Ivo Sanader
Encyclopedia
Ivo Sanader 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 enterpreneur. In the 1990s, he was briefly in charge of the theatre in Split before becoming the Minister of Science and Technology as a member of Croatian Democratic Union
(HDZ). Soon thereafter, he moved to diplomacy, and served two terms as the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
He was elected leader of the HDZ party in 2000 and 2002, and with them won the 2003 election, becoming the Prime Minister. He was also reelected in the 2007 parliamentary elections. In June 2009, Sanader abruptly resigned his post, leaving scarce explanation for his actions, and rumours of involvement in various criminal cases became increasingly rampant. In January 2010, he tried to stage a political comeback inside HDZ, but was then ejected from party membership.
In December 2010, the Croatian authorities charged him in two high-profile corruption indictments, but he made himself unavailable and had to be arrested in Austria. He was extradited from Austria to Croatia in July 2011.
to accept Ivo as their student. After completing his high school education, Sanader moved to Rome
to pursue higher education in philosophy
. He soon realized that he did not like the academic environment there very much.
Following his return from Rome he met his future spouse, Mirjana Sanader, whom he married in 1978.
After their wedding, Ivo and Mirjana left Split for Innsbruck
. His wife studied archaeology
, while Ivo studied comparative literature
and Romance languages at the University of Innsbruck. The young couple was accompanied, while studying in Innsbruck, by Ivo’s younger brother Miro who also lived and studied in Innsbruck. During that time, Sanader also reported for the Zagreb
sport newspaper Sportske novosti
.
In 1982, Sanader graduated, and returned to Croatia (then Yugoslavia) with his wife. He found a job in the marketing department of Dalmacijaturist, however he did not stay very long. He found his next job at the publishing house Logos in 1983 where he was employed as a program editor. In 1988, he became a chief editor and at one time he was working on the organization of the magazine Mogućnost. His career at the publishing house was later terminated suddenly. At that time, his wife also received a notice of termination from her workplace.
Sanader then decided to return to Austria
with his family. There he co-founded two private businesses, one of which was founded in 1989 and liquidated by court in 1992, while the other existed between 1986 and 2001. Sanader achieved B.A. in Romance languages
and comparative literature
from Innsbruck University in Austria
.
Apart from his native Croatian
, he is fluent in English
, German
, French
, and Italian
.
(Croatia's party which formed the single bloc which governed Yugoslavia), nor as a dissident in exile.
At the end of 1980s, as a multi-party system was returning to Yugoslavia, he founded the first branch of the Croatian Democratic Union
(HDZ) in Austria and at this time he first came into contact with Franjo Tuđman. He returned to Split, on persuasion from Franjo Tuđman, although his wife was against their return to Croatia as war was beckoning. His first public office was intendant
of the Croatian National Theatre
in Split.
In 1992 he was elected as an HDZ deputy to the lower house of the Croatian parliament. Shortly thereafter, he became Minister of Science and Technology (1992–1993). From 1993 to 1995 and 1996 to 2000, he was a Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs. His biggest success as Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs was the termination of required visas for Croatia citizens who traveled to Greece. But Sanader's sense for negotiation was also used for other purposes. He used his negotiation skills for bringing people around to the Croatian Democratic Union from other Croatian parliamentary parties.
At the end of November 1995, he became a head of the President of Croatia's office and general secretary of Croatia national security and defense council (VONS) after Hrvoje Šarinić was released from his duty. In January 1996 he became a member of the council for cooperation between Croatia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
.
During his second term as a Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs he worked hard to bring Croatia and Israel
together. The peak of these efforts was the meeting between himself, Hrvoje Šarinić
and Eytan Bentsur, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Israeli government, in Budapest
in 1997, after which diplomatic relationships between Croatia and Israel were established.
. Furthermore, their candidate Mate Granić
also failed to enter the second round of the presidential election. Granić then left to form the Democratic Centre party hoping to attract moderates from the HDZ. Inner-party election within the HDZ ensued in April that year and Sanader emerged victorious as a compromise candidate.
Initially, Sanader criticized the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
(ICTY) indictments against Croatian Army generals which had provoked much discontent in Croatia. In 2001, he took part in a massive rally against a war crimes indictment against general Mirko Norac
. Sanader also criticised Ivica Račan
and his cabinet's stance towards the ICTY. Afterwards, he gradually began to distance the party and himself from the protests somewhat softening his criticism towards the government.
Sanader focused his efforts on transforming the HDZ into a modern pro-European right-of-center party. However, his course was challenged by the more conservative wing of the party led by Ivić Pašalić
. The ensuing leadership struggle culminated at the 2002 party convention. Sanader, who was supported by Vladimir Šeks
and Branimir Glavaš
, managed to win his second mandate. Pašalić left the party to form his Croatian Bloc (political party), but failed to draw many of his former supporters from the HDZ.
Sanader was later accused by Ivan Drmić, a former member of Croatian Democratic Union, for framing the presidential election at the 5th convention of the Croatian Democratic Union. Spokesman for the Croatian Democratic Union Ratko Maček said such accusations "belong in the anthology of political stupidity."
Sanader was now able to concentrate on defeating Ivica Račan and his left-of-centre coalition at the 2003 parliamentary elections
. HDZ won the election, but did not win the absolute majority in Sabor.
and the Independent Democratic Serb Party. When the Croatian Parliament subsequently gave its consent by 88 votes (out of 152) on 23 December 2003, Sanader was formally appointed.
The Sanader government's main foreign goal was Croatia's entry into the European Union
and NATO. As a result of the successful implementation of the Association Agreement - signed with the European Union in 2001 - Croatia did become an official candidate for entry into the EU.
Sanader's HDZ also sought to establish better relations with minority parties and to promote minority rights. Amongst other factors contributing to the positive opinion of the European Commission
and the European Council
regarding Croatia's bid to become an EU member were Croatia's cooperation with the ICTY, continued economic growth and the country's compliance with political and economic criteria established by the 1993 Copenhagen European Council.
Sanader was the last statesman
to visit Pope John Paul II
in Vatican City
, in February 2005, a few weeks before his death on 2 April 2005.
In October 2005, following the formal start of EU accession negotiations, opinion polls showed Sanader to be the most popular Croatian politician.
The biggest affair that has hindered Sanader as Prime Minister was a mostly tabloid-fueled affair regarding his collection of wrist watches
. He reportedly possesses a collection of wrist watches worth in excess of €150,000. Former Minister of Justice Vesna Škare-Ožbolt
in the Sanader government was the one who reported Sanader to a resolution council for conflict of interests. Škare Ožbolt stated that Prime Minister Sanader hadn’t reported a collection of expensive wrist watches in his assets.
As Prime Minister, Sanader had close relations with other moderate conservative politicians in Europe: including former Austria
n Chancellor
Wolfgang Schüssel
, former Bavaria
n Prime Minister
Edmund Stoiber
, Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel
, and Irish
prime minister
Bertie Ahern
.
The cabinet saw some curious changes during Sanader's term, notably the departure of the foreign minister Miomir Žužul
who was accused of conflict of interest. Furthermore, Sanader's government was challenged by the rising tide of Euroscepticism
in the country.
In July 2006, Sanader was named in the "Verona Affair", accused by the opposition in the Croatian parliament for fixing the sale of pharmaceutical company Pliva
to Barr Pharmaceuticals
from the US. Such accusations against Sanader have been denied, and they were never proven.
Nacional
, an independent political weekly, carried out an investigative report on Sanader which showed that he was a part of two bankrupt businesses in Austria, received bribe in 1995 and 1996 from a tycoon amounting to 800,000 DEM.
, and the first ever situation of ambiguity on who gets the mandate to form a government, Sanader emerged as the winner when President Stipe Mesić gave him his second mandate, though this time in a coalition with HSS
and HSLS
.
Owing in part to the global recession that set in during Sanader's term, Croatia's economic growth stalled and foreign direct investments slowed down. While displaying symptoms of economic decline shared by larger nations, Croatia's decline during Sanader's term was amplified in comparison with the fortunes of Serbia and next door Montenegro - who gained greater investments due to major reforms. Under Sanader, judicial reforms in Croatia stopped and the land registry issue was not resolved. Over 1.3 million court cases (in a country of 4.1 million people) were yet to be resolved in 2009.
Croatia was expected to complete negotiations with the EU in 2009. However, the negotiations were stalled for 10 months due to Slovenia's blockade of Croatia's EU accession
in December 2008.
On 1 July 2009, Sanader announced his resignation as the Prime Minister of Croatia and President of Croatian Democratic Union
, as well as his complete withdrawal from all active politics, adding that he does not intend to return. At his press conference in Zagreb, Sanader remarked, "There is always a time in life for a new beginning. Such a moment has come and now it's time for others to take over." According to BBC News
, the announcement "came as a surprise", as Croatian media had quite recently named Sanader as a potential candidate for the 2010 presidential election
. Sanader announced that his prime minister-designate would be deputy Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor
.
The Parliament of Croatia
accepted his resignation on 2 July 2009 and informed the President of the Republic. Sanader was elected Honorary President of HDZ for life.
On 3 January 2010, contrary to his earlier statements (July 1, 2009), Sanader announced he would be returning to a more active role in politics, stating that his decision to withdraw was a mistake, and that the HDZ is a "winning party and not a party that wins 12% of the vote", a remark made in connection with the first round of the presidential election held one week before. He was supported by a dozen HDZ MPs, including Luka Bebić
, but none of the members of the Government. Several of those MPs later disclaimed any association with Sanader and claimed they were misled.
On 4 January 2010, following an entire day of meetings of HDZ leadership, Ivo Sanader was ejected from the Croatian Democratic Union. Of 22 members of the party presidency, 16 voted for ejection, three were against (Luka Bebić
, Mario Zubović and Damir Polančec
) and two abstained (Bianca Matković and Petar Selem). Sanader himself was not present at the meeting.
In October 2010, Sanader reactivated his parliamentary seat and regained parliamentary immunity.
shortly before the Croatian parliament
voted to remove his immunity from prosecution by USKOK
. The next day the Croatian police issued an arrest warrant and applied to Interpol
requesting his arrest to face charges of corruption. He was arrested near Salzburg
, Austria
on 10 December 2010. Croatian authorities froze his assets and bank accounts, and formally applied for extradition on 13 December.
Austrian authorities, including a Carinthian parliamentary committee inquiring into the more recent Hypo Group Alpe Adria scandal, have questioned Sanader while in custody,
while USKOK
expanded its investigation of Sanader to include alleged bribes by the Hypo Bank
in the 1990s.
in Zagreb
. His trial is expected to take place by 2012.
On the first court hearing on October 28th, he complained about having heart problems, and he also stated that he did not even know he was being taken to court. After hearing this, the judge decided to reschedule, and Sanader was taken to the hospital. Next court hearing is expected to be set in November, pending medical reports.
The government of Croatia, under Prime Minister Sanader, improved its relations with the US, which were strained under former Prime Minister Račan due to Račan's refusal to accept an American pact calling for US soldiers to not face extradition to the International Criminal Court
if indicted. During Sanader's premiership the US did not demand the agreement, or any like it, be signed by Croatia.
The chairman of the US House International Relations Committee Henry Hyde
said, in a very emotional appearance, that Croatia's desire to join NATO and the EU would be reached, and that the US government backed Croatia fully in its goal regarding NATO and EU membership. In October 2006, President Bush said that Croatia would enter NATO and he had set 2008 as the year for Croatian membership in the bloc. Croatia formally joined NATO in April, 2009. The US recognized Croatia as an ally in the war on terror
.
|-
|-
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
politician who served as the Prime Minister of 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 ...
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 enterpreneur. In the 1990s, he was briefly in charge of the theatre in Split before becoming the Minister of Science and Technology as a member of 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...
(HDZ). Soon thereafter, he moved to diplomacy, and served two terms as the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
He was elected leader of the HDZ party in 2000 and 2002, and with them won the 2003 election, becoming the Prime Minister. He was also reelected in the 2007 parliamentary elections. In June 2009, Sanader abruptly resigned his post, leaving scarce explanation for his actions, and rumours of involvement in various criminal cases became increasingly rampant. In January 2010, he tried to stage a political comeback inside HDZ, but was then ejected from party membership.
In December 2010, the Croatian authorities charged him in two high-profile corruption indictments, but he made himself unavailable and had to be arrested in Austria. He was extradited from Austria to Croatia in July 2011.
Early life
Ivo Sanader was born in Split in religious, poor working family with three brothers and sister. Since his family was financially unable to educate all four children, his mother asked the rector of Archbishopric Classical GymnasiumGymnasium
Gymnasium may refer to:*Gymnasium , educational and sporting institution*Gymnasium , type of secondary school that prepares students for higher education**Gymnasium **Gymnasium...
to accept Ivo as their student. After completing his high school education, Sanader moved to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
to pursue higher education in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. He soon realized that he did not like the academic environment there very much.
Following his return from Rome he met his future spouse, Mirjana Sanader, whom he married in 1978.
After their wedding, Ivo and Mirjana left Split for Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
. His wife studied archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
, while Ivo studied comparative literature
Comparative literature
Comparative literature is an academic field dealing with the literature of two or more different linguistic, cultural or national groups...
and Romance languages at the University of Innsbruck. The young couple was accompanied, while studying in Innsbruck, by Ivo’s younger brother Miro who also lived and studied in Innsbruck. During that time, Sanader also reported for the 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...
sport newspaper Sportske novosti
Sportske novosti
Sportske novosti is a Croatian daily sports newspaper based in Zagreb.It was first published as a weekly magazine on 9 August 1945 . It changed its name to Narodni sport on 10 December 1945...
.
In 1982, Sanader graduated, and returned to Croatia (then Yugoslavia) with his wife. He found a job in the marketing department of Dalmacijaturist, however he did not stay very long. He found his next job at the publishing house Logos in 1983 where he was employed as a program editor. In 1988, he became a chief editor and at one time he was working on the organization of the magazine Mogućnost. His career at the publishing house was later terminated suddenly. At that time, his wife also received a notice of termination from her workplace.
Sanader then decided to return to Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
with his family. There he co-founded two private businesses, one of which was founded in 1989 and liquidated by court in 1992, while the other existed between 1986 and 2001. Sanader achieved B.A. in Romance languages
Romance languages
The Romance languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family, more precisely of the Italic languages subfamily, comprising all the languages that descend from Vulgar Latin, the language of ancient Rome...
and comparative literature
Comparative literature
Comparative literature is an academic field dealing with the literature of two or more different linguistic, cultural or national groups...
from Innsbruck University in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
Apart from his native Croatian
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
, he is fluent in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, and Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
.
Beginnings (1990s–2000)
Unlike many Croatian political figures of Sanader's generation, he had not been actively involved in politics throughout his young life - neither as a member of the League of Communists of CroatiaLeague of Communists of Croatia
League of Communists of Croatia was the Croatian branch of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia . Until 1952, it was known as Communist Party of Croatia .- History :...
(Croatia's party which formed the single bloc which governed Yugoslavia), nor as a dissident in exile.
At the end of 1980s, as a multi-party system was returning to Yugoslavia, he founded the first branch of the 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...
(HDZ) in Austria and at this time he first came into contact with Franjo Tuđman. He returned to Split, on persuasion from Franjo Tuđman, although his wife was against their return to Croatia as war was beckoning. His first public office was intendant
Intendant
The title of intendant has been used in several countries through history. Traditionally, it refers to the holder of a public administrative office...
of the Croatian National Theatre
Croatian National Theatre
The Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb , commonly referred to as HNK Zagreb, is a theatre located in Zagreb, owned and operated by the Ministry of Culture. The theatre evolved out of the first city theatre built in 1836 housed in the present-day Old City Hall...
in Split.
In 1992 he was elected as an HDZ deputy to the lower house of the Croatian parliament. Shortly thereafter, he became Minister of Science and Technology (1992–1993). From 1993 to 1995 and 1996 to 2000, he was a Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs. His biggest success as Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs was the termination of required visas for Croatia citizens who traveled to Greece. But Sanader's sense for negotiation was also used for other purposes. He used his negotiation skills for bringing people around to the Croatian Democratic Union from other Croatian parliamentary parties.
At the end of November 1995, he became a head of the President of Croatia's office and general secretary of Croatia national security and defense council (VONS) after Hrvoje Šarinić was released from his duty. In January 1996 he became a member of the council for cooperation between Croatia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
.
During his second term as a Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs he worked hard to bring Croatia and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
together. The peak of these efforts was the meeting between himself, Hrvoje Šarinić
Hrvoje Šarinic
Hrvoje Šarinić is a Croatian politician.Šarinić was born in Sušak, Rijeka and graduated from the University of Zagreb then-Faculty of Architecture, Construction and Geodesy....
and Eytan Bentsur, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Israeli government, in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
in 1997, after which diplomatic relationships between Croatia and Israel were established.
