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First round of the 2017 Croatian local elections was held on 21 May and the second round, where necessary, on 4 June. All seats of the county prefects, city and municipal mayors and members of county, municipal and city councils were up for election. [1]
The two-round system is a voting method used to elect a single winner, where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate. However, if no candidate receives the required number of votes, then those candidates having less than a certain proportion of the votes, or all but the two candidates receiving the most votes, are eliminated, and a second round of voting is held.
In total, there were 9,576 open seats contested by 47,601 candidates. Voters were electing: 20 county prefects, 128 city mayors, 428 municipal mayors, 51 deputy county prefects, 195 deputy city mayors, 440 deputy municipal mayors, 63 deputy city and municipal mayors elected by the national minorities, 836 county councilors, 2,226 city councilors and 5,152 municipal councilors. [2] 3,719,182 voters had the right to vote, which was 39,500 fewer than at the previous local elections. There were around 73,000 members of the polling and electoral commissions and more than 12,000 observers. State Election Commission distributed around 14,000,000 ballots. [3] In the second round, held on 4 June, there were runoffs in eight counties, City of Zagreb, 54 towns and 102 municipalities. 2,791,000 voters had a right to vote. There were 4,443 polling stations. [4] A third election round was held in Stari Grad on 18 June 2017 since both candidates got the same number of votes in the second round. [5]
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of Croatia. It is located 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 122 m (400 ft) above sea level. The estimated population of the city in 2018 is 810,003. The population of the Zagreb urban agglomeration is about 1.2 million, approximately a quarter of the total population of Croatia.
Stari Grad is a town on the northern side of the island of Hvar in Dalmatia, Croatia. One of the oldest towns in Europe, its position at the end of a long, protected bay and next to prime agricultural land has long made it attractive for human settlement. Stari Grad is also a municipality within the Split-Dalmatia County.
Results of Croatian local elections, 2017 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
County | County council | County prefect | |||||
Plurality | Turnout | Prefect | Turnout | Notes | |||
Bjelovar-Bilogora | HDZ (39.36%) | 44.96% | Damir Bajs, Ind. (52.05%) | 39.47% | first round win | ||
Brod-Posavina | HDZ (41.76%) | 44.67% | Danijel Marušić, HDZ (53.46%) | 44.71% | first round win | ||
Dubrovnik-Neretva | HDZ (44.99%) | 56.84% | Nikola Dobroslavić, HDZ (58.54%) | 46.93% | runoff election | ||
Istria | IDS (56.78%) | 45.14% | Valter Flego, IDS (65.61%) | 45.14% | first round win | ||
Karlovac | HDZ (44.42%) | 48.08% | Damir Jelić, HDZ (50.46%) | 48.10% | first round win | ||
