DistantNews
Support us
SDP Targets New Emigrants with Diaspora List, Reversing Past Stance
๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท Croatia /Elections & Politics

SDP Targets New Emigrants with Diaspora List, Reversing Past Stance

From Veฤernji List · () Croatian

Translated from Croatian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • The Croatian Social Democratic Party (SDP) will field its own list for the diaspora in the upcoming parliamentary elections, targeting new emigrants in Western Europe.
  • This move marks a significant shift from the party's stance in 2010 when, under Zoran Milanoviฤ‡'s leadership, it pushed for stricter voting rules for Croatians abroad, limiting their influence.
  • The SDP's current strategy aims to win votes from tens of thousands of Croatians who have recently left the country for jobs in Germany, Ireland, and Austria, a demographic previously not targeted.

The Croatian Social Democratic Party (SDP) has announced a surprising electoral strategy: it will contest the upcoming parliamentary elections with its own list in the 11th electoral district, specifically targeting the Croatian diaspora. This decision, originating from the party's headquarters on Ibler Square, signals a significant departure from its past policies and raises questions about what has changed within the SDP or the diaspora itself.

If the SDP list for the diaspora is not an election deception, let them abolish the rules that I myself crafted in 2010 โ€“ and admit that Milanoviฤ‡ made a mistake.

โ€” AuthorThe author reflects on the irony of the SDP's current electoral strategy.

Historically, the SDP, particularly under the leadership of Zoran Milanoviฤ‡, has been critical of the voting rights of Croatians living abroad. In 2010, during negotiations for Croatia's EU accession, Milanoviฤ‡ leveraged the need for SDP's support for constitutional changes to push for a radical alteration of the electoral rules for the diaspora. This included reducing the number of diaspora representatives in parliament to a fixed quota of three and restricting voting to diplomatic missions, making it difficult for many to cast their ballots.

Milanoviฤ‡ had previously expressed his views clearly, stating in a 2007 interview that he would advocate for revoking the diaspora's voting rights, arguing that Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, who have lived there for centuries, should vote in their country of residence, not in Croatia. The 2010 changes effectively limited the political influence of the diaspora, regardless of the number of Croatian citizens living abroad or their turnout.

Croats live in Bosnia and Herzegovina for more than a thousand years. They are not emigrants and should not vote. They live in BiH and should vote there for representative and supreme bodies, not in Croatia.

โ€” Zoran Milanoviฤ‡Milanoviฤ‡'s statement from a 2007 interview, outlining his past views on diaspora voting rights.

Now, the SDP's decision to actively court the votes of new emigrants, tens of thousands who have recently relocated to countries like Germany, Ireland, and Austria, appears to contradict its previous efforts to curb the diaspora's electoral power. This strategic pivot suggests a re-evaluation of the party's electoral base and a recognition of the potential influence of this newly formed emigrant community.

which we will all be able to live with for the next few decades.

โ€” Zoran Milanoviฤ‡Milanoviฤ‡'s comment after the 2010 electoral rule changes were agreed upon.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Veฤernji List in Croatian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog