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Prime Minister of Croatia
Head of government of Croatia
Head of government of Croatia
| Field | Value | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| post | President of the Government | ||||||
| body | the Republic of Croatia | ||||||
| native_name | Predsjednik Vlade Republike Hrvatske | ||||||
| insignia | Zastava predsjednika Vlade RH.svgborder | ||||||
| insigniasize | 130px | ||||||
| insigniacaption | Flag of the president of the Croatian government | ||||||
| image | Plenković - European Council exit doorsteps (cropped).jpg | ||||||
| incumbent | Andrej Plenković | ||||||
| incumbentsince | 19 October 2016 | ||||||
| style | {{plainlist | ||||||
| *His Excellency<br /> (in international correspondence and abroad only)}}<ref>{{cite web | url | http://www.un.int/protocol/documents/Hspmfm.pdf | title=HEADS OF GOVERNMENT | access-date=16 November 2012 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927014351/http://www.un.int/protocol/documents/Hspmfm.pdf | archive-date=27 September 2012 }}, Protocol and Liaison Service, United Nations. |
| type | Head of Government | ||||||
| member_of | |||||||
| reports_to | Croatian Parliament | ||||||
| appointer | Croatian Parliament | ||||||
| nominator | President of Croatia | ||||||
| termlength | At the pleasure of the parliamentary majority. Parliamentary elections must be held no later than 60 days after the expiration of a full parliamentary term of 4 years, but an incumbent prime minister shall remain in office in a caretaker capacity until a new government is confirmed in Parliament and sworn in by its speaker. | ||||||
| inaugural | Stjepan Mesić (after adoption of constitutional Amendment LXXIII) | ||||||
| Josip Manolić (under current Constitution) | |||||||
| constituting_instrument | Constitution of Croatia | ||||||
| salary | €66 400 yearly | ||||||
| formation | 25 July 1990 (by constitutional Amendment LXXIII) | ||||||
| 22 December 1990 (under current Constitution) | |||||||
| seat | Banski Dvori, Trg sv. Marka 2, | ||||||
| Zagreb, Croatia | |||||||
| deputy | Deputy Prime Minister | ||||||
| (position held by one or more members of the government) | |||||||
| department | Government of Croatia | ||||||
| Office of the President of the Government | |||||||
| website |
- Mr. Prime Minister or President of the Government (formal)
- His Excellency (in international correspondence and abroad only) Josip Manolić (under current Constitution) 22 December 1990 (under current Constitution) Zagreb, Croatia (position held by one or more members of the government) Office of the President of the Government
The prime minister of Croatia, officially the president of the government of the Republic of Croatia (), is Croatia's head of government, and is de facto the most powerful and influential state officeholder in the Croatian system of government. Following the first-time establishment of the office in 1945, the 1990–2000 semi-presidential period is the only exception where the president of Croatia held de facto executive 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. 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. 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 / Predsjednica Vlade), rather than a literal translation of "Prime Minister" (Prvi Ministar). In Croatian, the shorter term Premijer / Premijerka (Premier) is commonly used as well.
History
Background
The Royal Government of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia (1868–1918) was headed by the Ban of Croatia (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 the most powerful public office in the state in addition to the position of the Secretary of the League of Communists of Croatia, as a single-party system was in place. The head of government was renamed to the President of the Executive Council in 1952. Notably, 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).
Transition to independence
After the constitutional amendments that allowed for multi-party elections in Croatia in 1990, the country was still a constituent republic of SFR Yugoslavia, the position of the President of the Executive Council of the Socialist Republic of Croatia was filled by Stjepan Mesić on 30 May 1990 (the 14th Executive Council).
The newly-elected Croatian Parliament enacted numerous amendments to the constitution on 25 July 1990. It eliminated socialist references and adopted new national symbols, while the Government of the Republic of Croatia was formally instituted by Amendment LXXIII.
