Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats

{{Short description|Croatian liberal political party}} {{Infobox political party | name = Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats | native_name = {{nowrap|Hrvatska narodna stranka – Liberalni demokrati}} | logo = HNS Logo.svg | colorcode = {{Political party data|color}} | abbreviation = HNS, HNS-LD | president = Krunoslav Lukačić | founder = Savka Dabčević-Kučar | slogan = | founded = {{Start date|1990|10|13|df=y}} | headquarters = Zagreb | youth_wing = | membership_year = 2022 | membership = 31,793<ref>{{cite web|date=24 August 2022|title=Izvješće o obavljenoj financijskoj reviziji - Hrvatska narodna stranka — liberalni demokrati za 2022. |url=https://www.revizija.hr/UserDocsImages/izvjesca-novo/Revizije%20-%202023/IZVJESCA_%20O_OBAVLJENIM_REVIZIJAMA/FINANCIJSKE_REVIZIJE/POLIT_STR_NEZ_ZAS/POJEDINACNA/POLITI%C4%8CKE%20STRANKE/HRVATSKA%20NARODNA%20STRANKA%20%E2%80%93%20LIBERALNI%20DEMOKRATI.pdf|work=State Audit Office|language=hr|access-date=21 December 2023}}</ref> | ideology = Social liberalism<ref name="Close">{{cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RceHDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT431|title=Liberal Parties in Europe|chapter=The liberal party family ideology: Distinct, but diverse|editor1-last=Close|editor1-first=Caroline|editor2-last=van Haute|editor2-first=Emilie|last=Close|first=Caroline|publisher=Routledge|date=12 February 2019|page=339|isbn=9781351245487}}</ref> Pro-Europeanism<ref name="expat">{{cite web|url=https://www.expatincroatia.com/croatia-largest-political-parties/|title=Croatia's Largest Political Parties|website=Expat in Croatia|last=Gladoic|first=Andrea|date=14 June 2018|access-date=12 October 2018}}</ref> | position = Centre<ref name="expat"/> | regional = Liberal South East European Network | national = Rivers of Justice{{efn|{{ubl|class=nowrap| |Kukuriku Coalition (2010–2015) |Croatia is Growing (2015–2016) |People's Coalition (2016–2017)}}}} (2010–2017) Croatian Democratic Union (coalition since 2024) | international = | european = Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (affiliate member) | europarl = | colours = {{colorbox|{{party color|Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats}}}} Orange  | seats1_title = Sabor | seats1 = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|ms-lower-house}} | seats2_title = European Parliament | seats2 = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|EP}} | seats3_title = County Prefects | seats3 = {{Composition bar|0|21|hex={{party color|Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats}}}} | seats4_title = Mayors | seats4 = {{Composition bar|0|128|hex={{party color|Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats}}}} | symbol = | flag = | website = {{Political party data|website}} | country = Croatia }}

The '''Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats''' ({{langx|hr|Hrvatska narodna stranka – Liberalni demokrati}} or '''HNS''') is a social-liberal<ref name="Close"/> political party in Croatia.

In the 11th Sabor, since 2024, a single HNS representative forms a parliamentary club together with two independent representatives.<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.sabor.hr/hr/zastupnici/klubovi-zastupnika/klub-zastupnika-hrvatske-narodne-stranke-i-nezavisnih-zastupnika-11 | title = Klub zastupnika Hrvatske narodne stranke i nezavisnih zastupnika | publisher = Croatian Parliament | access-date = 2024-12-07 }}</ref> HNS is an affiliate member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party.<ref>{{cite web |title=ALDE Member Parties |url=https://www.aldeparty.eu/alde_member_parties |website=aldeparty.eu |publisher=ALDE |access-date=29 June 2024}}</ref>