Leader of the Opposition (2000–2003)
In 2000, following Tuđman's death, HDZ suffered defeat in a parliamentary electionCroatian parliamentary election, 2000
Elections for the Chamber of Representatives of the Croatian Parliament were held on January 3, 2000. These were the first elections to be held after the expiration of a full term of the previous Chamber....
. Furthermore, their candidate Mate Granić
Mate Granic
Mate Granić is a Croatian diplomat and politician who was part of the Croatian Government in much of the 1990s.Granić was born in Baška Voda in Dalmatia...
also failed to enter the second round of the presidential election. Granić then left to form the Democratic Centre party hoping to attract moderates from the HDZ. Inner-party election within the HDZ ensued in April that year and Sanader emerged victorious as a compromise candidate.
Initially, Sanader criticized the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, more commonly referred to as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia or ICTY, is a...
(ICTY) indictments against Croatian Army generals which had provoked much discontent in Croatia. In 2001, he took part in a massive rally against a war crimes indictment against general Mirko Norac
Mirko Norac
Mirko Norac is a former general of the Croatian Army. In 2003 he became the first Croatian Army general to be found guilty of war crimes by a Croatian court after he was transferred from The Hague...
. Sanader also criticised Ivica Račan
Ivica Racan
Ivica Račan was a Croatian career politician, leader of the League of Communists of Croatia and later Social Democratic Party from 1989 to 2007...
and his cabinet's stance towards the ICTY. Afterwards, he gradually began to distance the party and himself from the protests somewhat softening his criticism towards the government.
Sanader focused his efforts on transforming the HDZ into a modern pro-European right-of-center party. However, his course was challenged by the more conservative wing of the party led by Ivić Pašalić
Ivić Pašalić
Ivić Pašalić is a Croatian right-wing politician.Pašalić was born to a Croatian family in Šuica, Bosnia and Herzegovina . He was a physician in Zagreb before the arrival of democracy in Croatia. In 1990 he joined the Croatian Democratic Union and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the...
. The ensuing leadership struggle culminated at the 2002 party convention. Sanader, who was supported by Vladimir Šeks
Vladimir Šeks
Vladimir Šeks is an influential Croatian politician, a member of the Croatian Democratic Union . He has been a representative in the Croatian Parliament since the nation's independence, and has held the posts of the Speaker of the Parliament as well as Deputy Prime Minister of the Government.Šeks...
and 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...
, managed to win his second mandate. Pašalić left the party to form his Croatian Bloc (political party), but failed to draw many of his former supporters from the HDZ.
Sanader was later accused by Ivan Drmić, a former member of Croatian Democratic Union, for framing the presidential election at the 5th convention of the Croatian Democratic Union. Spokesman for the Croatian Democratic Union Ratko Maček said such accusations "belong in the anthology of political stupidity."
Sanader was now able to concentrate on defeating Ivica Račan and his left-of-centre coalition at the 2003 parliamentary elections
Croatian parliamentary election, 2003
-External links:*...
. HDZ won the election, but did not win the absolute majority in Sabor.
First term as Prime Minister (2003–2007)
After the victory of his Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) the President of the Republic named Sanader the Prime Minister-designate on 9 December 2003. In the post-election negotiations Sanader ensured the support of ethnic minority representatives, nominally left-wing Croatian Party of PensionersCroatian Party of Pensioners
The Croatian Party of Pensioners is a Croatian political party. It is currently led by Silvano Hrelja.When the Party was founded, few people took it seriously and many commentators speculated that the ultimate purpose of HSU was take away pensioners' votes from rejuvenated SDP and thus help ruling...
and the Independent Democratic Serb Party. When the Croatian Parliament subsequently gave its consent by 88 votes (out of 152) on 23 December 2003, Sanader was formally appointed.
The Sanader government's main foreign goal was Croatia's entry into the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and NATO. As a result of the successful implementation of the Association Agreement - signed with the European Union in 2001 - Croatia did become an official candidate for entry into the EU.
Sanader's HDZ also sought to establish better relations with minority parties and to promote minority rights. Amongst other factors contributing to the positive opinion of the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
and the European Council
European Council
The European Council is an institution of the European Union. It comprises the heads of state or government of the EU member states, along with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, currently Herman Van Rompuy...
regarding Croatia's bid to become an EU member were Croatia's cooperation with the ICTY, continued economic growth and the country's compliance with political and economic criteria established by the 1993 Copenhagen European Council.