The Constitution of Croatia was subsequently also changed significantly on 22 December 1990, as the so-called "Christmas Constitution" fundamentally defined the Republic of Croatia and its governmental structure. From this point onwards, 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.
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.
Since independence
During the period between 1990 and the next constitutional amendments in late 2000, Croatia had seven prime ministers.
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.
As of 2025 there have been 12 Prime Ministers who have chaired 16 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).
List of prime ministers
| No. | Portrait | Name | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (BirthDeath) | Election | Term of office | Party | Cabinet | Composition | President | |
| (Term) | Term start | Term end | Duration | ||||
| [[File:Mesic cropped.jpg | 85px]] | **Stjepan Mesić** | |||||
| (1934) | [1990](1990-croatian-parliamentary-election) | 30 May 1990 | 24 August 1990 | HDZ | |||
| Croatian Democratic Union | Mesić | HDZ | **Franjo | ||||
| Tuđman** | |||||||
| [[File:Flag of the President of Croatia.svg | 50px]] | ||||||
| (19901999) | |||||||
| [[File:Dan_OSRH_Josip_Manolic_28052011_2.jpg | 85px]] | **Josip Manolić** | |||||
| (19202024) | 24 August 1990 | 25 June 1991 | HDZ | ||||
| Croatian Democratic Union | Manolić | HDZ |
Croatia formally declared itself independent on 25 June 1991. After the declaration of independence, the position continued to be named the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia.
| No. | Portrait | Name | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (BirthDeath) | Election | Term of office | Party | Cabinet | Composition | President | |||||||||||||||||
| (Term) | Term start | Term end | Duration | Croatian Democratic Union}} | Croatian Democratic Union}} | Social Democratic Party of Croatia}} | Croatian Democratic Union}} | Croatian Democratic Union}} | Social Democratic Party of Croatia}} | 11 | Croatian Democratic Union}} | ||||||||||||
| [[File:Dan_OSRH_Josip_Manolic_28052011_2.jpg | 85px]] | **Josip Manolić** | |||||||||||||||||||||
| (19202024) | 25 June 1991 | 17 July 1991 | HDZ | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Croatian Democratic Union | Manolić | HDZ | **Franjo | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Tuđman** | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| [[File:Flag of the President of Croatia.svg | 50px]] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| (19901999) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| [[File:Cvjetni trg simul 20160601 DSC 5221 (cropped).jpg | 85px]] | **Franjo Gregurić** | |||||||||||||||||||||
| (1939) | 17 July 1991 | 12 August 1992 | HDZ | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Croatian Democratic Union | Gregurić | HDZSDPHSLSHNSHKDSHDSSDSHSSH | |||||||||||||||||||||
| [[File:Hrvoje Šarinić.jpg | 85px]] | **Hrvoje Šarinić** | |||||||||||||||||||||
| (19352017) | [1992](1992-croatian-parliamentary-election) | 12 August 1992 | 3 April 1993 | HDZ | |||||||||||||||||||
| Croatian Democratic Union | Šarinić | HDZ | |||||||||||||||||||||
| [[File:Dan_OSRH_Nikica_Valentic_28052011_2.jpg | 85px]] | **Nikica Valentić** | |||||||||||||||||||||
| (19502023) | 3 April 1993 | 7 November 1995 | HDZ | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Croatian Democratic Union | Valentić | From 3 April 1993 to 31 December 1994: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| HDZHSS | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| From 31 December 1994 to 7 November 1995: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| HDZ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| [[File:Zlatko Mateša 1996.jpg | 85px]] | **Zlatko Mateša** | |||||||||||||||||||||
| (1949) | [1995](1995-croatian-parliamentary-election) | 7 November 1995 | 27 January 2000 | HDZ | |||||||||||||||||||
| Croatian Democratic Union | Mateša | HDZ | |||||||||||||||||||||
