Croatia

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Croatia

Constitution President (list) (incumbent: Stjepan Mesić) Parliament Speaker (incumbent: Luka Bebić) Assembly Government Prime Minister (incumbent: Jadranka Kosor) Political parties Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) Social Democratic Party (SDP) Elections President: 2005 Parliament: 2007 Counties (Županija) Foreign relations EU accession

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Croatian Democratic Party (Croatian: Hrvatska demokratska stranka, HDS) is now defunct right-wing party in Croatia.

The party was among first to be founded after the arrival of multi-party democracy in Croatia. Led by veteran Communist-era dissident Marko Veselica, HDS was supposed to be the focal point for the most radical Croatian nationalists. This spot was, however, taken by Franjo Tuđman and his Croatian Democratic Union. HDS instead joined moderate Coalition of People's Accord and, consequently, fared badly in the 1990 parliamentary elections.

After, HDS tried to live to its radical reputation by harsh criticism of Tuđman's government for the perceived appeasement of Serbia and Yugoslav People's Army during the opening stages of war. When the war escalated in Summer of 1991, HDS was nevertheless admitted into the "National Unity" government of Franjo Gregurić.

In less than a year, HDS lost reputation of most radical Croatian party to Croatian Party of Rights. This reflected on 1992 presidential and parliamentary elections, which led HDS to merge with Croatian Christian Democratic Party into a new party called Croatian Christian Democratic Union.

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