Croatia’s Local Elections: HDZ Triumphs, SDP Disappoints

The news in Croatian

1. ostvariti
   Realizirati nešto što je planirano ili željeno. ↩︎
2. pobjeda  (f.)
   Uspeh ili trijumf u borbi, natjecanju ili ratu. ↩︎
3. rezultat  (m.)
   Ishod neke radnje, događaja ili natjecanja. ↩︎
4. izgubiti
   Doći u stanje gdje se nešto više ne posjeduje (gubi). ↩︎
5. podrška  (f.)
   Pomoć ili potpora koju netko daje ili pruža drugome. ↩︎
6. politika  (f.)
   Znanost ili umjetnost upravljanja državom ili drugim organizacijama. ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: Who won the local election in Split?

Question 2: Which city did SDP win in the elections?

Vocabulary

Croatian	English
ostvariti	achieve
pobjeda  (f.)	victory
rezultat  (m.)	result
izgubiti	lose
podrška  (f.)	support
politika  (f.)	politics

Read the full story

The recent local elections in Croatia have demonstrated a significant victory for the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), while the Social Democratic Party (SDP) faced notable setbacks. Despite various speculations about HDZ’s potential collapse, the party not only retained control of many key regions but also expanded its influence, most notably capturing the city of Split.

Split’s victory was strategically crucial for HDZ. Their candidate, Tomislav Šuta, secured a decisive win against the incumbent, Ivica Puljak of the Centar party, which had initially raised hopes for a sustained leadership. This shift highlights Split’s historical trend of changing leadership every electoral cycle, irrespective of prior successes.

The elections have cast a shadow over the SDP, which has been labelled as the ‘total loser’ of this contest. Although national polls suggested potential gains, the reality starkly contrasted as Rijeka was lost, and general performance lagged across major cities. However, SDP did manage to capture Pula with Peđa Grbin taking the mayoral position, marking a rare but significant triumph amid widespread disappointment.

For the Domovinski Pokret (DP), the loss of Vukovar stands as their most significant defeat, reflecting deeper organisational issues and an impending internal division. This shift potentially benefits HDZ, as DP no longer holds a pivotal position to leverage at the national level.

Despite challenges, notably in Vukovar, HDZ’s comprehensive strategy and campaign efforts facilitated a wide-reaching victory that exceeded expectations, enhancing their already robust presence in Croatian politics.

In contrast to the tumultuous outcomes for SDP and DP, Marija Selak Raspudić emerges with strengthened political capital, having gained considerable support in Zagreb despite an unsuccessful bid for the mayoral position. This result positions her as a rising political figure with potential influence beyond her current affiliations.

With HDZ’s triumphant win, Croatia’s political landscape sees a reconsolidation of power in their favour, leaving opposition parties to reconsider strategies and alliances ahead of upcoming political contests.

Info: “Croatian Learner News” is a service from “Let’s Learn Croatian”, a language school dedicated to teaching the Croatian language through a variety of online courses. For those interested in learning Croatian in Croatia, we provide valuable insights and resources to help maximise the educational experience during your visit.