Liberal Party (Croatia)
Encyclopedia
Liberal Party was a Croatia
n political party active between January 1998 and April 2006. During its existence the party ran in two general elections (in 2000 and 2003) and in each election won two seats in the 151-seat Sabor. LS was a member of Liberal International
and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
. Its last leader was Zlatko Benašić.
The party was formed in January 1998 following a party split in November 1997 when a faction led by Vlado Gotovac, then chairman of Croatian Social Liberal Party
(HSLS), left the party because of internal power struggles which resulted in former chairman Dražen Budiša
taking back control of the party. Gotovac was joined by other prominent liberals such as Osijek
mayor Zlatko Kramarić
and historian Ivo Banac
.
In 2000, the party had two representatives in the Parliament and had one minister in a coalition government with the much larger Social Democratic Party of Croatia
.
LS confirmed their two representatives in the Parliament in the 2003 elections, in an alliance with the social democrats, but became part of the opposition.
After the 2003 election party leader Ivo Banac
announced the merger of LS with the Croatian People's Party and LIBRA
into one big liberal party, but this initiative was opposed by faction led by Zlatko Kramarić
. Banac was replaced at the party convention.
After the 2005 local elections Zlatko Kramarić started merger negotiations with the Croatian Social Liberal Party
. That prompted a group of dissidents in Split
to form a new party called Dalmatian Liberal Party
.
Liberal Party formally ceased to exist with all of its membership and party infrastructure re-joining HSLS in April 2006.
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 political party active between January 1998 and April 2006. During its existence the party ran in two general elections (in 2000 and 2003) and in each election won two seats in the 151-seat Sabor. LS was a member of Liberal International
Liberal International
Liberal International is a political international federation for liberal parties. Its headquarters is located at 1 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2HD within the National Liberal Club. It was founded in Oxford in 1947, and has become the pre-eminent network for liberal parties and for the...
and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe...
. Its last leader was Zlatko Benašić.
The party was formed in January 1998 following a party split in November 1997 when a faction led by Vlado Gotovac, then chairman of Croatian Social Liberal Party
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...
(HSLS), left the party because of internal power struggles which resulted in former chairman Dražen Budiša
Dražen Budiša
Dražen Budiša is a Croatian politician who used to be leading opposition figure in the 1990s and a two-time presidential candidate.-During Yugoslavia:...
taking back control of the party. Gotovac was joined by other prominent liberals such as 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...
mayor Zlatko Kramarić
Zlatko Kramaric
Zlatko Kramarić is a Croatian liberal politician from Osijek.Kramarić was born in Osijek and graduated in philology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb...
and historian Ivo Banac
Ivo Banac
-External links:*...
.
In 2000, the party had two representatives in the Parliament and had one minister in a coalition government with the much larger Social Democratic Party of Croatia
Social Democratic Party of Croatia
Social Democratic Party of Croatia , commonly referred to in Croatia as simply Social Democratic Party , is the largest centre-left political party in Croatia...
.
LS confirmed their two representatives in the Parliament in the 2003 elections, in an alliance with the social democrats, but became part of the opposition.
After the 2003 election party leader Ivo Banac
Ivo Banac
-External links:*...
announced the merger of LS with the Croatian People's Party and LIBRA
Libra
-Science and technology:* Libra , a star constellation in the sky* Libra , an ancient Roman unit of weight* Libra , a public search engine for academic papers and literature* Libra , a media cataloguing software...
into one big liberal party, but this initiative was opposed by faction led by Zlatko Kramarić
Zlatko Kramaric
Zlatko Kramarić is a Croatian liberal politician from Osijek.Kramarić was born in Osijek and graduated in philology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb...
. Banac was replaced at the party convention.
After the 2005 local elections Zlatko Kramarić started merger negotiations with the Croatian Social Liberal Party
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...
. That prompted a group of dissidents in Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
to form a new party called Dalmatian Liberal Party
Dalmatian Liberal Party
The Dalmatian Liberal Party was a regional left-wing liberal political party in Croatia formed by dissident members of the Liberal Party. The party was founded on April 4, 2005, and its membership in 2006 was estimated at 160....
.
Liberal Party formally ceased to exist with all of its membership and party infrastructure re-joining HSLS in April 2006.
Presidents
- Vlado Gotovac (1998–2000)
- Božo Kovačević (acting) (2000)
- Zlatko KramarićZlatko KramaricZlatko Kramarić is a Croatian liberal politician from Osijek.Kramarić was born in Osijek and graduated in philology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb...
(2000–2003) - Ivo BanacIvo Banac-External links:*...
(2003–2004) - Zlatko Benašić (2004–2006)
Election history
The following is a summary of the party's results in legislative elections for the Croatian parliament.| Election | |Votes won (Coalition totals) | |Seats won (LS only) | January 2000 Croatian 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.... | 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... –IDS Istrian Democratic Assembly The Istrian Democratic Assembly is a Croatian regional and social liberal political party in Istria. The hyphenated abbreviation IDS-DDI is most commonly used.... –HNS–ASH Social Democratic Action of Croatia Social Democratic Action of Croatia is a Croatian left-wing political party.It was founded by 1994 by members of Social Democratic Party of Croatia dissatisfied with the centrist policies of SDP leader Ivica Račan and his lack of criticism towards Franjo Tuđman.The party had high hopes of... |
432,527 | 14.70 | 2 / 151 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2003 Croatian parliamentary election, 2003 -External links:*... |
SDP Social Democratic Party of Croatia Social Democratic Party of Croatia , commonly referred to in Croatia as simply Social Democratic Party , is the largest centre-left political party in Croatia... –IDS Istrian Democratic Assembly The Istrian Democratic Assembly is a Croatian regional and social liberal political party in Istria. The hyphenated abbreviation IDS-DDI is most commonly used.... –LIBRA Libra -Science and technology:* Libra , a star constellation in the sky* Libra , an ancient Roman unit of weight* Libra , a public search engine for academic papers and literature* Libra , a media cataloguing software... |
560,593 | 22.60 | 2 / 151 | ±0 | |||