Prime Minister of Croatia

President of the Government of Croatia
Predsjednik / Predsjednica Vlade Hrvatske
Incumbent
Andrej Plenković
since 19 October 2016
Style His Excellency[1]
Appointer President of the Republic
Inaugural holder Stjepan Mesić
Formation 30 May 1990
Website www.vlada.hr
Croatia
Coat of arms
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Croatia
Constitution

The Prime Minister of Croatia (Croatian: Premijer/ Premijerka Hrvatske), officially the President of the Government of the Republic of Croatia (Croatian: Predsjednik/ Predsjednica Vlade Republike Hrvatske), is Croatia's head of government, and is the de facto most powerful and influential state officeholder in the Croatian system of government. Following the first-time establishment of the office in 1945, the 1990-2001 semi-presidential period is the only exception where the President of Croatia held de facto authority. In the formal Croatian order of precedence, however, the position of prime minister is the third highest state office, after the President of the Republic and the Speaker of the Parliament.

The Constitution of Croatia prescribes that "Parliament supervises the Government" (Article 81) and that "the President of the Republic ensures the regular and balanced functioning and stability of government" (as a whole; Article 94), while the Government is introduced in Article 108.[2] Since 2000, the prime minister has had various added constitutional powers and is mentioned before the Government itself in the text of the Constitution, in Articles 87, 97, 99, 100, 101, 103, 104.[2] The current Prime Minister of Croatia is Andrej Plenković. The Government of Croatia meets in Banski dvori, a historical building located on the west side of St. Mark's Square in Zagreb.

Name

The official name of the office, literally translated, is "President of the Government" (Predsjednik Vlade), rather than "Prime Minister" (Prvi Ministar). When the office was first established in 1945, the name "President of the Government" was introduced. The name of the office was changed 8 years later with the Yugoslav constitutional reforms of 1953, into "President of the Executive Council" (Predsjednik Izvršnog vijeća). After another round of constitutional reforms in 1990, the office was renamed back to its original 1945-1953 title of "President of the Government". For all periods, however, the term "Prime Minister" is colloquially used (especially in the media) in English-language usage.

History

The Royal Government of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia (1868-1918) was headed by Ban (Viceroy), who represented the King. The first head of government of Croatia as a constituent republic of Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia was Vladimir Bakarić, who assumed the position on 14 April 1945. The position was then, as it is today, the most powerful public office in the state (the only historical exception being the extremely powerful semi-presidential system used from 1990 until 2000, during which the President was by far the most significant figure in the government hierarchy). In post-World War II Socialist Republic of Croatia, a single-party system was in place. During this time there were twelve heads of government (using the title President of the Executive Council), all from the ranks of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (KPJ), which was reformed and renamed into the League of Communists of Yugoslavia (SKJ) in 1952. The federal party was organized into six sub-organizations - the republic parties, one for each of the six federal republics. Croatian politicians and prime ministers of the period were members of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia through their membership in the League of Communists of Croatia (SKH), the Croatian part of the federal party (as was respectively the case with all Yugoslav politicians). The office remained the central post of Croatian politics in spite of the institution of a collective Presidency in 1974 (previously the mostly-nominal function of the head of state belonged to the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, the Sabor).

After the constitutional amendments that allowed for multi-party elections in Croatia, the Parliament enacted amendments to the constitution (25 July) which eliminated socialist references and adopted new national symbols. The newly elected tricameral Parliament proceeded to change the Constitution of Croatia, and on 22 December 1990, this so-called "Christmas Constitution" fundamentally defined the Republic of Croatia and its governmental structure. From the 1990 constitutional reforms onward Croatia was a semi-presidential republic, which meant the President of Croatia had broad executive powers (further expanded with laws to a point of superpresidentialism), including the appointment and dismissal of the Prime Minister and other officials in the government. During this period, lasting until constitutional amendments in late 2000, Croatia had seven prime ministers. The first Prime Minister of Croatia since the 1990 constitutional reforms was Stjepan Mesić, assuming office on 30 May 1990.[3][4]