Koprivnica-Križevci | SDP (31.38%) | 46.36% | Darko Koren, MREŽA (51.41%) | 37.37% | runoff election | ||
Krapina-Zagorje | SDP (49.66%) | 52.41% | Željko Kolar, SDP (58.77%) | 52.47% | first round win | ||
Lika-Senj | HDZ (55.30%) | 59.84% | Darko Milinović, HDZ (53.68%) | 59.82% | first round win | ||
Međimurje | HNS (37.21%) | 44.67% | Matija Posavec, HNS (58.74%) | 44.80% | first round win | ||
Osijek-Baranja | HDZ (36.62%) | 45.42% | Ivan Anušić, HDZ | 34.80% | runoff election | ||
Požega-Slavonia | HDZ (41.76%) | 44.67% | Danijel Marušić, HDZ (53.46%) | 44.71% | first round win | ||
Primorje-Gorski Kotar | SDP (41.66%) | 42.54% | Zlatko Komadina, SDP (51.32%) | 42.54% | first round win | ||
Sisak-Moslavina | HDZ (42.77%) | 46.32% | Danijel Marušić, HDZ (64.28%) | 37.71% | runoff election | ||
Split-Dalmatia | HDZ (38.24%) | 47.82% | Blaženko Boban, HDZ | 36.37% | runoff election | ||
Šibenik-Knin | HDZ (44.40%) | 48.40% | Goran Pauk, HDZ (67.76%) | 34.03% | runoff election | ||
Varaždin | HNS (40.28%) | 49.28% | Radimir Čačić, NS-R | 41.14% | runoff election | ||
Virovitica-Podravina | HDZ (58.67%) | 49.42% | Igor Andrović, HDZ (56.14%) | 49.43% | first round win | ||
Vukovar-Syrmia | HDZ (49.57%) | 45.30% | Božo Galić, HDZ | 30.55% | runoff election | ||
Zadar | HDZ (52.07%) | 45.50% | Božidar Longin, HDZ (50,09%) | 45.47% | first round win | ||
Zagreb County | HSS (37.01%) | 45.14% | Stjepan Kožić, HSS (50,18%) | 44.71% | first round win | ||
City of Zagreb | BM 365 (23.03%) | 47.62% | Milan Bandić, BM 365 (51.79%) | 41.141% | runoff election | ||
Source: [6] |
Croatian local elections, 2017 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
City Council | Mayor | ||||||
City | Plurality | Turnout | Mayor | Turnout | Note | ||
Bakar | HDZ (56,25%) | 45,78% | Tomislav Klarić, HDZ (70,78%) | 45,78% | first round win | ||
Beli Manastir | HDZ, HSU (47,55%) | 44,64% | Tomislav Rob, HDZ (51,65%) | 44,64% | first round win | ||
Belišće | Ind. (60,28%) | 48,65% | Dinko Burić, Ind. (71,06%) | 48,64% | first round win | ||
Benkovac | HDZ, HSP (50,16%) | 30,76% | Tomislav Bulić, HDZ (49,15%) | 30,76% | first round win | ||
Biograd na Moru | HDZ (52,52%) | 52,57% | Ivan Knez, HDZ, HSU (54,68%) | 52,57% | first round win | ||
Bjelovar | HDZ (27,28%) | 38,13% | Dario Hrebak, HSLS (64.25%) | 29.15% | runoff election | ||
Buje | IDS (41,77%) | 40,13% | Fabrizio Vižintin, IDS (49.54%) | 41.58% | runoff election | ||
Buzet | IDS, HSU (51,46%) | 55,03% | Siniša Žulić, IDS (55,54%) | 55,03% | first round win | ||
Cres | HNS, SDP, PGS, HSS, HSU (29,04%) | 58,20% | Kristijan Jurjanko, HNS (51.14%) | 50.78% | runoff election | ||
Crikvenica | HDZ, HSP AS, HSS, HSLS (46,44%) | 42,62% | Damir Rukavina, HDZ (50,31%) | 42,60% | first round win | ||
Čabar | SDP (32,56%) | 49,07% | Kristijan Rajšel, SDP (65.29%) | 34.73% | runoff election | ||
Čakovec | SDP, HSS, HSU, MDS, HL (43,03%) | 43,22% | Stjepan Kovač, SDP (56,23%) | 44,21% | first round win | ||
Čazma | HSS (37,07%) | 49,61% | Dinko Pirak, HSS (56,15%) | 49,70% | first round win | ||
Daruvar | HDZ, HSU, HSS, HSLS (34,66%) | 48,22% | Damir Lneniček, HDZ (55.03%) | 46.84% | runoff election | ||
Delnice | Ind. (33,26%) | 49,74% | Ivica Knežević, Ind. (52.09%) | 40.94% | runoff election | ||
Donja Stubica | SDP, HNS, HSU,HL (46,16%) | 48,20% | Nikola Gospočić, SDP (58,50%) | 48,35% | first round win | ||
Donji Miholjac | Ind. (33,52%) | 39,92% | Goran Aladić, Ind. (57.15%) | 35.26% | runoff election | ||
Drniš | HDZ (47,14%) | 53,57% | Josip Begonja, HDZ (52,12%) | 53,69% | first round win | ||
Dubrovnik | HDZ (32,76%) | 47,63% | Mato Franković, HDZ (58.45%) | 39.77% | runoff election | ||
Duga Resa | HDZ (30,45%) | 51,16% | Tomislav Boljar, HSS (60,99%) | 47.55% | runoff election | ||
Dugo Selo | HDZ (32,33%) | 36,08% | Nenad Panian, HNS (51.14%) | 30.73% | runoff election | ||
Đakovo | HDZ (38,92%) | 44,34% | Marin Mandarić, HDZ (50.93%) | 47.52% | runoff election | ||
Đurđevac | Ind. (64,74%) | 51,83% | Zlatko Mađeruh, Ind. (60,19%) | 51,83% | first round win | ||
Garešnica | HDZ, HSLS (43,62%) | 43,42% | Josip Bilandžija, HDZ (55,27%) | 43,42% | first round win | ||
Glina | HDZ (45,72%) | 45,83% | Stjepan Kostanjević, HDZ (53,81%) | 45,89% | first round win | ||
Gospić | HDZ, HSS, HSP AS (48,32%) | 61,56 | Karlo Starčević, HSP (50.14%) | 66.68% | runoff election | ||
Grubišno Polje | HDZ (45,20%) | 53,00% | Zlatko Mađeruh, HDZ (54,11%) | 53,11% | first round win | ||
Hrvatska Kostajnica | HDZ (59,64%) | 59,59% | Dalibor Bišćan, HDZ (62,29%) | 59,94% | first round win | ||
Hvar | HDZ (27,46%) | 48,36% | Rikardo Novak, Ind. (52.73%) | 43.31% | runoff election | ||
Ilok | HDZ, HSLS (59,64%) | 49,43% | Marina Budimir, Ind. (58.65%) | 46.48% | runoff election | ||
Imotski | HDZ, HSS, HSP AS, BUZ (50,68%) | 51,92% | Ivan Budalić, HDZ (52.17%) | 61.18% | runoff election | ||
Ivanec | HNS, HSU (41,28%) | 48,36% | Milorad Batinić, HNS (51,26%) | 48,36% | first round win | ||
Ivanić-Grad | HDZ, HSLS, NS-R (42,38%) | 45,70% | Javor Bojan Leš, HDZ (58,94%) | 45,70 | first round win | ||
Jastrebarsko | SDP, HNS, HSU (45,74%) | 55,01% | Zvonimir Novosel, SDP (54,64%) | 55,01% | first round win | ||
Karlovac | HDZ, HSLS (39,69%) | 44,33% | Damir Mandić, HDZ (52.82%) | 33.63% | runoff election | ||
Kastav | HNS, SDP, PGS, HSS, HSU, ARS (41,93%) | 37,76% | Matej Mostarac, SDP (50.07%) | 31.90% | runoff election | ||
Kaštela | HDZ, HSS (48,26%) | 32,42% | Denis Ivanović, HDZ (55,04%) | 32,43% | first round win | ||
Klanjec | SDP, ZDS, HNS,HSU, HL (53,63%) | 56,03% | Zlatko Brlek, SDP (56,19%) | 56,03% | first round win | ||
Knin | HDZ (40,06%) | 48,91% | Marko Jelić, Ind. (58.65%) | 56.55% | runoff election | ||
Komiža | SDP, HSS, HNS, (47,98%) | 46,49% | Tonka Ivčević, SDP (61,19%) | 46,49% | first round win | ||
Koprivnica | SDP, HSS, HNS,HSU (46,84%) | 40,91% | Mišel Jakšić, SDP (59.24%) | 38.34% | runoff election | ||
Korčula | HDZ, HSS, HSP AS, HSLS (43,40%) | 60,91% | Andrija Fabris, HDZ (54,70%) | 60,90% | first round win | ||
Kraljevica | HDZ, HSLS (52,24%) | 55,29% | Dalibor Čandrlić, HDZ (52,86%) | 55,34% | first round win | ||
Krapina | HDZ, A-HSS 1904, HSS, ZDS (51,84%) | 58,48% | Zoran Gregurović, HDZ, (58,63%) | 58,47% | first round win | ||
Križevci | Ind. (32,59%) | 44,36% | Mario Rajn, Ind. (61.58%) | 48.42% | runoff election | ||
Krk | PGS, SDP, HNS (58,25%) | 32,66% | Darijo Vasilić, PGS (85,97%) | 32,63% | first round win | ||
Kutina | HDZ, HSP, HSP AS, HSLS, HSU (38,76%) | 44,70% | Zlatko Bbaić, HDZ (49.56%) | 45.33% | runoff election | ||
Kutjevo | HDZ, HDSSB, HSS (72,46%) | 38,43% | Josip Budimir, HDZ (77,85%) | 38,43% | first round win | ||
Labin | IDS, HNS, HSU (49,81%) | 45,09% | Valter Glavičić, IDS (59,17%) | 45,09% | first round win | ||
Lepoglava | HNS, SDP, HSU (43,41%) | 42,80% | Marijan Škvarić, HNS (51.69%) | 42.30% | runoff election | ||
Lipik | HDZ (64,17%) | 49,02% | Vinko Kasana, HDZ (77,55%) | 49,19% | first round win | ||
Ludbreg | SDP, HNS, HSU, HL (50,82%) | 48,47% | Dubravko Bilić, SDP (58,78%) | 48,48% | first round win | ||
Makarska | HDZ (38,33%) | 43,37% | Jure Brkan, HDZ (50.88%) | 42.55% | runoff election | ||
Mali Lošinj | HDZ, HRAST, HSS, HKDU, SU (36,02%) | 49,21% | Ana Kučić, HDZ (50,79%) | 49,19% | first round win | ||
Metković | MOST (40,65%) | 65,38% | Dalibor Milan, HDZ (49.83%) | 67.10% | runoff election | ||
Mursko Središće | HDZ, HSS, HDS, HSLS (50,38%) | 43,17% | Dražen Srpak, HDZ (62,11%) | 43,23% | first round win | ||
Našice | HDZ (52,74%) | 41,55% | Josip Miletić, HDZ (50,68%) | 41,55% | first round win | ||
Nin | HDZ (52,52%) | 53,45% | Emil Ćurko, HDZ (58,24%) | 53,48% | first round win | ||
Nova Gradiška | SDP, HL (50,76%) | 46,00% | Vinko Grgić, SDP (62,04%) | 46,01% | first round win | ||
Novalja | Ind. (51,59%) | 65,07% | Ante Dabo, Ind. (57,93%) | 65,12% | first round win | ||
Novi Marof | HDZ, HSS, HSU (58,11%) | 48,33% | Siniša Jenkač, HDZ (60,74%) | 48,35% | first round win | ||
Novi Vinodolski | HDZ, HSS (56,10%) | 54,79% | Velimir Piškulić, HDZ (58,11%) | 54,79% | first round win | ||
Novigrad | IDS (70,59%) | 41,26% | Ante Milos, IDS (91,79%) | 41,26% | first round win | ||
Novska | HDZ, HSS, (55,58%) | 48,51% | Marin Piletić, HDZ (53,28%) | 49,03% | first round win | ||
Obrovac | HDZ (42,04%) | 45,42% | Ante Župan, HDZ (57,66%) | 45,40% | first round win | ||
Ogulin | HDZ, HSS, HSLS, HSU (37,27%) | 52,53% | Dalibor Domitrović, SDP (49.75%) | 47.65% | runoff election | ||
Omiš | Ind. (45,17%) | 49,59% | Ivo Tomasović, Ind. (53,81%) | 49,60% | first round win | ||
Opatija | SDP, HNS, IDS, HSU, PGS, NS-R, HSS (36,49%) | 47,04% | Ivo Dujmić, Ind. (45.95%) | 44.75% | runoff election | ||
Opuzen | HDZ, HSLS (50,89%) | 63,32% | Ivo Mihaljević, HDZ (52,34%) | 63,32% | first round win | ||
Orahovica | HDZ (39,26%) | 62,03% | Ana-Marija Petin, HSS (49.87%) | 62.49% | runoff election | ||
Oroslavje | HDZ, HSS BR, HSP AS, ZS (37,66%) | 48,50% | Emil Gredičak, HDZ (56.46%) | 49.29% | runoff election | ||
Osijek | SDP, HNS, HSS, ANU (23,23%) | 40,65% | Ivan Vrkić, Ind. (62.74%) | 34.33% | runoff election | ||
Otočac | HDZ, HSU, HSP, HSP AS, HSLS (52,84%) | 60,38% | Stjepan Kostelac, Ind. (49,52% | 60,43% | first round win | ||
Otok | HDZ, HSS, HSP AS (57,73%) | 49,55% | Josip Šarić, HDZ (57,69%) | 49,59% | first round win | ||
Ozalj | HDZ (37,72%) | 51,33% | Gordana Lipšinić, HDZ (55.06%) | 48.69% | runoff election | ||
Pag | HDZ (25,94%) | 65,54% | Ante Fabijanić, MODES (50.60%) | 63.70% | runoff election | ||
Pakrac | HDZ (53,79%) | 41,51% | Anamarija Blažević, HDZ (62,48%) | 41,68% | first round win | ||
Pazin | IDS, HSU, HNS (46,53%) | 47,37% | Renato Krulčić, IDS (58.44%) | 36.79% | runoff election | ||
Petrinja | HDZ, HSP, HSP AS, HSLS, HKS, UDU (41,35%) | 44,50% | Renato Krulčić, NS-R (53.07%) | 46.37% | runoff election | ||
Pleternica | HDZ, HSU (48,60%) | 53,78% | Anotnija Jozić, HDZ (50,69%) | 53,90% | first round win | ||
Ploče | HDZ, HSLS (40,04%) | 65,36% | Mišo Krstičević, SDP (53.95%) | 69.31% | runoff election | ||
Popovača | HDZ (30,13%) | 41,73% | Josip Mišković, HDZ (57,75%) | 41,74% | first round win | ||
Poreč | IDS (47,93%) | 46,99% | Loris Peršurić, IDS (57,31%) | 46,99% | first round win | ||
Požega | HDZ, HSU (45,55%) | 51,21% | Darko Puljašić, HDZ (61.49%) | 41.63 | runoff election | ||
Pregrada | SDP, ZS, HL (65,81%) | 49,44% | Marko Vešligaj, SDP (71,46%) | 49,46% | first round win | ||
Prelog | HDZ, HSS (57,64%) | 49,37% | Ljubomir Kolarek, HDZ (63,58%) | 49,57 | first round win | ||
Pula | IDS, HNS, ISU, Zeleni (48,90%) | 37,31% | Boris Miletić, IDS (51,83%) | 37,32% | first round win | ||
Rab | HDZ, HSS, RPS (46,12%) | 57,91% | Nikola Grgurić, HDZ (56,58%) | 57,91% | first round win | ||
Rijeka | SDP, PGS, HSU, IDS, HL, SDSS, HSS (37,78%) | 36,63% | Vojko Obersnel, SDP (55.59%) | 28.42% | runoff election | ||
Rovinj | IDS (54,65%) | 38,68% | Marko Paliaga, IDS (62,25%) | 38,68% | first round win | ||
Samobor | HSS, SDP (52,76%) | 43,37% | Krešo Beljak, HSS (62,92%) | 43,58% | first round win | ||
Senj | HDZ, HSP AS, HSU, NS-R (51,36%) | 63,58% | Sanjin Rukavina, HDZ (63.07%) | 59.89% | runoff election | ||
Sinj | HDZ (32,74%) | 48,00% | Kristina Križanac, Ind. (50.37%) | 47.91% | runoff election | ||
Sisak | SDP, HL, HSS BR (31,71%) | 47,10% | Kristina Ikić Baniček, SDP (55.80%) | 43.20% | runoff election | ||
Skradin | HDZ (49,36%) | 42,12% | Antonijo Brajković, HDZ (63,68%) | 41,98% | first round win | ||
Slatina | HDZ, HSP, HSLS, SU (40,82%%) | 45,35% | Denis Ostrošić, SDP (53.47%) | 43.71% | runoff election | ||
Slavonski Brod | Ind. (34,97%) | 39,10% | Mirko Duspara, Ind. (54.17%) | 39.46% | runoff election | ||
Slunj | HDZ (59,23%) | 42,01% | Jure Katić, HDZ (60,79%) | 42,01% | first round win | ||
Solin | HDZ, HČSP, HDS, HSU (55,07%) | 44,36% | Dalibor Ninčević, HDZ (57,14%) | 44,35% | first round win | ||
Split | HDZ, HSLS, HSS (25,31%) | 45,50% | Andro Krstulović Opara, HDZ (46.19%) | 38.07% | runoff election | ||
Stari Grad | HDZ (38,06%) | 53,51% | Antonio Škarpa, Ind. (49,65%) | 63,35% | third round election | ||
