Government and Politics of Croatia

Government Type

presidential/parliamentary democracy

Administrative Divisions

20 counties (zupanije, zupanija - singular) and 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

Legal System

based on civil law system

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)

Citizenship

Citizenship by birth: No Citizenship by descent only: At least one parent must be a citizen of Croatia Dual citizenship recognized: Yes Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Executive Branch

chief of state: President Zoran MILANOVIC (since 18 February 2020) head of government: Prime Minister Andrej PLENKOVIC (since 19 October 2016); Deputy Prime Ministers Ranko OSTOJIC, Davor BOZINOVIC, and others as appointed within the coalition cabinet cabinet: Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and approved by the Croatian Parliament (Hrvatski Sabor) elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held in January 2020 (next to be held in January 2025); the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president and then approved by the Assembly election results: Zoran MILANOVIC elected president in the second round; percent of vote - Zoran MILANOVIC (SDP) approximately 52.7%, Kolinda GRABAR-KITAROVIC (HDZ) approximately 47.3%

Legislative Branch

unicameral Parliament or Sabor (151 seats; members elected by popular vote from party lists to serve four-year terms) elections: last held on 17 April 2024 (next to be held in 2028) election results: percent of vote by party - HDZ 34.6%, SDP-led coalition 18.6%, DP 9.0%, MOST 8.4%, DP (Domovinski pokret) 9.0%, We Can! coalition 7.2%, other 22.2%; number of seats by party - HDZ 61, SDP-led coalition 42, DP 14, MOST 11, We Can! coalition 10, other 13 note: following the April 2024 elections, HDZ formed a majority coalition government with several smaller parties; Croatia has reserved seats in the Sabor for national minorities, including Serb, Hungarian, Italian, and other recognized minority communities

Judicial Branch

Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; judges for both courts appointed for eight-year terms by the Judicial Council of the Republic, which is elected by the Assembly

Political Parties

Croatian Bloc or HB [Ivic PASALIC]; Croatian Christian Democratic Union or HKDU [Anto KOVACEVIC]; Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ [Ivo SANADER]; Croatian Party of Rights or HSP [Anto DJAPIC]; Croatian Peasant Party or HSS [Josip FRISCIC]; Croatian Pensioner Party or HSU [Vladimir JORDAN]; Croatian People's Party or HNS [Vesna PUSIC] (in 2005 party merged with Libra to become Croatian People's Party-Liberal Democrats or NS-LD [Vesna PUSIC]); Croatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS [Ivan CEHOK]; Croatian True Revival Party or HIP [Miroslav TUDJMAN]; Democratic Centre or DC [Vesna SKARE-OZBOLT]; Independent Democratic Serb Party or SDSS [Vojislav STANIMIROVIC]; Istrian Democratic Assembly or IDS [Ivan JAKOVCIC]; Liberal Party or LS [Zlatko BENASIC]; Social Democratic Party of Croatia or SDP [Ivica RACAN]

Head of State

President Zoran MILANOVIC

Head of Government

Prime Minister Andrej PLENKOVIC

Cabinet

Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and approved by the parliamentary Assembly

Elections

last held on 17 April 2024 (next to be held in 2028)

Election Results

percent of vote by party - HDZ 34.6%, SDP-led coalition 18.6%, DP 9.0%, MOST 8.4%, DP (Domovinski pokret) 9.0%, We Can! coalition 7.2%, other 22.2%; number of seats by party - HDZ 61, SDP-led coalition 42, DP 14, MOST 11, We Can! coalition 10, other 13 note: following the April 2024 elections, HDZ formed a majority coalition government with several smaller parties; Croatia has reserved seats in the Sabor for national minorities, including Serb, Hungarian, Italian, and other recognized minority communities

Constitution

adopted on 22 December 1990

Independence

25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

National Holiday

Statehood Day, 25 June (1991)

International Organization Participation

BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNMOGIP, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.

chief of mission: Ambassador Neven JURICA chancery: 2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 588-5899 FAX: [1] (202) 588-8936 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

U.S. Diplomatic Representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Ralph FRANK embassy: 2 Thomas Jefferson, 10010 Zagreb mailing address: use street address telephone: [385] (1) 661-2200 FAX: [385] (1) 661-2373

Capital City

Zagreb

Location

45 48 N, 16 00 E

Time Difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

History

The name seems to be related to "digging"; archeologists suggest that the original settlement was established beyond a water-filled hole or graba and that the name derives from this; za in Slavic means "beyond"; the overall meaning may be "beyond the trench (fault, channel, ditch)"

U.S. Embassy Zagreb Ulica Thomasa Jeffersona br. 2 10010 Zagreb Telephone: 385 (1) 661-2200 Emergency After-Hours Telephone: 385 (1) 661-2400 Facsimile: 385 (1) 665-8933 E-mail: ZagrebACS@state.gov The U.S. Embassy Zagreb is located in the southern outskirts of Zagreb, near the airport.

Military Branches

Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia (Oruzane Snage Republike Hrvatske, OSRH) consists of five major commands directly subordinate to a General Staff: Ground Forces (Hrvatska Kopnena Vojska, HKoV), Naval Forces (Hrvatska Ratna Mornarica, HRM; includes coast guard), Air Force and Air Defense Command (Hrvatsko Ratno Zrakoplovstvo I Protuzracna Obrana), Joint Education and Training Command, Logistics Command; Military Police Force supports each of the three Croatian military forces

Service Age and Obligation

18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; 6-month service obligation