Following the May 1991 independence referendum in which 93% of voters approved secession, Croatia formally proclaimed independence from Yugoslavia on 25 June 1991, with Josip Manolić continuing in the role of prime minister as head of government of an independent Croatia. However, the country then signed the July 1991 Brijuni Agreement in which it agreed to postpone further activities towards severing ties with Yugoslavia. Meanwhile, the Croatian War of Independence ensued, and Franjo Gregurić was appointed to lead a Government of National Unity. In October the same year, Croatia formally severed all remaining legal ties with the Yugoslav Federation.

Following the January 2000 general election the winning centre-left coalition led by the Social Democratic Party amended the Constitution and effectively stripped the President of most of his executive powers, strengthening the role of the Parliament and the Prime Minister, turning Croatia into a parliamentary republic. The Prime Minister again (as before 1990) became the foremost post in Croatian politics.

To date there have been twelve Prime Ministers who have chaired 14 governments since the first multi-party elections. Nine Prime Ministers were members of the Croatian Democratic Union during their terms of office, two were members of the Social Democratic Party and one was not a member of any political party. Since independence there has been one female Prime Minister (Jadranka Kosor), while Savka Dabčević-Kučar was the first woman (not only in Croatia, but in Europe) to hold an office equivalent to a head of government as Chairman of the Executive Council of the Socialist Republic of Croatia (1967-1969).

List of officeholders (1945–present)

  League of Communists of Yugoslavia   Croatian Democratic Union   Social Democratic Party of Croatia   Independent

Presidents of the Executive Council of the Socialist Republic of Croatia (1945–1990)

No. Name
(Born–Died)		 Portrait Term of Office Political party Election Cabinet Cabinet parties
Took Office Left Office Duration
N/A Pavle Gregorić
(1892–1989)		 7 March 1945 14 April 1945 39 days Communist Party of Yugoslavia — Gregorić KPH
1 Vladimir Bakarić
(1912–1983)		 14 April 1945 18 December 1953 8 years, 7 months, 18 days Communist Party of Yugoslavia
(party renamed in 1952)
League of Communists of Yugoslavia
(party renamed in 1952)		 — Bakarić
1st Executive Council		 KPH
President of the Government of the People's Republic of Croatia from 1945 to 1953. On 6 February 1953 he was elected to the new position of President of the Executive Council. Simultaneously held these positions along with the post of Secretary of the Central Committee of the League of Communists of Croatia. Subsequently, became President of the Parliament of the People's Republic of Croatia (1953–1963).
2 Jakov Blažević
(1912–1996)		 18 December 1953 10 July 1962 8 years, 7 months League of Communists of Yugoslavia — 2nd Executive Council
3rd Executive Council		 SKH
Resigned as President of the Executive Council to take the post of president of the Chamber of Commerce of Yugoslavia.[5] He was replaced by Zvonko Brkić for the remainder of the term of the 3rd Executive Council.
3 Zvonko Brkić
(1912–1977)		 10 July 1962 June 1963 11 months League of Communists of Yugoslavia — 4th Executive Council SKH
Member of the Executive Council from 1953 to 1963. After Jakov Blažević's resignation as President of the Executive Council he served the remainder of his term. He subsequently became Vice President of the Federal Assembly (1963–1967).
4 Mika Špiljak
(1916–2007)		 June 1963 11 May 1967 3 years, 11 months League of Communists of Yugoslavia — 5th Executive Council SKH
Became President of the Federal Executive Council on 16 May 1967.
5 Savka Dabčević-Kučar
(1923–2009)		 11 May 1967 8 May 1969 2 years League of Communists of Yugoslavia — 6th Executive Council SKH
After her term expired she was immediately appointed Secretary of the Central Committee of the League of Communists of Croatia (1969–1971).
6 Dragutin Haramija
(1923–2012)		 May 1969 28 December 1971 2 years, 7 months League of Communists of Yugoslavia — 7th Executive Council SKH
Denounced at the XXI. Meeting of the Presidency of the Central Committee of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia held in Karađorđevo on 1 and 2 December 1971 and forced to resign. Subsequently, withdrew from politics.
7 Ivo Perišin
(1925–2008)		 28 December 1971 8 May 1974[6] 2 years, 4 months League of Communists of Yugoslavia — 8th Executive Council SKH
Subsequently, served as President of the Parliament of the Socialist Republic of Croatia (1974–1978).
8 Jakov Sirotković
(1922–2002)		 8 May 1974 9 May 1978 4 years, 1 month League of Communists of Yugoslavia — 9th Executive Council SKH
9 Petar Fleković
(1932–)		 9 May 1978 May 1982 4 years League of Communists of Yugoslavia — 10th Executive Council SKH
Subsequently, named director of INA (1982–1990).
10 Ante Marković
(1924–2011)		 May 1982 20 November 1985 4 years League of Communists of Yugoslavia — 11th Executive Council SKH
Elected by Parliament as President of the Presidency of SR Croatia on 10 May 1986.
11 Ema Derossi-Bjelajac
(1926-)		 20 November 1985 10 May 1986 4 years League of Communists of Yugoslavia — 12th Executive Council SKH
Concurrently serving as President of the Presidency of SR Croatia
12 Antun Milović
(1934–2008)		 10 May 1986 30 May 1990 4 years, 21 days League of Communists of Yugoslavia
(until January 1990)
Social Democratic Party
(from January 1990) 		— 13th Executive Council SKH/SDP

Prime Ministers of the Republic of Croatia (1990–present)

(*) While Stjepan Mesić formally held the post of President of the Executive Council of the Socialist Republic of Croatia and not of Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia during his term in office (May-August 1990), he is considered by the Government of Croatia to have been the first Prime Minister of modern-day Croatia as the head of the first Croatian government cabinet (in fact the 14th Executive Council of SR Croatia) following the first multi-party elections in 1990 and the constituting of the first multi-party Sabor. When Josip Manolić took the title of Prime Minister in August 1990, Croatia was still legally within the Yugoslav federation and declared independence on 25 June 1991, which was followed by the severing of all remaining legal ties with Yugoslavia on 8 October 1991, during the term of Franjo Gregurić, the third Prime Minister since the 1990 elections. Thus, it is as of 2016 officially considered that there have been 12 Prime Ministers of the Republic of Croatia to date and that the office of Prime Minister is not a direct continuation of or a successor to the post of President of the Executive Council of the Socialist Republic of Croatia, which was formally and legally one of six constituent republic of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (a federal country), and was thus not an independent nation. Namely, the Presidents of the republic's Executive Council, though formally being heads of government, held a sub-national office most similar to modern-day First Ministers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland or Minister-presidents in German states, and were subordinate to the Federal Executive Council in Belgrade. It is thus legally and technically correct to consider Josip Manolić the first Croatian Prime Minister and head of government in general after independence was achieved in June 1991.

