View source for Liberal Party (Croatia)

{{Short description|Defunct Croatian political party}}
{{Infobox political party
|name               = Liberal Party
|native_name        = Liberalna stranka
|logo               = LS Logo.svg
|colorcode          = {{party color|Liberal Party (Croatia)}}
|founder            = [[Vlado Gotovac]]
|leader1_title      = 
|leader1_name       = 
|leader2_title      = 
|leader2_name       = 
|founded            = {{Start date|1998|1|24|df=y}}
|dissolved          = {{End date|2006|4|27|df=y}}
|split              = [[Croatian Social Liberal Party]] 
|merged             = Croatian Social Liberal Party 
|ideology           = [[Social liberalism]]
|position           = 
|international      = [[Liberal International]]
|european           = [[European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party]]
|europarl           = 
|colours            = {{colorbox|#FEDE00}} [[Yellow (colour)|Yellow]]<br>{{colorbox|{{party color|Liberal Party (Croatia)}}}} [[Blue (colour)|Blue]]
|symbol             = 
|country            = Croatia
|footnotes          =
}}

The '''Liberal Party''' ({{langx|hr|Liberalna stranka}} or '''LS''') was a [[Croatia]]n [[social-liberal]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Nordsieck|first=Wolfram|date=2003|title=Croatia|url=http://www.parties-and-elections.de/croatia.html|website=Parties and Elections in Europe|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050913012000/http://www.parties-and-elections.de/croatia.html|archivedate=13 September 2005|url-status=unfit}}</ref> [[list of political parties in Croatia|political party]] active between January 1998 and April 2006.<ref name="hidra-profil"/> During its existence the party ran in two general elections (in 2000 and 2003) and in each election won two seats in the 151-seat [[Croatian parliament|Sabor]]. LS was a member of [[Liberal International]] and the [[European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party]]. Its last leader was Zlatko Benašić.

The party was formed in January 1998 following a party split in November 1997 when a faction led by [[Vlado Gotovac]], then chairman of [[Croatian Social Liberal Party]] (HSLS), left the party because of internal power struggles which resulted in former chairman [[Dražen Budiša]] taking back control of the party.<ref name="slobodna">{{cite news|url=http://www.slobodnadalmacija.com/Hrvatska/tabid/66/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/88158/Default.aspx|title=HDZ nastao, a HSLS skoro nestao u raskolu|last1=Marjanović|first1=Vedran|last2=Luetić|first2=Tomislav|date=18 January 2010|work=[[Slobodna Dalmacija]]|language=Croatian|accessdate=22 October 2011|archive-date=30 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330090528/http://www.slobodnadalmacija.com/Hrvatska/tabid/66/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/88158/Default.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> Gotovac was joined by other prominent liberals such as [[Osijek]] mayor [[Zlatko Kramarić]] and historian [[Ivo Banac]].

In 2000, the party had two representatives in the [[Croatian Parliament|Parliament]] and had one minister in a coalition government with the much larger [[Social Democratic Party of Croatia]]. In 2002 another HSLS faction split from the party after party leader Dražen Budiša announced pulling out of the ruling coalition. They formed [[Party of Liberal Democrats]] (LIBRA), and its members participated in the [[Cabinet of Ivica Račan II]].

LS confirmed their two representatives in the Parliament in the 2003 elections, in an alliance with the social democrats, but became part of the opposition.

After the 2003 election, party leader [[Ivo Banac]] announced the merger of LS with the [[Croatian People's Party (1990)|Croatian People's Party]] and [[Party of Liberal Democrats|LIBRA]] into one big liberal party, but this initiative was opposed by a faction led by [[Zlatko Kramarić]]. Banac was replaced at the party convention.

After the 2005 local elections Zlatko Kramarić started merger negotiations with the [[Croatian Social Liberal Party]] (HSLS). That prompted a group of dissidents in [[Split (city)|Split]] to form a new party called [[Dalmatian Liberal Party]].

Liberal Party formally ceased to exist with all of its membership and party infrastructure re-joining HSLS in April 2006.<ref name="hidra-profil">{{cite web|url=http://www.hidra.hr/politicke_stranke/imenik_stranaka_registriranih_u_rh_od_1990_godine/%28iframesrc%29/aHR0cDovL2hpZHJhLnNyY2UuaHIvd2VicGFjLWhpZHJhLXRoczIvP3JtPXJlc3VsdHMmYW1wO3Nob3dfZnVsbD0xJmFtcDtmPUlEdGhzJmFtcDt2PTAzMjg2MA==|title=Liberalna stranka|date=18 October 2011|publisher=HIDRA|language=Croatian|accessdate=24 October 2011}}</ref> In the meantime, LIBRA (Party of Liberal Democrats) merged with [[Croatian People's Party (1990)|Croatian People's Party]] (HNS) in February 2005.

==Presidents==
*[[Vlado Gotovac]] (1998–2000)
*[[Božo Kovačević (politician)|Božo Kovačević]] (acting) (2000)
*[[Zlatko Kramarić]] (2000–2003)
*[[Ivo Banac]] (2003–2004)
*Zlatko Benašić (2004–2006)

==Election history==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Election
!In coalition with 
!Votes won
<small>(coalition totals)</small>
!Percentage
!Seats won
<small>(LS only)</small>
!Change
!Government
|-
|'''[[2000 Croatian parliamentary election|2000]]'''
|[[Croatian Peasant Party|HSS]]-[[Istrian Democratic Assembly|IDS]]-[[Croatian People's Party (1990)|HNS]]-[[Social Democratic Action of Croatia|ASH]]
|432,527
|14.70%
|{{Composition bar|2|151|{{party color|Liberal Party (Croatia)}}}}
|{{Increase}}2
|{{yes2|Government}}
|-
|'''[[2003 Croatian parliamentary election|2003]]'''
|[[Social Democratic Party of Croatia|SDP]]-[[Istrian Democratic Assembly|IDS]]-[[Party of Liberal Democrats|LIBRA]]
|560,593
|22.60%
|{{Composition bar|2|151|{{party color|Liberal Party (Croatia)}}}}
|{{Steady}}
|{{no2|Opposition}}
|}

==See also==
*[[Liberalism in Croatia]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Liberal parties in Croatia]]
[[Category:Social liberal parties]]
[[Category:Defunct political parties in Croatia]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1998]]
[[Category:Political parties disestablished in 2006]]
[[Category:2006 disestablishments in Croatia]]
[[Category:1998 establishments in Croatia]]