Supetar | SDP, HSU (48,96%) | 56,82% | Ivana Marković, SDP (61,14%) | 56,82% | first round win | ||
Sveta Nedelja | HDZ (26,54%) | 47,08% | Dario Zurovec, Ind. (57.73%) | 43.43% | runoff election | ||
Sveti Ivan Zelina | HDZ, HSLS, HSU (24,46%) | 44,25% | Hrvoje Košćec, HNS (53.69%) | 42.89% | runoff election | ||
Šibenik | HDZ (45,62%) | 43,20% | Željko Burić, HDZ (69.78%) | 30.70% | runoff election | ||
Trilj | HDZ, HDS (68,36%) | 42,88% | Ivan Šipić, HDZ (79,99%) | 42,84% | first round win | ||
Trogir | HDZ, HSP (40,44%) | 48,12% | Ante Bilić, SDP (49.06%) | 47.51% | runoff election | ||
Umag | SDP, HSU, HNS, SDA, SDSS (37,82%) | 42,82% | Vili Bassanese, SDP (52,38%) | 42,82% | first round win | ||
Valpovo | HDZ, HSS (37,26%) | 48,63% | Matko Šutalo, Ind. (54.80%) | 53.85% | runoff election | ||
Varaždin | Ind. (28,92%) | 49,30% | Ivan Čehok, Ind. (68.50%) | 41.56% | runoff election | ||
Varaždinske Toplice | HDZ, HSLS (51,79%) | 54,64% | Deagica Ratković, HDZ (56,79%) | 54,70% | first round win | ||
Velika Gorica | HDZ, HSLS, HSU (39,47%) | 41,20% | Dražen Barišić, HDZ (61.11%) | 29.29% | runoff election | ||
Vinkovci | HDZ, HSU, BUZ (41,09%) | 45,05% | Ivan Bosančić, HDZ (51.10%) | 40.17% | runoff election | ||
Virovitica | HDZ, HSLS, HSP AS (57,51%) | 46,88% | Ivica Kirin, HDZ [[(60,50%) | 46,89% | first round win | ||
Vis | HDZ (39,26%) | 60,13% | Ivo Radica, HDZ (51,71%) | 60,13% | first round win | ||
Vodice | HDZ (46,30%) | 46,76% | Nelka Tomić, HDZ (56.01%) | 45.63% | runoff election | ||
Vodnjan | IDS, ISU, HNS (68,28%) | 38,47% | Klaudio Vitasović, IDS (63,22%) | 38,49% | first round win | ||
Vrbovec | SDP, HL (27,65%) | 51,08% | Denis Kralj, SDP (63.51%) | 48.97% | runoff election | ||
Vrbovsko | Ind. (36,18%) | 51,88% | Dražen Mufić, Ind. (53,76%) | 52,04% | first round win | ||
Vrgorac | NLM (44,71%) | 67,29% | Ante Pranić, NLM (60,68%) | 67,33% | first round win | ||
Vrlika | HDZ (51,71%) | 60,82% | Jure Plazonić, HDZ (54.51%) | 61.91% | first round win | ||
Vukovar | HDZ, HKS (54,23%) | 41,14% | Ivan Penava, HDZ (61,72%) | 41,18% | first round win | ||
Zabok | SDP, HSU, HNS,HL, HSS BR (43,57%) | 52,67% | Ivan Hanžek, SDP (55,16%) | 52,71% | first round win | ||
Zadar | HDZ, HSP AS, HSU, HRAST, NS-R (46,47%) | 38,90% | Branko Dukić, HDZ (51,20%) | 38,91 | first round win | ||
Zaprešić | HDZ, HSS, HSU, BM 365, HSLS (38,34%) | 41,95% | Željko Turk, HDZ (57.02%) | 33.00% | runoff election | ||
Zlatar | SDP, HSU, HNS,HL (59,17%) | 51,08% | Jasenka Auguštan-Pentek, SDP (74,19%) | 44,23% | first round win | ||
Županja | HDZ (50,82%) | 36,44% | Davor Miličević, HDZ (54,19%) | 36,45 | first round win |