==Origins== The People's Party in Croatia was originally formed in 1841, during the period of Croatian romantic nationalism. The Croatian People's Party describes the events of the Illyrian movement since 1835 as its history.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.hns.hr/index.php/dokumenti/povijest-hns-a/povijest-21-stoljece-3?start=12 | title = Povijest - 19 stoljeće |trans-title=History - 19th century | work = hns.hr | publisher = Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats | language = hr | access-date = 2015-01-04 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150104023232/http://www.hns.hr/index.php/dokumenti/povijest-hns-a/povijest-21-stoljece-3?start=12 | archive-date = 2015-01-04 }}</ref>{{clarify|date=September 2014}}. After 1861 the People's Party was known as the People's Liberal Party, its main splinter party was the Independent People's Party (1880–1903) which became more pro-autonomist, while the "old" People's Party developed into "party of the Settlement" having collaborated with the pro-Hungarian Unionist Party (known as the People's Constitutional Party). The Progressive Party (1904–1906) and the Croatian People's Progressive Party (1906–1910) were also liberal parties in the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia as an autonomous part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

In 1860, the national liberals formed in the Dalmatia (Austrian part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) the National party known also as the People's Party in Dalmatia. The party developed into a conservative party around 1889 (the National Croatian Party).

In the first Yugoslavia (1918–1941), main liberal party was the Independent Democratic Party composed by the Serbs from former Austro-Hungarian parts of the new state and Slovene centralist liberals.

During Communism in the second Yugoslavia (the Socialist Republic of Croatia, SRH), the liberal leaders of the League of Communists of Croatia were Savka Dabčević-Kučar and Miko Tripalo, who participated in the Croatian Spring of 1971.

==Modern party== The modern Croatian People's Party was formed in late 1990 by members of the Coalition of People's Accord ({{langx|hr|Koalicija narodnog sporazuma}}) which had participated on the first multi-party election of 1990, led by Savka Dabčević-Kučar, Miko Tripalo, Dragutin Haramija and others.

The HNS remained a small opposition party. In the 1992 election they won 6.7% of the vote and attained 6 seats in the Croatian Parliament. In 1994, construction entrepreneur Radimir Čačić became party chairman. In the 1995 election they won 2 seats as part of an election alliance.

In the January 2000 election, they formed a four-party coalition with HSS, LS and IDS, which together won 25 seats in the Parliament, two of whom were HNS representatives. As a result, the party participated in the 2000–2003 government of Ivica Račan through the minister of public works, construction and reconstruction Radimir Čačić. A few weeks later, the coalition's candidate and HNS member Stjepan Mesić was elected President of the Republic.

Also in 2000, HNS elected a new party chair, Zagreb University professor of sociology of politics Vesna Pusić.

In the November 2003 elections, their alliance with the Alliance of Primorje-Gorski Kotar and the Slavonia-Baranja Croatian Party won 8% of the vote and 11 out of 151 seats, 10 of them HNS representatives. However, despite significantly improved results, the party moved to the opposition.

A second element of today's People's Party, the Party of Liberal Democrats or Libra, originated in time of the Račan government when in 2002 Dražen Budiša, the leader of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), pulled out of the coalition. Ten members of parliament from Budiša's party, led by Jozo Radoš, refused to bring down the government and instead split from the HSLS, forming Libra, the Party of Liberal Democrats. That party won 3 seats in the 2003 election. On 6 February 2005, most of the 1,250 representatives of HNS on its seventh convention voted to merge with Libra as the ''Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats''. The total number of parliamentary seats for the party increased to 13.

In the November 2007 elections, the party ran on its own and got around 7% of the vote and 7 seats in the Croatian Sabor. It remained in the opposition. In April 2008 Radimir Čačić was elected as party chair after defeating Dragutin Lesar (MP). Lesar left the party, first acting as an independent MP, but then founded a splinter party, Croatian Laburists in March 2010. Zlatko Horvat MP left the party as well.