  Denotes pre-independence Prime Ministers
No. Name
(Born–Died)		 Portrait Term of Office Political party Election Cabinet Cabinet parties Assembly
-
Confidence
Designated
Took Office
Confidence		 Resignation
Left Office		 Duration
(13)*
1
 Stjepan Mesić
(1934–)		 30 May 1990 24 August 1990 86 days Croatian Democratic Union 1990 Mesić
(formally 14th Executive Council)*		 HDZ 1st Assembly
14*
 Josip Manolić
(1920–)		 24 August 1990[a] 25 June 1991 327 days Croatian Democratic Union — Manolić HDZ 1st Assembly
2
 25 June 1991 17 July 1991
3
 Franjo Gregurić
(1939–)		 17 July 1991[a] 12 August 1992 392 days Croatian Democratic Union — Gregurić HDZ-SDP
-HSLS-HKDS
(National unity government)		 1st Assembly
4
 Hrvoje Šarinić
(1935–2017)		 12 August 1992[a]
8 September 1992		 3 April 1993 234 days Croatian Democratic Union 1992 Šarinić HDZ 2nd Assembly
5
 Nikica Valentić
(1950–)		 29 March 1993
3 April 1993[a]		 7 November 1995 948 days Croatian Democratic Union — Valentić HDZ 2nd Assembly
6
 Zlatko Mateša
(1949–)		 4 November 1995
7 November 1995[a]
28 November 1995[7]		 27 January 2000 1542 days Croatian Democratic Union 1995 Mateša HDZ 3rd Assembly
-
77/127 MPs
7
 Ivica Račan
(1944–2007)		 22 January 2000
27 January 2000[a]
2 February 2000		 5 July 2002 (Resigned)
30 July 2002		 1426 days Social Democratic Party 2000[8] Račan I SDP-HSLS-HNS
-HSS-IDS-LS		 4th Assembly
-
122[9]/151 MPs
(Račan I)
-
84/151 MPs (Račan II)
11 June 2002
30 July 2002 		23 December 2003 Račan II SDP-HNS-HSS
-LS-Libra
8
 Ivo Sanader
(1953–)		 9 December 2003
23 December 2003 		12 January 2008 2022 days Croatian Democratic Union 2003 Sanader I HDZ-DC 5th Assembly
-
88/151 MPs (Sanader I)

6th Assembly
-
82/153 MPs (Sanader II)
15 December 2007
12 January 2008		 1 July 2009
(Resigned)
6 July 2009		 2007 Sanader II HDZ-HSLS-HSS
-SDSS
9
 Jadranka Kosor
(1953–)		 3 July 2009
6 July 2009		 23 December 2011 900 days Croatian Democratic Union — Kosor HDZ-HSLS-HSS
-SDSS 		6th Assembly
-
83/153 MPs
10
 Zoran Milanović
(1966–)		 14 December 2011
23 December 2011		 22 January 2016 1491 days Social Democratic Party 2011 Milanović SDP-HNS
-IDS		 7th Assembly
-
89/151 MPs
11
 Tihomir Orešković
(1966–)		 23 December 2015
22 January 2016		 16 June 2016
(No confidence)
19 October 2016		 271 days Independent 2015 Orešković HDZ-MOST 8th Assembly
-
83/151 MPs
12
 Andrej Plenković
(1970–)		 10 October 2016
19 October 2016		 Incumbent 302 days Croatian Democratic Union 2016 Plenković HDZ-MOST
(until 28 April 2017)
-
HDZ
(from 28 April to 9 June 2017)
-
HDZ-HNS
(from 9 June 2017)		 9th Assembly
-
91/151 MPs

Statistics

# Prime Minister Age at ascension
(first term)		 Time in office
(total)		 Age at retirement
(last term)
1 Stjepan Mesić 55 years, 157 days 0 years, 86 days 55 years, 243 days
2 Josip Manolić 70 years, 155 days 0 years, 327 days 71 years, 117 days
3 Franjo Gregurić 51 years, 278 days 1 year, 26 days 52 years, 305 days
4 Hrvoje Šarinić 57 years, 177 days 0 years, 234 days 58 years, 45 days
5 Nikica Valentić 42 years, 130 days 2 years, 218 days 44 years, 348 days
6 Zlatko Mateša 46 years, 143 days 4 years, 81 days 50 years, 224 days
7 Ivica Račan 55 years, 337 days 3 years, 330 days 59 years, 302 days
8 Ivo Sanader 50 years, 198 days 5 years, 195 days 56 years, 28 days
9 Jadranka Kosor 56 years, 5 days 2 years, 170 days 58 years, 175 days
10 Zoran Milanović 45 years, 54 days 4 years, 30 days 49 years, 84 days
11 Tihomir Orešković 50 years, 21 days 0 years, 271 days 50 years, 292 days
12 Andrej Plenković 46 years, 195 days 302 days (Ongoing) Incumbent

