Croatian Growth

Croatian Growth

Hrast-Movement for Successful Croatia
Croatian Growth Hrast-Movement for Successful Croatia
President	Ladislav Ilčić
Founded	23 November 2012
Dissolved	2 October 2021
Merged into	Croatian Souverainists
Headquarters	Zagreb, Croatia
Ideology	Christian right; National conservatism; Social conservatism; Political Catholicism
Political position	Right-wing
National affiliation	Croatian Sovereignists; (2019–)
European affiliation	European Christian Political Movement
Colours	Light blue
Sabor	0 / 151
European Parliament	0 / 12
Website
	h-rast.hr
	Politics of Croatia; Political parties; Elections;

Croatian Growth (Croatian: Hrvatski rast, acronym Hrast is a Croatian word for Oak tree) or Hrast-Movement for Successful Croatia was a political party in Croatia established in 2012. Its founding was initiated by several conservative Catholic NGOs, Croatian section of Radio Maria, Croatian Republican Union, Family Party, Christian Democrat politician Ante Ledić, author Hrvoje Hitrec and two candidates in 2010 Presidential elections in Croatia, historian Josip Jurčević and Miroslav Tuđman, son of first Croatian president Franjo Tuđman.^[3] The party maintains contacts with European Christian Political Movement.^[4]

In the 2013 European Parliament election, Croatian Growth received 2,55% of votes, which was not enough to gain a seat.

The party participated in the Patriotic Coalition at the 2015 Croatian parliamentary election. In that election, it became possible for candidates to receive preferential votes, and the candidates of Hrast won a total of 8,800 (out of a coalition total of 771,070).^[5]

Ladislav Ilčić served as MP until new 2016 Croatian parliamentary election when he was replaced by Hrvoje Zekanović, party's vicepresident.

Since April 2018 HRAST is no longer part of the ruling HDZ coalition because of disagreement over the ratification of the Istanbul Convention.

In July 2018 HRAST signed a political cooperation pact with Croatian Conservative Party. In February 2019 they launched political platform called Croatian Sovereignists together with several NGOs and prominent intellectuals for the upcoming 2019 European Parliament election.

On October 2, 2021, a unification assembly was held in Croatia's capital Zagreb. During the assembly it was announced, that three smaller conservative and right-wing parties (Croatian Conservative Party, Croatian Growth - Movement for Successful Croatia and the Generation of Renewal) will become defunct to merge and work together as the Croatian Sovereignists.^[6]^[7]

Election history[edit]

Election	In coalition with	Popular vote (coalition totals)	% of overall vote	Seats won	Change	Government
2015 (November)	Patriotic Coalition	746,626	33.36% (#1)	1 / 151	1	Government
2016 (September)	HDZ-HSLS-HDS	682,687	36.27% (#1)	1 / 151		Government 2016–2018
2016 (September)	HDZ-HSLS-HDS	682,687	36.27% (#1)	1 / 151		Opposition 2018–2020
2020 (July)	DPMŠ	181,492	10.89% (#3)	1 / 151		Opposition

Election year	In coalition with	# of total votes	% of overall vote	# of seats won
2019	HKS–HSP AS–UHD	91,546	8.52% (#3)	1 / 12

^ "Ladislav Ilčić". Archived from the original on April 8, 2014. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
^ ^a ^b Nordsieck, Wolfram (2015). "Croatia". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 20 August 2016.
^ Arhiva - stari hrsvijet.net 2. "HRsvijet.net". HRsvijet.net. Retrieved 2016-05-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ "Ladislav Ilčić on the European elections and the situation in Croatia | ECPM". Ecpm.info. Archived from the original on 2016-03-23. Retrieved 2016-05-21.
^ Suzana Barilar (13 November 2015). "Preferencijalni glasovi". Jutarnji list (in Croatian).
^ "Ujediniteljski sabor Hrvatskih suverenista". suverenisti.hr (in Croatian). 2 October 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
^ "Hrvatskim suverenistima pridružile se još tri desne stranke: 'Ovo je gruda koja će se pretvoriti u lavinu'". tportal.hr (in Croatian). 2 October 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2021.