Liberal Party (Croatia)

The Liberal Party (Croatian Liberalna stranka, LS) is a liberal party in Croatia. The party is a member of Liberal International and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party. The LS is currently led by Zlatko Benašić.

It was formed in 1997 by Vladimir Gotovac after his faction split off from the Croatian Social Liberal Party. In 2000, the party had two representatives in the Parliament and had one minister in a coalition government with the much larger Social Democratic Party of Croatia.

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 last elections party leader Ivo Banac announced merger of LS with Croatian People's Party and LIBRA into one big liberal party, but this inititiave was opposed by faction led by Zlatko Kramarić. Banac was replaced on party convention.

After the 2005 local elections Zlatko Kramarić started merger negotiations with the Croatian Social Liberal Party. Recently it was announced that Liberal Party will formally cease to exist, with all of its membership and party infrastructure re-joining HSLS in early 2006.

See also

• Liberalism
• Contributions to liberal theory
• Liberalism worldwide
• List of liberal parties
• Liberal democracy
• Liberalism in Croatia

External link

• Liberal Party official site