...

 and City of Osijek

Osijek

Osijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 83,496 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county...

 assemblies. That group of independents became the HDSSB on May 6, 2006.

In the Croatian parliamentary election, 2007

Croatian parliamentary election, 2007

Parliamentary elections to the Croatian Parliament were held on 25 November 2007 in Croatia and on 24 November and 25 November 2007 abroad. The campaign officially started on 3 November...

 they received 44,552 votes or 1.8% of the electorate, and won 3 seats in the Croatian Parliament.