Green–Left Coalition
Zeleno–lijeva koalicija
LeaderCollective leadership
Founded2017 (as the Left Bloc)
IdeologyEco-socialism
Democratic socialism
Progressivism
Green politics
Political positionLeft-wing
European affiliationEuropean Greens
Colours  Red   Green
Croatian Parliament
6 / 151
European Parliament
0 / 12
Zagreb Assembly
23 / 47

The Green–Left Coalition (Croatian: Zeleno–lijeva koalicija) is a left-wing electoral alliance in Croatia represented by six MPs. It is composed of the We Can! – Political Platform, New Left, Green Alternative – Sustainable Development of Croatia, as well some City of Zagreb localist political parties and platforms, such as Zagreb is OURS!, and For the City (Za grad) movements. It promotes democratic socialism, green politics, and progressivism on social issues.

History

The coalition was formed in 2017 for the Zagreb local elections as the Left Bloc (Croatian: Lijevi blok), where it won 4 out of 51 seats in the Zagreb local Assembly, and profiling itself as the most vocal opposition to mayor Milan Bandić and his local majority coalition with right-wing political subjects.[1][2]

All seven MPs of the Green-Left Coalition, elected at the 2020 Croatian parliamentary election.

For the 2019 European Parliament election[3][4] and upcoming July 2020 national parliamentary election in Croatia, members of the political alliance continue to collaborate. For the 2020 parliamentary election, the coalition changed its name into the current one. In the upcoming elections the coalition began rising in the polls from the start of campaign and receiving media coverage on daily basis. In June 2020 independent MP Bojan Glavašević joined the We Can! – Political Platform and the coalition parliamentary election list.[5]

Front-men of punk-rock Hladno Pivo, one of the most popular rock bands in country Mile Kekin and his wife Ivana (clinical psychologist) also joined the party list as socialists who were concerned with a lack of social policies in the established center-left SDP.[6] Kekin also authored the song that was used for the coalition promotions titled "Happy People".[7] Prominent theater maker and performer Mario Kovač also joined as the lead candidate of the list for diaspora (again through a performance action). The coalition's participation in the elections was also supported by a number of public figures, including musicians Damir Urban, Ljiljana Nikolovska and Davor Tolja,[8] journalists Vedrana Rudan, Tomislav Jakić and Viktor Ivančić, multimedia artist Slaven Tolj, as well Bosnian conceptual artist and left-wing activist Damir Nikšić. To add to this, in the last week towards the elections new public figures used video to express support like actor and activist Jane Fonda[9] or voting commitments from numerous individuals.[10] The coalition also received support from the Democratic Socialists of America, the Party of the European Left, GUE/NGL and the European Greens, as well as political organizations from neighboring countries, such as The Left from Slovenia, United Reform Action from Montenegro, Social Democratic Union and Do not let Belgrade d(r)own from Serbia. The Coalition came fifth in the election, winning around 7% of the votes, and being granted 7 parliamentary seats in the 151-seat Croatian Parliament.[11] They celebrated their results at the MSU in Zagreb.[12] During December 2020 Tomislav Tomašević of announced that Workers' Front is no longer member of coalition due the conflict with other parties.[13]

In 17 March 2023, the Green-Left Bloc parliamentary group changed its name to We can! parliamentary group, which was presented as one of the steps towards the planned future merger of the current member parties of the coalition into the We can! party.[14][15][16]

Composition

Member party Main ideology Position Croatian
Parliament		 European
Parliament		 Zagreb City
Assembly
We Can!
Zagreb is OURS!		 Social progressivism
Green municipalism		 Left-wing
4 / 151
0 / 12
19 / 47
New Left Social democracy
Democratic socialism		 Centre-left
to left-wing
1 / 151
0 / 12
3 / 47
ORaH Green politics
Social progressivism		 Centre-left
to left-wing
0 / 151
0 / 12
1 / 47

Former members

Party name[17] Abbr. Main ideology Political position Leader Member
Workers' Front RF Democratic socialism
Social progressivism		 Left-wing to far-left Collective leadership 2017–2020[18]

Electoral performance

Parliament of Croatia

Year Popular vote % of popular vote Overall seats won Seat change Government
2020 116,480 6.99%
7 / 151
 Increase 7 Opposition

Zagreb City Assembly

Year Popular vote % of popular vote Overall seats won Seat change Government
2017 24,706 7.64%
4 / 51
 Increase 4 Opposition
2021 130,850 40.83%
23 / 47
 Increase 19 Government

European Parliament

Year Popular votes % of popular votes Overall seats won Seat change Affiliation
2019 21,975 2.03%
0 / 12
 — EGP-GUE

References

  1. ↑ Lokalni izbori, 2017, zgizbori.hr, arhiva izbora
  2. ↑ "Croatian Intellectuals Unite to Oust Bandic From Zagreb". March 6, 2017.
  3. ↑ National results Croatia, 2019 European Parliament election results, europarl.europa.eu
  4. ↑ Henjak, Andrija (June 1, 2019). "Croatia: Towards Further Fragmentation of the Party System".
  5. ↑ Glavašević na listi lijevo-zelene koalicije
  6. ↑ Teleskop (2020-06-09). "Ivana Kekin je SDP opisala kao stranku s krivim imenom i prezimenom: Je li ona nagovorila supruga Milu da se "baci" u politiku?". Teleskop (in Croatian). Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  7. ↑ "Mile Kekin - Happy people (Croatian:Sretni ljudi) video for party campaign". YouTube.
  8. ↑ Katarina Peović sve popularnija, podrska stigla od Damira Urbana, Ljiljane Nikolovske, Davora Tolje, Vedrane Rudan
  9. ↑ Vijesti.hr (29 June 2020). "Jane Fonda podržala Radu Borić i Možemo!: 'Naprijed Rada! Glasajte za listu broj 3!'". Vijesti.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 2020-06-30.
  10. ↑ "Podrška Archives - Možemo! - politička platforma". Možemo! -- politička platforma (in Croatian). Retrieved 2020-07-06.
  11. ↑ "hina.hr". www.hina.hr. Retrieved 2020-07-06.
  12. ↑ "Tomašević: Ušli smo u Sabor, a nakon 20 godina maknut ćemo Bandića s vlasti". www.vecernji.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 2020-07-06.
  13. ↑ "Tomašević o raskidu s Radničkom frontom: Kapović nam je više puta postavljao ultimatum". www.vecernji.hr (in Croatian). 9 December 2020. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
  14. ↑ "Klub zastupnika Možemo! | Hrvatski sabor". Sabor.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  15. ↑ "Klub Zeleno-lijevog bloka mijenja naziv u Klub zastupnika Možemo!". Nacional.hr (in Croatian). 17 March 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  16. ↑ "Klub Zeleno-lijevog bloka mijenja naziv u Klub zastupnika Možemo". Index.hr (in Croatian). 17 March 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  17. ↑ "2017 Local elections results" (PDF). March 6, 2017.
  18. ↑ Svađa Radničke fronte i Možemo: Iz Radničke Fronte objavili svoju stranu priče, N1, 8 December 2020
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