Government of Croatia - Government History

Government History

Ban's Council (Croatian: Bansko Vijeće) of 1848–1850 was the first executive council established in Croatia. It acted as an administrative body governing Croatia within the Austrian Empire as a government. Following the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 and the subsequent Croatian–Hungarian Settlement of 1868, the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia was established, along with the Government of the Land (Croatian: Zemaljska Vlada) headed by a crown-appointed ban. The establishment was carried out during the administration of Ban Levin Rauch. This government form continued until the breakup of Austria-Hungary and creation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918. In total, 15 Bans acted as heads of the government in this period. The Cvetković–Maček Agreement was made in 1939; it established the Banovina of Croatia and appointed Ivan Šubašić as ban to head the Croatian government. Still, an effective government was not formed before the onset of World War II. In June 1943, the National Anti-Fascist Council of the People's Liberation of Croatia established an 11-member executive board to act as the new government of Croatia. Communist-ruled Croatia, a part of Yugoslavia, maintained its own government (of limited powers, excluding defence and foreign relations). The government was appointed by and responsible to the Sabor. During the Communist era, there were 14 governments of Croatia. The official name of the government was the Executive Council of the Sabor (Croatian: Izvršno vijeće Sabora). Following the parliamentary elections and the adoption of the present Constitution of Croatia in 1990, the present form of government was begun. On 30 May 1990, Stjepan Mesić became the first person to hold the title of Prime Minister of Croatia, and Franjo Gregurić was the first prime minister of an independent Croatia, as he held the office on 8 October 1991 when the declaration of independence came into effect.