
Croatia Government
Croatia Government: A summary of information about Croatia Government, from government research data as well as independent research and other sources.
Croatia: Government
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Croatia conventional short form: Croatia local long form: Republika Hrvatska local short form: Hrvatska
Data code
HR
Government type
presidential/parliamentary democracy
Capital
Zagreb
Administrative divisions
20 counties (zupanije, zupanija - singular), 1 city (grad -singular)*: Bjelovarsko-Bilogorska Zupanija, Brodsko-Posavska Zupanija, Dubrovacko-Neretvanska Zupanija, Istarska Zupanija, Karlovacka Zupanija, Koprivnicko-Krizevacka Zupanija, Krapinsko-Zagorska Zupanija, Licko-Senjska Zupanija, Medimurska Zupanija, Osjecko-Baranjska Zupanija, Pozesko-Slavonska Zupanija, Primorsko-Goranska Zupanija, Sibensko-Kninska Zupanija, Sisacko-Moslavacka Zupanija, Splitsko-Dalmatinska Zupanija, Varazdinska Zupanija, Viroviticko-Podravska Zupanija, Vukovarsko-Srijemska Zupanija, Zadarska Zupanija, Zagreb*, Zagrebacka Zupanija
Independence
25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)
National holiday
Statehood Day, 30 May (1990)
Constitution
adopted on 22 December 1990
Legal system
based on civil law system
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)
Executive branch
chief of state: President Stjepan (Stipe) MESIC (since 18 February 2000) head of government: Prime Minister Ivica RACAN (since 27 January 2000); Deputy Prime Ministers Goran GRANIC (since NA February 2000), Zeljka ANTUNOVIC (since NA February 2000), Slavko LINIC (since NA February 2000) cabinet: Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and approved by the president and the House of Representatives elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 7 February 2000 (next to be held NA 2005); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Stjepan MESIC elected president; percent of vote - Stjepan MESIC (HNS) 56%, Drazen BUDISA (HSLS) 44% note: government coalition - SDP, HSLS, HSS, LP, HNS, IDS
Legislative branch
bicameral Assembly or Sabor consists of the House of Counties or Zupanijski Dom (68 seats - 63 directly elected by popular vote, 5 appointed by the president; members serve four-year terms) and House of Representatives or the Zastupnicki Dom (151 seats, members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: House of Counties - last held 13 April 1997 (next to be held NA 2001); House of Representatives - last held 2-3 January 2000 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: House of Counties - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - HDZ 42, HDZ/HSS 11, HSS 2, IDS 2, SDP/PGS/HNS 2, SDP/HNS 2, HSLS/HSS/HNS 1, HSLS 1; note - in some districts certain parties ran as coalitions, while in others they ran alone; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - HDZ 46, SDP 44, HSLS 24, HSS 17, HSP/HKDU 5, IDS 4, HNS 2, independents 4, others 5
Judicial branch
Supreme Court, judges appointed for eight-year terms by the Judicial Council of the Republic, which is elected by the House of Representatives; Constitutional Court, judges appointed for eight-year terms by the Judicial Council of the Republic, which is elected by the House of Representatives
Political parties and leaders
Action of the Social Democrats of Croatia or ASH ; Alliance of Croatian Coast and Mountains Department or PGS ; Croatian Christian Democratic Union or HKDU ; Croatian Democratic Independents or HND ; Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ ; Croatian Party of Rights or HSP ; Croatian Party of Rights 1861 or HSP 1861 ; Croatian Peasant Party or HSS [Zlatko TOMCIC]; Croatian People's Party or HNS ; Croatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS ; Independent Democratic Serb Party or SDSS ; Istrian Democratic Assembly or IDS ; Liberal Party or LP ; Party of Democratic Action or SDA ; Primorje Gorski Kotar Alliance ; Serbian National Party or SNS ; Slanvonsko-Baranja Croatian Party or SBHS ; Social Democratic Party of Croatia or SDP
Note
the Social Democratic Party or SDP and the Croatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS formed a coalition as did the HSS, HNS, LP, and IDS, which together defeated the Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ in the 2000 lower house parliamentary election
Political pressure groups and leaders
NA
International organization participation
BIS, CCC, CE, CEI, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Miomir ZUZUL chancery: 2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 588-5899 FAX: (202) 588-8936 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador William D. MONTGOMERY embassy: Andrije Hebranga 2, Zagreb mailing address: use street address telephone: (1) 455-55-00 FAX: (1) 455-85-85
Flag description
red, white, and blue horizontal bands with Croatian coat of arms (red and white checkered)