Politics of Croatia

The politics of Croatia are based on a parliamentary representative democratic republic. In this system, the Prime Minister of Croatia is the head of government, and the country has a multi-party system. Executive power is used by the Government and the President of Croatia, while legislative power belongs to the Croatian Parliament (Sabor). The Judiciary is separate from the other parts of the government.

The President of the Republic is the head of state and commander in chief of the Croatian Armed Forces, elected for a five-year term. The government is led by the prime minister, who has four deputy prime ministers and twenty ministers. The parliament is a unicameral body with 100 to 160 representatives elected for four-year terms. It makes laws, approves the budget, and supervises the government.

Croatia has an independent judicial system with the Supreme Court as the highest court. There are also municipal, county, and special courts for different types of cases. The Croatian Constitutional Court checks if laws follow the constitution. Regular elections are held for the president, parliament, and local leaders.

History

See also: History of Croatia

Within Austria-Hungary

Big changes happened in Europe and the Austrian Empire in Events of 1848, affecting Croatian society and politics. This led to the Croatian national revival, shaping Croatia's future. Leaders like Josip Jelačić wanted closer ties with other South Slavic lands. New political parties formed, including the Party of Rights and the People's Party, showing strong feelings about Croatia's place in the empire.

First and Second Yugoslavia

After World War I, Croatia joined what became Yugoslavia. The 1921 constitution made the country a single unit, ending Croatia's special status. Tensions grew, and in 1939, Croatia gained some self-rule through the Cvetković–Maček Agreement. World War II brought big changes, and after the war, Yugoslavia became a communist state.

Modern Croatia

In 1989, Croatia began allowing new political parties. The first elections in 1990 brought the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) to power under Franjo Tuđman. Croatia declared independence in 1991 during a war with Yugoslavia. The HDZ stayed in power until 2000, when the Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDP) took over. Croatia has continued to develop its democracy and government since then.

Legal framework

Main article: Constitution of Croatia

Croatia is a democratic country where the government works through a system called a parliamentary republic. In 1990, Croatia created a new constitution and held its first elections with many different parties. This constitution is still used today, though it has been changed a few times. Croatia became an independent country in 1991 and joined the European Union in 2013. The country's laws are based on a system that came from Austria-Hungary, and they follow rules set by the European Union.

Executive

Main articles: Government of Croatia and President of Croatia

The President of Croatia is the head of state. The president is chosen by voters and serves for five years. The president leads the country's armed forces and helps decide important matters about laws and international relationships. The most recent election for president happened on 29 December 2024, and Zoran Milanović won. He began his second term on 18 February 2025. The rules state that a president can only serve two terms and cannot belong to a political party while in office.

The government of Croatia is led by the prime minister, who has seven deputies that also act as government ministers. There are 11 additional ministers who manage different areas of work. These ministers are chosen by the prime minister and need approval from the Parliament. The government suggests new laws, creates a budget, and handles both local and international matters for the country. The current prime minister is Andrej Plenković.

Legislature

Main article: Croatian Parliament

The Parliament of Croatia, called the Sabor, is the country's main law-making group. It has only one group of members, called a unicameral body. In the past, there was a second group called the Chamber of Counties, but it was removed because it didn’t have much power. Today, between 100 and 160 members are chosen by voters to serve for four years. Most come from different areas of the country, called constituencies, with a few spots for people living outside Croatia and for groups of different ethnic backgrounds. The two biggest parties are the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDP). The most recent election was on 17 April 2024.

The Sabor meets twice a year to discuss important matters like making laws, approving the budget, and deciding on big national issues. They also watch over the work of the government to make sure everything runs well. Votes are taken to decide on these matters, and decisions need more than half the members to agree, especially for big topics like changing the constitution.

Elections

For other political parties, see List of political parties in Croatia. An overview on elections and election results is included in Elections in Croatia.

The Croatian constitution and laws make sure that elections happen regularly for many important jobs, like the President, members of parliament, and local leaders. The President of Croatia is chosen by a vote of all citizens every five years. To win, a candidate needs more than half of the votes. If no one gets this in the first round, a second round is held between the top two candidates.

140 members of parliament are chosen every four years by people voting in ten different areas of the country. There is also a special group for people living outside Croatia. Some seats are also saved for people from different minority groups who live in Croatia, like the Serb minority, Hungarians, and Italians. The last election in 2016 chose 151 members of parliament.

The leaders of counties, cities, and towns are also chosen by votes every four years. If no one gets enough votes in the first round, a second round is held. Members of local councils are chosen using a system where people vote for lists of candidates.

Latest presidential election

Main article: 2019–20 Croatian presidential election

Latest parliamentary election

Main article: Croatian parliamentary election, 2016

Latest European elections

Main article: 2024 European Parliament election in Croatia

Judiciary

Main article: Judiciary of Croatia

Croatia has a three-level, independent system to handle legal matters. The Supreme Court is the highest court and handles important appeals. Its decisions are open to the public unless privacy needs to be protected. Judges are chosen by a special group and serve until they are seventy years old.

There are also lower courts, including fifteen county courts and sixty-seven municipal courts. Other special courts exist for things like business matters, small offenses, and government-related issues. The Croatian Constitutional Court checks if laws follow the country's rules. It has thirteen judges chosen by parliament for eight years.

Local government

Main article: Counties of Croatia

Croatia is divided into twenty counties and the capital city of Zagreb, which has the same authority as a county. These counties were reintroduced in 1992 and sometimes change their boundaries. The counties are further divided into cities and municipalities.

People in each county, city, and municipality elect leaders and council members every four years. If no one gets most of the votes in the first round, a second round is held. Councils make sure that groups of people who belong to different national ethnic minorities are included. The most recent local elections were in 2017.