| **Stjepan | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mesić** | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| [[File:Flag of the President of Croatia.svg | 50px]] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| (20002010) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| [[File:Ivica Račan EC.jpg | 85px]] | **Ivica Račan** | |||||||||||||||||||||
| (19442007) | [2000](2000-croatian-parliamentary-election) | 27 January 2000 | 23 December 2003 | SDP | |||||||||||||||||||
| Social Democratic Party | Račan I | SDPHSLSHNSHSSIDSLS | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Račan II | SDPHSSHNSLibraLS | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| [[File:Sanader cropped.jpg | 85px]] | **Ivo Sanader** | |||||||||||||||||||||
| (1953) | [2003](2003-croatian-parliamentary-election) | 23 December 2003 | 6 July 2009 | HDZ | |||||||||||||||||||
| Croatian Democratic Union | Sanader I | HDZDC | |||||||||||||||||||||
| [2007](2007-croatian-parliamentary-election) | Sanader II | HDZHSLSHSSSDSS | |||||||||||||||||||||
| [[File:Jadranka_Kosor_26052011_crop.jpg | 85px]] | **Jadranka Kosor** | |||||||||||||||||||||
| (1953) | 6 July 2009 | 23 December 2011 | HDZ | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Croatian Democratic Union | Kosor | HDZHSLSHSSSDSS | |||||||||||||||||||||
| **Ivo | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Josipović** | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| [[File:Flag of the President of Croatia.svg | 50px]] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| (20102015) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| [[File:16 obljetnica vojnoredarstvene operacije Oluja 04082011 Zoran Milanovic 38.jpg | 85px]] | **Zoran Milanović** | |||||||||||||||||||||
| (1966) | [2011](2011-croatian-parliamentary-election) | 23 December 2011 | 22 January 2016 | SDP | |||||||||||||||||||
| Social Democratic Party | Milanović | SDPHNSIDS | |||||||||||||||||||||
| **Kolinda | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grabar | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kitarović** | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| [[File:Flag of the President of Croatia.svg | 50px]] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| (20152020) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| [[File:TihomirOreskovic.jpg | 85px]] | **Tihomir Orešković** | |||||||||||||||||||||
| (1966) | [2015](2015-croatian-parliamentary-election) | 22 January 2016 | 19 October 2016 | Independent (politician)}}" | Independent | Independent (politician)}}" | Orešković | HDZMOST | |||||||||||||||
| [[File:Plenković - European Council exit doorsteps (cropped).jpg | 85px]] | **Andrej Plenković** | |||||||||||||||||||||
| (1970) | [2016](2016-croatian-parliamentary-election) | 19 October 2016 | Incumbent | HDZ | |||||||||||||||||||
| Croatian Democratic Union | Plenković I | From 19 October 2016 to 28 April 2017: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| HDZMOST | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| From 28 April to 9 June 2017: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| HDZ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| From 9 June 2017 to 23 July 2020: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| HDZHNS | **Zoran | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Milanović** | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| [[File:Flag of the President of Croatia.svg | 50px]] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| (2020present) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2020](2020-croatian-parliamentary-election) | Plenković II | HDZSDSS | |||||||||||||||||||||
| [2024](2024-croatian-parliamentary-election) | Plenković III | HDZDP |
; Notes :1. From 1990 until the constitutional changes enacted in 2000, which replaced a powerful semi-presidential system (de facto a superpresidential system) with an incomplete parliamentary system, the term of the Prime Minister legally began on the date on which he was appointed by the President of the Republic and not on the date when he received a vote of confidence in Parliament, as is the case since 2000. :2. Until 12 October 2010.
Timeline
This is a graphical lifespan timeline of prime ministers of Croatia. They are listed in order of office.