Spouses of Prime Ministers

Name Relation to Prime Minister
Milka Mesić (née Dudunić) wife of Prime Minister Stjepan Mesić
Marija Eker Manolić wife of Prime Minister Josip Manolić
Jozefina Gregurić (née Abramović) wife of Prime Minister Franjo Gregurić
Erika Šarinić wife of Prime Minister Hrvoje Šarinić
Antonela Valentić wife of Prime Minister Nikica Valentić
Sanja Gregurić-Mateša wife of Prime Minister Zlatko Mateša
Dijana Pleština wife of Prime Minister Ivica Račan
Mirjana Sanader (née Šarić) wife of Prime Minister Ivo Sanader
Jadranka Kosor divorced before becoming Prime Minister
Sanja Musić Milanović wife of Prime Minister Zoran Milanović
Sanja Dujmović Orešković wife of Prime Minister Tihomir Orešković
Ana Maslać Plenković wife of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković

Living former Heads of government of Croatia

There are eleven living former Heads of government (3 former Presidents of the Executive Council of SR Croatia and 8 former Prime Ministers of Croatia). The last former head of government to die was Hrvoje Šarinić (1992-1993) on 21 July 2017.

Presidents of the Executive Council of the Socialist Republic of Croatia (until 1990):

Prime Ministers of the Republic of Croatia (1990–present):

Facts and records of Croatian Prime Ministers (since 30 May 1990)

Age at appointment

Age at retirement

Oldest and youngest living prime ministers

Longest and shortest lived prime ministers

Longest and shortest retirements

Age difference between incoming and outgoing officeholders

Length of service

Terms of office and number of cabinets

Size of cabinet

Number of political parties in cabinet

Female prime ministers

Other national and international offices held after retirement

Foreign-born prime ministers

Prime Ministers born in predecessor states of modern Croatia (before 1991)

Period lived before Croatian independence was declared (25 June 1991)

Service under the most heads of state

See also

Notes

^a From 1990 until the constitutional changes in November 2000 (which replaced a powerful semi-presidential system with an incomplete parliamentary system), the term of the Prime Minister began when he was appointed by the President of the Republic, and not from the point when he received a vote of confidence in Parliament.

References

  1. ↑ , Protocol and Liaison Service, United Nations.
  2. 1 2 "The Constitution of the Republic of Croatia (consolidated text)". Croatian Parliament. Retrieved 2011-02-16.
  3. ↑ "Chronology of Croatian governments" (in Croatian). Croatian Information-Documentation Referral Agency. Retrieved 2011-05-13.
  4. ↑ "Prethodne Vlade RH" [Former Governments of the Republic of Croatia] (in Croatian). Croatian Government. Retrieved 2010-12-13.
  5. ↑ Bukvić, Nenad (2012). "Izvršno vijeće Sabora Narodne Republike Hrvatske : ustroj i djelovanje (1953–1963)". Arhivski vjesnik (in Croatian). 55: 9–46.
  6. ↑ Bukvić, Nenad (2013). "Izvršno vijeće Sabora Socijalističke Republike Hrvatske: ustroj i djelovanje (1963–1974)". Arhivski vjesnik (in Croatian). 56: 50.
  7. ↑ file:///C:/Users/h.r/Downloads/HS_1995-1999_ZD_1_ocr.pdf
  8. ↑ After the changes to the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia the country moved from a semi-presidential system to a parliamentary system, making the Prime Minister the most powerful office in the country.
  9. ↑ file:///C:/Users/h.r/Downloads/Zapisnik_01_sjednice_Zastupnickog_doma_Hrvatskog_drzavnog_sabora.pdf
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