The politics of Croatia are defined by a parliamentary, representative democratic republic framework, where the Prime Minister of Croatia is the head of government in a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the Government and the President of Croatia. Legislative power is vested in the Croatian Parliament. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The parliament adopted the current Constitution of Croatia on 22 December 1990 and decided to declare independence from Yugoslavia on 25 May 1991. The Constitutional Decision on the Sovereignty and Independence of the Republic of Croatia came into effect on 8 October 1991. The constitution has since been amended several times. The first modern parties in the country developed in the middle of the 19th century, and their agenda and appeal changed, reflecting major social changes, such as the breakup of Austria-Hungary, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, dictatorship and social upheavals in the kingdom, World War II, the establishment of Communist rule and the breakup of the SFR Yugoslavia.
Regular elections in Croatia are mandated by the Constitution and legislation enacted by Parliament. The presidency, Parliament, county prefects and assemblies, city and town mayors, and city and municipal councils are all elective offices. Since 1990, five presidential elections have been held. During the same period, nine parliamentary elections were also held. In addition, there were six nationwide local elections. Croatia has held two elections to elect 11 members of the European Parliament following its accession to the EU on 1 July 2013.
Milan Bandić is a Croatian politician currently serving his sixth term as a mayor of the Croatian capital, Zagreb. Between 2000 and 2009, he was a prominent member of the Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDP). In 2007, he unsuccessfully ran for party president. However, he remained one of the main rivals of the former party president Zoran Milanović. On 5 November 2009 he announced his intention to run for a president, in violation of the party's bylaws which led to his expulsion from the party. On 10 January 2010, he lost the Croatian presidential election to the official SDP candidate Ivo Josipović in the runoff elections. Bandić is widely regarded as one of the most influential individuals in contemporary Croatian politics.
The counties of Croatia are the primary administrative subdivisions of the Republic of Croatia. Since they were re-established in 1992, Croatia has been divided into 20 counties and the capital city of Zagreb, which has the authority and legal status of both a county and a city. As of 2015, the counties are subdivided into 128 cities and 428 municipalities.
On 17 May 2009, local elections were held in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. The incumbent mayor was Milan Bandić, a representative of the Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDP), also the leading party in the previous city council. Bandić was reelected mayor in the second round of the elections with 61.84% of the votes.
Tomislav Karamarko is a Croatian politician who served as the First Deputy Prime Minister of Croatia from January until June 2016. He served in the Cabinet of Jadranka Kosor as Minister of Interior from 2008 to 2011.
Since its founding in 1990, elections within the Social Democratic Party of Croatia were held numerous times.
Opinion polling for the Croatian parliamentary election, 2015 started immediately after the 2011 general election. Monthly party ratings are conducted by Ipsos Puls, Mediana and Promocija Plus.
The 2013 Croatian local elections were held on 19 May, with the second round held on 2 June where necessary.
People's Party–Reformists is a liberal political party in Croatia.
Croatian Dawn – Party of the People was a minor Croatian conservative political party established in July 2013. Party's founder and leader was Milan Kujundžić.
The next elections for the President of Croatia are due to take place by direct popular vote on a date between 21 December 2019 and 20 January 2020, with a second round to take place on a date between 4 January 2020 and 3 February 2020 between the two candidates with the largest number of votes in the first round. Namely, the Constitution of Croatia states that a presidential election must be held no more than 60 days and no less than 30 days before the expiration of the incumbent president's term. They will be the seventh presidential elections since the first direct ones were held in 1992.
Robert Podolnjak is a Croatian associate professor of constitutional law and politician who served as chairman of the Croatian Parliament's Committee on the Constitution, Standing Orders and Political System between January 2016 and June 2017. Podolnjak was elected to the Croatian Parliament at the 2015 and 2016 parliamentary elections as representative for III electoral district. He is member of the Bridge of Independent Lists party.
Krešo Beljak is a Croatian politician who has been mayor of Samobor since 2009 and member of the Croatian Parliament since 2016. Beljak is president of the centrist Croatian Peasant Party (HSS).
Predrag Šustar is a Croatian philosophy professor and politician who served as Minister of Science, Education and Sports in the Cabinet of Tihomir Orešković from 22 January 2016 until 19 October 2016. He is member of the center-right Croatian Democratic Union.
The 2017 Zagreb local elections were held on 21 May and 4 June 2017 for the Mayor of Zagreb and members of the Zagreb Assembly. Milan Bandić, the 52nd and incumbent mayor since 2005, ran for a sixth 4-year term. As no candidate won an absolute majority of the vote in the first round, a second round of elections took place on 4 June 2017 between the two highest-placed candidates in terms of popular vote: incumbent mayor Milan Bandić of the Bandić Milan 365 - Labour and Solidarity Party and former Minister of Construction Anka Mrak Taritaš of the Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats. In the run-off Bandić won re-election as mayor, taking 51.8% of the votes against 46% for Mrak Taritaš. Turnout for the election was 47.7% in the first round and 41.2% in the second round.
The 2017 Split local elections were held on 21 May and 4 June 2017 for the Mayor of Split and members of the Split city council. Ivo Baldasar, the 71st mayor who served from 2013 to 2017 ran for re-election to a second four-year term, ultimately finishing in 9th place with 0.80% of the vote in the first round. As no candidate won an absolute majority of the vote in the first round, a second round of elections was held on 4 June 2017 between the two highest-ranked candidates in terms of popular vote: Željko Kerum of the Croatian Civic Party, who was previously the 70th Mayor of Split from 2009 to 2013, and Andro Krstulović Opara of the Croatian Democratic Union. Krstulović Opara narrowly won the run-off taking 46.2% of the votes against 44.3% for Kerum. Turnout was 45.5% in the first round and 38.1% in the second round.
The 2017 Rijeka local elections were held on 21 May and 4 June 2017 for the Mayor of Rijeka and members of the Rijeka city council. Vojko Obersnel, the 14th and incumbent mayor who has been in office since 2000, ran for a sixth consecutive four-year term, finishing in 1st place with 41,00% of the vote in the first round. However, as no candidate won an absolute majority of the vote in the first round, a second round of elections was held on 4 June 2017 between the two highest-ranked candidates in terms of popular vote: Vojko Obersnel of the Social Democratic Party of Croatia, and Hrvoje Borić of the Croatian Democratic Union. Obersenel defeated Borić by a wide margin in the run-off, taking 55,6% of the vote to Borić's 42,7%. Turnout in the election was 36,7% in the first round and 28,4% in the second round.