Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Croatia have expanded since the turn of the 21st century, especially in the 2010s and 2020s. However, LGBT people still face some legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. The status of same-sex relationships was first formally recognized in 2003 under a law dealing with unregistered cohabitations. As a result of a 2013 referendum, the Constitution of Croatia defines marriage solely as a union between a woman and man, effectively prohibiting same-sex marriage. Since the introduction of the Life Partnership Act in 2014, same-sex couples have effectively enjoyed rights equal to heterosexual married couples in almost all of its aspects, except adoption. In 2022, a final court judgement allowed same-sex adoption under the same conditions as for mixed-sex couples. Same-sex couples in Croatia can also apply for foster care since 2020. Croatian law forbids all discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in all civil and state matters; any such identity is considered a private matter, and such information gathering for any purpose is forbidden as well.
Zagreb Pride is the annual LGBTIQ+ pride march in the city of Zagreb, Croatia, which first took place in 2002, as the first successful pride march in Southeast Europe. Zagreb Pride organizers say their work was inspired by the Stonewall Riots and the Gay Liberation Front. It is self-identified as LGBTIQ+ march and therefore in 2003 changed its name from Gay Pride Zagreb into Zagreb Pride. The Pride was organized by a volunteer-based and grass-roots Organizing Committee that was formed each year. A new organization founded in 2008 as a non-governmental organization Zagreb Pride that also registered the use of the name as a brand. The organization is a member of InterPride, EPOA, IGLYO, ILGA-Europe and in 2010, together with Lesbian Organization LORI and Domino, it was the founding member of Croatian first national LGBT association, Center for LGBT Equality. Pride receives funding from the City of Zagreb and a number of international human rights organizations and embassies.
Parliamentary elections were held in Croatia on 25 November 2007 and for overseas voters on 24 and 25 November. The campaign officially started on 3 November. The President of Croatia announced elections on 17 October and 14 days were allowed for candidate lists to be submitted.
Green alternative - Sustainable Development of Croatia or ORaH is a minor green political party in Croatia.
Presidential elections were held in Croatia on 28 December 2014 and 11 January 2015, the sixth such elections since independence in 1991. Only four candidates contested the elections, the lowest number since 1997. Incumbent President Ivo Josipović, who had been elected as the candidate of the Social Democratic Party in 2009–2010 but ran as an independent, was eligible to seek reelection for a second and final five-year term. As no candidate received 50% of the vote in the first round in December 2014, a run-off took place in January 2015 between the two candidates with the most votes; Josipović and Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović. Grabar-Kitarović went on to win the elections by a slim margin of 32,509 votes or 1.48%, making her Croatia's first female president.
Presidential elections were held in Croatia on 22 December 2019. Social Democratic Party nominee Zoran Milanović narrowly defeated incumbent president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović in a second round of voting.
The Workers' Front is a democratic socialist and progressive political party in Croatia. Formed in May 2014 as a political initiative of workers, trade unionists, unemployed, and students in Croatia, it supports anti-clericalism, anti-fascism, antimilitarism, eco-socialism, labour rights, progressivism, and socialist feminism. Some left-libertarian and Trotskyist critics characterize it as left-wing populist in the mold of Podemos and SYRIZA.
Jacques Houdek is a Croatian recording artist who represented Croatia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song "My Friend". Houdek began his professional solo career in 2000 and has since released many recordings and albums out which 13 have been certified silver, gold, platinum and diamond (once). Houdek is one of the mentors in the Croatian version of the TV talent show The Voice. During show's first season, he mentored the winner Nina Kraljić. Aside from Croatian, he has sung and recorded in English, Italian, German, Spanish, French, Slovene, Macedonian, and Māori language.
Marijana Petir is a Croatian politician, former Member of the European Parliament.
New Left is a social-democratic and democratic socialist political party in Croatia. It also promotes anti-fascism, environmentalism, and progressivism on social issues.
Centre is a liberal political party in Croatia. The party was formed under the name Pametno in Split in 2015 out of the citizens' initiative Za pametne ljude i pametan grad. The fundamental values endorsed by the party are the promotion of democracy, accountable and transparent management of public resources, civil proactive protection of fundamental human rights, economic development and environmental protection.
The 2024 European Parliament elections in Croatia were held on 9 June 2024 as part of the 2024 European Parliament election. This was the fourth parliamentary election since Croatia's EU accession in 2013, and the first to take place after Brexit.
Parliamentary elections were held in Croatia on 17 April 2024 to elect the members of the 11th Sabor. Prior to the elections, the government consisted of a coalition of the Croatian Democratic Union and Independent Democratic Serb Party, with parliamentary support of five national minority MPs, two MPs from the Croatian Social Liberal Party and Croatian Demochristian Party, and one independent MP, Silvano Hrelja.
The Green–Left Coalition was a left-wing electoral alliance in Croatia represented by six MPs. It is presently composed of the We Can! – Political Platform and New Left, as well some localist political parties and platforms, such as Zagreb is OURS! and For the City movements from City of Zagreb and Srđ is the City! from Dubrovnik. It promotes democratic socialism, green politics, and progressivism on social issues.
We Can! – Political Platform is a left-wing, green political party in Croatia formed by local green and leftist movements and initiatives in order to act on the national level for European Parliament and parliament elections.
Tomislav Tomašević, is a Croatian politician, activist, environmentalist and political scientist who is serving as mayor of Zagreb since 2021. He is one of the leaders of the local Zagreb is OURS! political party and the national We Can! political party. Since the 2017 Zagreb local elections, he has been a delegate in the Zagreb Assembly. He was also elected to the Croatian Parliament in the 2020 election. He serves as the de facto leader of the Green–Left Coalition.
Elections were held in Zagreb on 16 May 2021 for the 53rd mayor of Zagreb, the two deputy mayors, the 47 members of the Zagreb Assembly, the councils of districts and the local committees, as part of the 2021 Croatian local elections. The runoff for the mayor took place on 30 May 2021.
Katarina Peović Vuković is a Croatian politician and media and culture researcher. From March to September 2018, she was a representative of the Workers' Front party in Zagreb Assembly. On January 21, 2019, Katarina Peović announced her candidacy for the Croatian presidential election in 2019 as a candidate of the Workers' Front party, and established media presence in the candidates' confrontations. In the 2020 parliamentary elections, she was elected as a member of the Croatian Parliament on the platform of the Green–Left Coalition.
The Green List s a green political party in Croatia. It was founded in 2017 prior to 2017 local elections in which they run in coalition with Bandić Milan 365 – Labour and Solidarity Party. In addition to their green politics, the party is Christian Democratic compared to other green parties in the world.