In the 2011 elections, HNS participated in centre-left ''Kukuriku coalition'' spearheaded by SDP. After the coalition won, HNS entered the cabinet and held posts of foreign relations, commerce, culture etc. Čačić was reelected as a party chairman again in March 2012. After he was sentenced to a prison term due to a traffic accident in which two people died, he resigned from the cabinet and was forced to leave the party. Vesna Pusić was elected as party president in 2013. On 21 September 2014 about 200 members from HNS Zagreb and Varaždin branches each left the party in order to form liberal and centrist People's Party - Reformists under Radimir Čačić's leadership.

HNS held the same alliance in the parliamentary elections of 2015 and 2016 as a part of SDP-led ''People's coalition'', switching to opposition. After the party chairman Ivan Vrdoljak and the party's general board decided to enter the government with centre-right Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and support Andrej Plenkovic's cabinet in the parliament (overriding the opposition of party's presidency), in June 2017, four MPs and the only MEP (Jozo Radoš) left the party to create left of the centre Civic Liberal Alliance. This splinter also resulted in numerous party members and branch leaders leaving the party, either to join Civic Liberal Alliance or other parties. In October 2018, MP Marija Puh left the party fraction in the parliament to join Milan Bandic's party, reducing the fraction further down to just four MPs.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.24sata.hr/news/bivsa-hns-ovka-prelazi-mikiju-sad-ce-imati-cak-10-zastupnika-595402|title=Bivša HNS-ovka prelazi Mikiju, sad će imati čak 10 zastupnika|access-date=2018-10-18|language=hr}}</ref>

In the run-up to the 2024 Croatian parliamentary election, HNS-LD decided to run together with HDZ, nominating a total of 4 candidates in 4 electoral units.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://varazdinski.net.hr/vijesti/parlamentarni-izbori-2024/1324949/hns-na-izbore-ide-s-hdz-om-u-tockastoj-koaliciji-evo-kandidata/ | language = hr | title = HNS na izbore ide s HDZ-om u točkastoj koaliciji, evo kandidata | publisher = Varazdinski.hr | date = 24 March 2024 }}</ref>

==Chairpersons of the party== {| |- !# !Name !In office |- |'''1''' |Savka Dabčević-Kučar |1990–1995 |- |'''2''' |Radimir Čačić |1995–2000 |- |'''3''' |Vesna Pusić |2000–2008 |- |'''4''' |Radimir Čačić |2008–2013 |- |'''5''' |Vesna Pusić |2013–2016 |- |'''6''' |Ivan Vrdoljak |2016–2017 |- |— |''Predrag Štromar'' |2017 (Acting) |- |'''7''' |Ivan Vrdoljak |2017–2020 |- |'''8''' |Predrag Štromar |2020 |- |'''9''' |Stjepan Čuraj<ref name="Stjepan Čuraj">{{cite news |url=https://www.hns.hr/sredisnjica/hns-ovke-i-hns-ovci-su-odlucili-novi-predsjednik-hns-a-je-stjepan-curaj/ |title=HNS-ovke i HNS-ovci su odlučili. Novi predsjednik HNS-a je Stjepan Čuraj! |website=hns.hr |date=12 December 2020 |access-date=17 December 2020 |language=hr |archive-date=27 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127195958/https://www.hns.hr/sredisnjica/hns-ovke-i-hns-ovci-su-odlucili-novi-predsjednik-hns-a-je-stjepan-curaj/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> |2020–2022 |- |— |''Mirko Korotaj'' |2022–2024 (Acting) |- |'''10''' |Krunoslav Lukačić<ref>{{cite web |title=HNS elect new party leader at Congress |url=https://www.aldeparty.eu/hns_elect_new_party_leader_at_congress |website=aldeparty.eu |publisher=ALDE Party |access-date=3 November 2024}}</ref> |2024–present |}

==Election results==

===Legislative=== The following is a summary of the party's results in legislative elections for the Croatian parliament. The "Total votes" and "Percentage" columns include sums of votes won by pre-election coalitions HNS had been part of. After preferential votes were added to the electoral system, the votes column also includes the statistic of the total number of such votes received by candidates of HNS on coalition lists. The "Total seats" column includes sums of seats won by HNS in election constituencies plus representatives of ethnic minorities affiliated with HNS.

