Politics of Croatia - Executive

Executive

The President of the Republic (Croatian: Predsjednik Republike) is the head of state; he or she is directly elected and serves a five-year term. The president is the commander in chief of the armed forces, has the procedural duty of appointing the prime minister with the consent of the Sabor (Parliament) through a simple majority vote, and has some influence on foreign policy. The most recent presidential election was held on 10 January 2010, and was won by Ivo Josipović. He took the oath of office on 18 February 2010. The constitution limits holders of the presidential office to a maximum of two terms, and prevents the president from being a member of any political party. Consequently, the president-elect withdraws from party membership before inauguration. President Josipović did so on 15 February 2010.

The government (Croatian: Vlada), the main executive power of Croatia, is headed by the prime minister, who has four deputies, three of whom also serve as government ministers. there are seventeen other ministers, who are appointed by the prime minister with the consent of the Sabor; these are in charge of particular sectors of activity. As of 23 December 2011, the Deputy Prime Ministers are Radimir Čačić, Neven Mimica, Branko Grčić, and Milanka Opačić. Government ministers are from the Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDP), and the Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats (HNS) and Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS). The executive branch is responsible for proposing legislation and a budget, executing the laws, and guiding the country's foreign and domestic policies. The government's official residence is at Banski dvori. As of 23 December 2011, the prime minister is Zoran Milanović.