Sanader was the last statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
to visit Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
in Vatican City
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
, in February 2005, a few weeks before his death on 2 April 2005.
In October 2005, following the formal start of EU accession negotiations, opinion polls showed Sanader to be the most popular Croatian politician.
The biggest affair that has hindered Sanader as Prime Minister was a mostly tabloid-fueled affair regarding his collection of wrist watches
Watch
A watch is a small timepiece, typically worn either on the wrist or attached on a chain and carried in a pocket, with wristwatches being the most common type of watch used today. They evolved in the 17th century from spring powered clocks, which appeared in the 15th century. The first watches were...
. He reportedly possesses a collection of wrist watches worth in excess of €150,000. Former Minister of Justice Vesna Škare-Ožbolt
Vesna Škare-Ožbolt
Vesna Škare-Ožbolt is a Croatian politician.Before the first democratic elections in 1990, Škare-Ožbolt used to work in Croatian judiciary...
in the Sanader government was the one who reported Sanader to a resolution council for conflict of interests. Škare Ožbolt stated that Prime Minister Sanader hadn’t reported a collection of expensive wrist watches in his assets.
As Prime Minister, Sanader had close relations with other moderate conservative politicians in Europe: including former Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n Chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
Wolfgang Schüssel
Wolfgang Schüssel
Wolfgang Schüssel is an Austrian People's Party politician. He was Chancellor of Austria for two consecutive terms from February 2000 to January 2007...
, former Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Edmund Stoiber
Edmund Stoiber
Edmund Rüdiger Stoiber is a German politician, former minister-president of the state of Bavaria and former chairman of the Christian Social Union...
, Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...
, and Irish
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
prime minister
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Bertie Ahern
Bertie Ahern
Patrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 26 June 1997 to 7 May 2008....
.
The cabinet saw some curious changes during Sanader's term, notably the departure of the foreign minister Miomir Žužul
Miomir Žužul
Miomir Žužul is a Croatian diplomat and politician.-Education:Žužul obtained a doctorate in psychology at the University of Zagreb in 1987 as well as a doctorate in conflict management at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University...
who was accused of conflict of interest. Furthermore, Sanader's government was challenged by the rising tide of Euroscepticism
Euroscepticism
Euroscepticism is a general term used to describe criticism of the European Union , and opposition to the process of European integration, existing throughout the political spectrum. Traditionally, the main source of euroscepticism has been the notion that integration weakens the nation state...
in the country.
In July 2006, Sanader was named in the "Verona Affair", accused by the opposition in the Croatian parliament for fixing the sale of pharmaceutical company Pliva
Pliva
Pliva d.d. is a Croatian pharmaceutical company, based in Zagreb, Croatia. One of the world's largest producers of generic Adderall, it has seen drastic increases in revenue with an increasing number of patients being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder . It is the largest pharmaceutical...
to Barr Pharmaceuticals
Barr Pharmaceuticals
Barr Pharmaceuticals was a global specialty pharmaceutical company that operated in more than 30 countries worldwide. Barr were engaged in the development, manufacture and marketing of generic and proprietary pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients.-History:Barr...
from the US. Such accusations against Sanader have been denied, and they were never proven.
Nacional
Nacional (weekly)
Nacional is a Croatian weekly newsmagazine published in Zagreb.-History:Nacional was started in 1995 by Denis Kuljiš, Ivo Pukanić and other journalists dissatisfied with the editorial policies of Croatian weekly newspaper Globus. Both publications were hostile to the ruling HDZ government...
, an independent political weekly, carried out an investigative report on Sanader which showed that he was a part of two bankrupt businesses in Austria, received bribe in 1995 and 1996 from a tycoon amounting to 800,000 DEM.
Second term as Prime Minister (2007–2009)
After the closely contested Croatian parliamentary election, 2007Croatian 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...