{| class="wikitable" |- ! rowspan=2 | Election ! rowspan=2 | In coalition with ! Votes won ! Percentage !! Seats won ! Change ! rowspan=2|Government |- ! colspan=2 | {{small|(Coalition totals)}} !! colspan=2 | {{small|(HNS only)}} |- ! 1992 | ''None'' | align=right|176,214 | align=right|6.67 | {{Composition bar|6|138|{{party color|Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats}}}} | align=center| New | {{no2|Opposition}} |- ! 1995 | HSS–IDS–HKDU–SBHS | align=right|441,390 | align=right|18.26 | {{Composition bar|2|127|{{party color|Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats}}}} | align=center| {{decrease}} 4 | {{no2|Opposition}} |- ! 2000 | HSS–IDS–LS–ASH | align=right|432,527 | align=right|14.70 | {{Composition bar|2|151|{{party color|Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats}}}} | align=center| {{steady}} 0 | {{yes2|Government}} |- ! 2003 | PGS–SBHS | align=right|198,781 | align=right|8.00 | {{Composition bar|10|151|{{party color|Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats}}}} | align=center| {{increase}} 8 | {{no2|Opposition}} |- ! 2007 | ''None'' | align=right|168,440 | align=right|6.80 | {{Composition bar|7|153|{{party color|Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats}}}} | align=center| {{decrease}} 3 | {{no2|Opposition}} |- ! 2011 | SDP–IDS–HSU | align=right|958,312 | align=right|40.00 | {{Composition bar|14|151| {{party color|Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats}}}} | align=center| {{increase}} 7 | {{yes2|Government}} |- ! 2015 | SDP–HSU–HL–AHSS–ZS | align=right| 744,507 (84,002<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.jutarnji.hr/hsls-ovi-kandidati-dobili-manje-glasova-nego-sto-imaju-clanova--ovo-pokazuje-koliko-su-jake-male-stranke---rejting-hns-a-je-5-59--a-hss-a-1-48-posto-/1456874/ | language = hr | newspaper = Jutarnji list | title = Preferencijalni glasovi | author = Suzana Barilar | date = 13 November 2015 }}</ref>) | align=right| 32.31 | {{Composition bar|9|151| {{party color|Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats}}}} | align=center| {{decrease}} 5 | {{no2|Opposition}} |- !rowspan=2|2016 |rowspan=2|SDP–HSU–HSS |rowspan=2 align=right|636,960<ref>[http://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/uzivo-rezultati-izbora-potop-sdpa-hdz-ima-9-mandata-vise-most-14-a-zivi-zid-8-mandata/918792.aspx "Uživo-rezultati izbora"], index.hr, 12.9.2016.</ref> (84,581)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://faktograf.hr/2016/09/16/matija-posavec-hns-glasovi/|title=Posavec: Za HNS je glasalo 127 tisuća ljudi, zaradili smo 11 mandata|work=Faktograf|date=16 September 2016}}</ref> |rowspan=2 align=right|33.47 |rowspan=2|{{Composition bar|9|151|{{party color|Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats}}}} |rowspan=2 align=center|{{steady}} 0 |{{no2|Opposition (2016–17)}} |- |{{yes2|Government (2017–20)}} |- !2020 |''None'' | align=right| 21,725 | align=right| 1.30 |{{Composition bar|1|151|{{party color|Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats}}}} | align=center| {{decrease}} 8 | {{partial|Government support}} |- ! 2024 | align="left" | HDZ–HSLS–HDS–HSU | align=right|729,949 (3,974) | align=right|34.44 | {{Composition bar|1|151|{{party color|Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats}}}} | align=center|{{steady}} 0 | {{partial|Government support}} |}

