Democratic Centre

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Democratic Centre



Leader	Vesna Škare Ožbolt

Founded	2000
Headquarters	Zagreb

Ideology	Christian democracy, Centrism
International affiliation	European People's Party

Website Democratic Centre

The Democratic Centre (Croatian: Demokratski centar, DC) is a Croatian political party.

The Party was formed in 2000 by Mate Granić and Vesna Škare Ožbolt who left the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) after their loss on legislative elections and Mate Granic's presidential elections loss. DC proclaimed itself as moderate version of HDZ.

In 2003 DC, informally allied with HDZ before the election, received ministerial seat in the Croatian Government following the election. Vesna Škare Ožbolt, the party's leader and the only representative in the Croatian Parliament, became minister of justice. In 2006 she was sacked by prime minister Ivo Sanader allegedly because of leaking information to the press and opposing certain government policies but probably because her too prominent public stance and ministerial results overshadowed HDZ ministers. DC is now in opposition.

Since October 15, 2002, the Democratic Centre Party is an observer member of the European People's Party (EPP). At the last legislative elections, 23 November 2003, an alliance of the Croatian Social Liberal Party and the Democratic Centre won 4.0 % of the popular vote and 3 out of 151 seats. One of these seats is held by the DC.