, and the first ever situation of ambiguity on who gets the mandate to form a government, Sanader emerged as the winner when President Stipe Mesić gave him his second mandate, though this time in a coalition with HSS
Croatian Peasant Party
The Croatian Peasant Party is a center and socially conservative political party in Croatia.-Austria-Hungary:The Croatian People's Peasant Party was formed on December 22, 1904 by Antun Radić along with his brother Stjepan Radić. The party contested elections for the first time in the Kingdom of...
and HSLS
Croatian Social Liberal Party
Croatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS is a conservative liberal political party in Croatia. The party is a member of Liberal International and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party. Its current president is Darinko Kosor, elected to that post in November 2009.-Chronology:The HSLS was...
.
Owing in part to the global recession that set in during Sanader's term, Croatia's economic growth stalled and foreign direct investments slowed down. While displaying symptoms of economic decline shared by larger nations, Croatia's decline during Sanader's term was amplified in comparison with the fortunes of Serbia and next door Montenegro - who gained greater investments due to major reforms. Under Sanader, judicial reforms in Croatia stopped and the land registry issue was not resolved. Over 1.3 million court cases (in a country of 4.1 million people) were yet to be resolved in 2009.
Croatia was expected to complete negotiations with the EU in 2009. However, the negotiations were stalled for 10 months due to Slovenia's blockade of Croatia's EU accession
Slovenia's blockade of Croatia's EU accession
The border disputes as well as other unresolved issues between Slovenia and Croatia have existed since the independence of the two countries , most notably the border issue around the Piran Bay....
in December 2008.
On 1 July 2009, Sanader announced his resignation as the Prime Minister of Croatia and President of 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...
, as well as his complete withdrawal from all active politics, adding that he does not intend to return. At his press conference in Zagreb, Sanader remarked, "There is always a time in life for a new beginning. Such a moment has come and now it's time for others to take over." According to BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
, the announcement "came as a surprise", as Croatian media had quite recently named Sanader as a potential candidate for the 2010 presidential election
Croatian presidential election, 2010
The first round of the fifth presidential election in Croatia was held on Sunday, December 27, 2009, with twelve candidates participating. The second round between first-round winner Ivo Josipović and first-round runner-up Milan Bandić was held on Sunday, January 10, 2010...
. Sanader announced that his prime minister-designate would be deputy Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor
Jadranka Kosor
Jadranka Kosor is a Croatian politician and former journalist. She is the current Prime Minister of Croatia, having taken office on July 6, 2009, following the sudden resignation of her predecessor Ivo Sanader. She is Croatia's first female Prime Minister since independence.-Early life:Jadranka...
.
The Parliament of Croatia
Parliament of Croatia
The Parliament of Croatia or the Sabor is the unicameral representative body of the citizens of the Republic of Croatia and legislature of the country. Under the terms of the Croatian Constitution, represents the people and is vested with the legislative power...
accepted his resignation on 2 July 2009 and informed the President of the Republic. Sanader was elected Honorary President of HDZ for life.
Departure and return to politics (2009-2010)
At the September 2009 Global Creative Economic Summit, Sanader discussed Croatia’s shift from a heavily controlled economy to a bustling “knowledge-based” economy. According to Sanader, fostering the “competitiveness in everyday life” played an important role in this process.On 3 January 2010, contrary to his earlier statements (July 1, 2009), Sanader announced he would be returning to a more active role in politics, stating that his decision to withdraw was a mistake, and that the HDZ is a "winning party and not a party that wins 12% of the vote", a remark made in connection with the first round of the presidential election held one week before. He was supported by a dozen HDZ MPs, including Luka Bebić
Luka Bebic
Luka Bebić was the speaker of the Croatian Parliament from January 11, 2008 to October 28, 2011. He is a member of the Croatian Democratic Union and has been a representative in the Croatian Parliament since the nation's independence in 1991, being elected into office six consecutive times.He...
, but none of the members of the Government. Several of those MPs later disclaimed any association with Sanader and claimed they were misled.
On 4 January 2010, following an entire day of meetings of HDZ leadership, Ivo Sanader was ejected from the Croatian Democratic Union. Of 22 members of the party presidency, 16 voted for ejection, three were against (Luka Bebić
Luka Bebic
Luka Bebić was the speaker of the Croatian Parliament from January 11, 2008 to October 28, 2011. He is a member of the Croatian Democratic Union and has been a representative in the Croatian Parliament since the nation's independence in 1991, being elected into office six consecutive times.He...