Define $width = 1000 # 4 pixels per year ($end - $start) × 4 Define $warning = 880 # $width - 120 Define $height = 400 # 12 × 25 + 150 Define $footnote = 800 # $width - 400
Define $start = 1918 # Just before eldest (Manolić) was born Define $end = Define $now =
ImageSize = width:$width height:$height PlotArea = right:10 left:1 bottom:80 top:60 Period = from:$start till:$end TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:1
Colors = id:bg value:white id:lightline value:rgb(0.8, 0.8, 0.8) id:lighttext value:rgb(0.5, 0.5, 0.5) id:LIFESPAN value:rgb(0.88, 0.90, 0.70) Legend: Lifespan id:PM_IND value:rgb(0.8, 0.8, 0.8) Legend: Independent id:PM_HDZ value:rgb(0, 0.36, 0.67) Legend: HDZ id:PM_SDP value:rgb(0.93, 0.11, 0.14) Legend: SDP id:NAME value:rgb(0.15, 0.13, 0.05) id:TODAY value:green
BackgroundColors = canvas:bg ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightline unit:year increment:1 start:$start ScaleMajor = gridcolor:lighttext unit:year increment:10 start:1920
Define $dy = -5 # shift text to button side of bar
LineData= at:$now color:TODAY width:0.1
PlotData= bar:1 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1934 till:1990 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Stjepan Mesić color:PM_HDZ from:1990 till:1990.4 color:LIFESPAN from:1990.4 till:$now
bar:2 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1920 till:1990.4 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Josip Manolić color:PM_HDZ from:1990.4 till:1991 color:LIFESPAN from:1991 till:2024
bar:3 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1939 till:1991 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Franjo Gregurić color:PM_HDZ from:1991 till:1992 color:LIFESPAN from:1992 till:$now
bar:4 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1935 till:1992 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Hrvoje Šarinić color:PM_HDZ from:1992 till:1993 color:LIFESPAN from:1993 till:2017
bar:5 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1950 till:1993 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Nikica Valentić color:PM_HDZ from:1993 till:1995 color:LIFESPAN from:1995 till:2023
bar:6 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1949 till:1995 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Zlatko Mateša color:PM_HDZ from:1995 till:2000 color:LIFESPAN from:2000 till:$now
bar:7 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1944 till:2000 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Ivica Račan color:PM_SDP from:2000 till:2003 color:LIFESPAN from:2003 till:2007
bar:8 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1953 till:2003 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Ivo Sanader color:PM_HDZ from:2003 till:2009 color:LIFESPAN from:2009 till:$now
bar:9 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1953 till:2009 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Jadranka Kosor color:PM_HDZ from:2009 till:2011 color:LIFESPAN from:2011 till:$now
bar:10 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1966 till:2011 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Zoran Milanović color:PM_SDP from:2011 till:2016 color:LIFESPAN from:2016 till:$now
bar:11 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1966 till:2016 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Tihomir Orešković color:PM_IND from:2016 till:2016.4 color:LIFESPAN from:2016.4 till:$now
bar:12 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1970 till:2016.4 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Andrej Plenković color:PM_HDZ from:2016.4 till:$now
TextData = fontsize:M textcolor:green pos:($warning,30) text:Updated /
TextData = pos:(250,$height) fontsize:L textcolor:black text:"Lifespan and terms of office of each Croatian Prime Minister"
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 |
References
References
- "HEADS OF GOVERNMENT".
- "Odluka o proglašenju Amandmana LXIV. Do LXXV. Na Ustav Socijalističke Republike Hrvatske".
- (July 25, 2024). "Prime Minister announces significant salary increases for state officials".
- "Odluka o proglašenju Amandmana LXIV. Do LXXV. Na Ustav Socijalističke Republike Hrvatske".
- "The Constitution of the Republic of Croatia (consolidated text)". [[Croatian Parliament]].
- "Odluka o proglašenju Amandmana LXIV. Do LXXV. Na Ustav Socijalističke Republike Hrvatske".
- "Chronology of Croatian governments". Croatian Information-Documentation Referral Agency.
- "Prethodne Vlade RH". [[Croatian Government]].
- "Prethodne Vlade". [[Croatian Government]].
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