===European Parliament=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan=2 | Election ! rowspan=2 | List leader ! rowspan=2 | Coalition ! Votes ! % ! Seats ! +/– ! rowspan=2 | EP Group |- ! colspan=2 | {{small|Coalition}} ! colspan=2 | {{small|HNS}} |- ! 2013 | Tonino Picula | SDP–HSU | 237,778 | 32.07 (#2) | {{Composition bar|0|12|{{party color|Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats}}}} | New | – |- ! 2014 | Neven Mimica | SDP–HSU-IDS-SDSS | 275,904 | 29.93 (#2) | {{Composition bar|1|11|{{party color|Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats}}}} | {{increase}} 1 | ALDE |- ! 2019 | Matija Posavec | ''None'' | 27,958 | 2.60 (#9) | {{Composition bar|0|12|{{party color|Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats}}}} | {{decrease}} 1 | rowspan=2 | – |- ! 2024 | Valter Flego | Fair Play List 9{{efn|Including also IDS, NPS, SDSS, HSLS, NS-R, SD, D, PGS and RI.}} | 41,710 | 5.54 (#5) | {{Composition bar|0|12|{{party color|Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats}}}} | {{steady}} 0 |} {{Notelist}}

===Presidential=== The following is a list of presidential candidates who were endorsed by HNS in elections for President of Croatia.

{| class="wikitable" !width="120" rowspan="2"|Election !width="180" rowspan="2" colspan=2|Candidate !width="200" colspan=2|First round result !width="200" colspan=2|Second round result |- !width="100"|Votes !Rank !width="100"|Votes !Result |- ! 1992 {{small|(Aug)}} |style="background-color: {{party color|Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats}}" width="2px"| |Savka Dabčević-Kučar (HNS) |align=right| 6.0% |align=center|Third |colspan=2 align=center|— |-align=left ! 1997 {{small|(Jun)}} |style="background-color: {{party color|Croatian Social Liberal Party}}" width="2px"| |Vlado Gotovac (HSLS) |align=right| 17.6% |align=center|Third |colspan=2 align=center|— |-align=left ! 2000 {{small|(Jan–Feb)}} |style="background-color: {{party color|Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats}}" width="2px"| |Stjepan Mesić (HNS) |align=right| 41.1% |align=center|First |align=right|56.0% |{{Won}} |-align=left ! 2005 {{small|(Jan)}} |style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}" width="2px"| |Stjepan Mesić (Ind.) |align=right| 48.9% |align=center|First |align=right|65.9% |{{Won}} |-align=left ! 2009–10 {{small|(Dec–Jan)}} |style="background-color:{{party color|Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats}}" width="2px"| |Vesna Pusić (HNS) |align=right| 7.3% |align=center|Fifth |colspan=2 align=center|— |-align=left !2014–15 {{small|(Dec–Jan)}} |style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}" width="2px"| |Ivo Josipović (Ind.) |align=right|38.5% |align=center|First |align=right|49.3% |{{Lost}} |-align=left ! 2019–20 {{small|(Dec–Jan)}} |style="background-color: {{party color|Croatian Democratic Union}}" width="2px"| |Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović (HDZ) |align=right|26.7% |{{partial|Runner-up}} |align=right|47.3% |{{Lost}} |-align=left !2024–25 {{small|(Dec–Jan)}} |style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}" width="2px"| |Dragan Primorac (Ind.) |align=right|15.6% |{{partial|Runner-up}} |align=right|25.3% |{{Lost}} |- |}

==References== {{More citations needed|date = March 2010}} {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{Official website}} {{in lang|hr}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats}} Category:Political parties established in 1990 Category:1990 establishments in Croatia Category:Liberal parties in Croatia Category:Centrist parties in Croatia Category:Social liberal parties Category:Pro-European political parties in Croatia Category:Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party member parties Category:Organizations based in Zagreb