, Mario Zubović and Damir Polančec
Damir Polančec
Damir Polančec is a Croatian politician. Polančec served as the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship in the Croatian Government of Ivo Sanader and later Jadranka Kosor between 2003 and 2009.On October 30, 2009, Polančec resigned citing a need to avoid damaging...
) and two abstained (Bianca Matković and Petar Selem). Sanader himself was not present at the meeting.
In October 2010, Sanader reactivated his parliamentary seat and regained parliamentary immunity.
Arrest in Austria
On 9 December 2010, Sanader was seen crossing the border into SloveniaSlovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
shortly before the Croatian parliament
Parliament of Croatia
The Parliament of Croatia or the Sabor is the unicameral representative body of the citizens of the Republic of Croatia and legislature of the country. Under the terms of the Croatian Constitution, represents the people and is vested with the legislative power...
voted to remove his immunity from prosecution by USKOK
USKOK
USKOK is a Croatian government institution. It is a State Attorney office specialized in corruption and organized crime.USKOK started work in December 2001...
. The next day the Croatian police issued an arrest warrant and applied to Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
requesting his arrest to face charges of corruption. He was arrested near Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
on 10 December 2010. Croatian authorities froze his assets and bank accounts, and formally applied for extradition on 13 December.
Austrian authorities, including a Carinthian parliamentary committee inquiring into the more recent Hypo Group Alpe Adria scandal, have questioned Sanader while in custody,
while USKOK
USKOK
USKOK is a Croatian government institution. It is a State Attorney office specialized in corruption and organized crime.USKOK started work in December 2001...
expanded its investigation of Sanader to include alleged bribes by the Hypo Bank
Hypo-Alpe-Adria Bank
The Hypo Group Alpe Adria is an Austrian banking group with numerous cross-border activities in eight countries of the Alps-Adriatic region...
in the 1990s.
Extradition and trial
Sanader was extradited by Austria on 18 July 2011. He was transferred to Remetinec prisonRemetinec prison
Remetinec prison is a closed-type prison located in the Remetinec neighborhood of Zagreb, Croatia.The prison's capacity is 560 inmates, making it the largest prison in Croatia. , it housed 850 prisoners and detainees. The prison's overcrowding problem is also a major problem of the Croatian prison...
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...
. His trial is expected to take place by 2012.
On the first court hearing on October 28th, he complained about having heart problems, and he also stated that he did not even know he was being taken to court. After hearing this, the judge decided to reschedule, and Sanader was taken to the hospital. Next court hearing is expected to be set in November, pending medical reports.
Relations with US
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
if indicted. During Sanader's premiership the US did not demand the agreement, or any like it, be signed by Croatia.
The chairman of the US House International Relations Committee Henry Hyde
Henry Hyde
Henry John Hyde , an American politician, was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 2007, representing the 6th District of Illinois, an area of Chicago's northwestern suburbs which included O'Hare International Airport...
said, in a very emotional appearance, that Croatia's desire to join NATO and the EU would be reached, and that the US government backed Croatia fully in its goal regarding NATO and EU membership. In October 2006, President Bush said that Croatia would enter NATO and he had set 2008 as the year for Croatian membership in the bloc. Croatia formally joined NATO in April, 2009. The US recognized Croatia as an ally in the war on terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
.
Honors
- 1993 - Honorary rank of ColonelColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
of Armed Forces of CroatiaMilitary of CroatiaCroatian military is officially called Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia and it consists of three branches:* Croatian Army * Croatian Navy... - 1995 - Order of Duke TrpimirOrder of Duke TrpimirThe Order of Duke Trpimir , or more fully the Order of Duke Trpimir with Neck Badge and Morning Star , is an order of the Republic of Croatia. It ranks fifth in the Croatian order of precedence after the Grand Order of King Dmitar Zvonimir...
- 2007 - Bayerischer Verdienstorden
- 2008 - Grand Order of Queen JelenaGrand Order of Queen JelenaThe Grand Order of Queen Jelena , or more fully the Grand Order of Queen Jelena with Sash and Morning Star , is an order of the Republic of Croatia. It was established in 1995...
External links
- Ivo Sanader biography at CIDOBCIDOB FoundationCIDOB, acronym of Barcelona Centre for International Affairs , is a Catalan think-tank based in Barcelona, Spain, dedicated to research, document and divulge contents of the different areas of international relations and...
|-
|-