The deputy prime minister of Croatia (officially the Vice President of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, ) is the official deputy of the Prime Minister of Croatia. Article 109 of the Constitution of Croatia states that the cabinet is to be made up of the Prime Minister, one or more deputy prime ministers and other cabinet ministers. According to convention, if the governing parliamentary majority is a coalition of parties, all junior partners in the coalition will usually be given one deputy prime minister in the cabinet, with their rank usually being determined by the number of MPs the party has in Parliament. The deputy prime ministers are permitted to simultaneously hold a ministerial portfolio while in office, but may also serve without holding such a portfolio.
The Deputy Prime Minister of Croatia is not the constitutional successor of the Prime Minister and will not automatically assume the post of Prime Minister in the event of a vacancy. However, the Deputy Prime Minister may chair cabinet meetings in the event of the Prime Minister becoming temporarily incapacitated or otherwise unable to chair the meetings of their government cabinet.
History of the office The office of the Deputy Prime Minister of Croatia was established on 31 May 1990, during the government of Stjepan Mesić. It was initially held by three people: Bernardo Jurlina, Mate Babić and Milan Ramljak. Since then 59 individuals have held the office, usually holding it simultaneously with several other people (e.g. currently there are 7 Deputy Prime Ministers). In addition, Deputy Prime Ministers may choose to combine their post with another government portfolio.
The current cabinet (in office since 17 May 2024) has seven Deputy Prime Ministers: Davor Božinović (since 2019), Tomo Medved (since 2020), Oleg Butković (since 2022), Branko Bačić (since 2023), Ivan Anušić (since 2024), David Vlajčić (since 2025) and Tomislav Ćorić (since 2026). They are all member of the Croatian Democratic Union, except Vlajčić, who is a member of the Homeland Movement.
List of deputy prime ministers Parties (34) (7) (4) (3) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Note
Cabinet of Stjepan Mesić (1990)
Picture Name Term of Office Political Party Bernardo Jurlina31 May 199024 August 1990Croatian Democratic Union Mate Babić31 May 199024 August 1990Croatian Democratic Union Milan Ramljak31 May 199024 August 1990Croatian Democratic Union
Cabinet of Josip Manolić (1990–1991)
Picture Name Term of Office Political Party Bernardo Jurlina24 August 19904 March 1991Croatian Democratic Union Mate Babić24 August 19908 November 1990Croatian Democratic Union Milan Ramljak24 August 199017 July 1991Croatian Democratic Union Franjo Gregurić8 November 199017 July 1991Croatian Democratic Union
Cabinet of Franjo Gregurić (1991–1992)
Picture Name Term of Office Political Party Milan Ramljak17 July 199112 August 1992Croatian Democratic Union Mate Granić31 July 199112 August 1992Croatian Democratic Union Zdravko Tomac31 July 199126 June 1992Social Democratic Party Jurica Pavelić15 November 199112 August 1992Croatian Democratic Union
Cabinet of Hrvoje Šarinić (1992–1993)
Picture Name Term of Office Political Party Mate Granić12 August 19923 April 1993Croatian Democratic Union Vladimir Šeks12 August 19923 April 1993Croatian Democratic Union Darko Čargonja12 August 199229 December 1992Croatian Democratic Union Ivan Milas27 August 19923 April 1993Croatian Democratic Union Mladen Vedriš29 December 19923 April 1993Croatian Democratic Union
Cabinet of Nikica Valentić (1993–1995)
Picture Name Term of Office Political Party Mate Granić3 April 19937 November 1995Croatian Democratic Union Vladimir Šeks3 April 199320 September 1994Croatian Democratic Union Borislav Škegro3 April 19937 November 1995Croatian Democratic Union Ivica Kostović12 October 19937 November 1995Croatian Democratic Union Jure Radić18 October 19947 November 1995Croatian Democratic Union Bosiljko Mišetić11 May 1995 7 November 1995Croatian Democratic Union
Cabinet of Zlatko Mateša (1995–2000)
Picture Name Term of Office Political Party Mate Granić7 November 199527 January 2000Croatian Democratic Union Borislav Škegro7 November 199527 January 2000Croatian Democratic Union Ivica Kostović7 November 199514 October 1998Croatian Democratic Union Jure Radić7 November 199527 January 2000Croatian Democratic Union Ljerka Mintas-Hodak7 November 199527 January 2000Croatian Democratic Union Milan Ramljak14 May 199813 April 1999Croatian Democratic Union
First and Second cabinet of Ivica Račan (2000–2003)
Picture Name Term of Office Political Party Goran Granić27 January 200021 March 2002Croatian Social Liberal Party Željka Antunović27 January 200023 December 2003Social Democratic Party Slavko Linić27 January 200023 December 2003Social Democratic Party Dražen Budiša21 March 200230 July 2002Croatian Social Liberal Party Goran Granić30 July 200223 December 2003Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats Ante Simonić30 July 200223 December 2003Croatian Peasant Party
First and Second cabinet of Ivo Sanader (2003–2009)
Picture Name Term of Office Political PartyJadranka Kosor23 December 20036 July 2009Croatian Democratic Union Andrija Hebrang23 December 200315 February 2005Croatian Democratic Union Damir Polančec17 February 20056 July 2009Croatian Democratic Union Đurđa Adlešič12 January 20086 July 2009Croatian Social Liberal Party Slobodan Uzelac12 January 20086 July 2009Independent Democratic Serb Party
Cabinet of Jadranka Kosor (2009–2011)
Picture Name Term of Office Political Party Damir Polančec6 July 200930 October 2009Croatian Democratic Union Đurđa Adlešič6 July 200912 October 2010Croatian Social Liberal Party Slobodan Uzelac6 July 200923 December 2011Independent Democratic Serb Party Božidar Pankretić6 July 200923 December 2011Croatian Peasant Party Ivan Šuker19 November 200929 December 2010Croatian Democratic Union Darko Milinović19 November 200923 December 2011Croatian Democratic Union Domagoj Ivan Milošević29 December 201023 December 2011Croatian Democratic Union Petar Čobanković29 December 201023 December 2011Croatian Democratic Union Gordan Jandroković29 December 201023 December 2011Croatian Democratic Union
Cabinet of Zoran Milanović (2011–2016)
Picture Name Term of Office Political Party Radimir Čačić23 December 201114 November 2012Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats Neven Mimica23 December 20111 July 2013Resigned to become European Commissioner for Consumer Protection in the European Commission, the first Croatian European Commissioner since the country's accession to the European Union.Social Democratic Party Branko Grčić23 December 201122 January 2016Social Democratic Party Milanka Opačić23 December 201122 January 2016Social Democratic Party Vesna Pusić16 November 201222 January 2016Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats Ranko Ostojić15 July 201322 January 2016Social Democratic Party
Cabinet of Tihomir Orešković (2016)
Picture Name Term of Office Political Party Tomislav Karamarko22 January 201615 June 2016Croatian Democratic Union Božo Petrov22 January 201619 October 2016Bridge of Independent Lists
First, second and third cabinet of Andrej Plenković (2016–present)
Picture Name Term of Office Political PartyIvan Kovačić19 October 201628 April 2017Bridge of Independent ListsDavor Ivo Stier19 October 201619 June 2017Croatian Democratic UnionDamir Krstičević19 October 20168 May 2020Croatian Democratic UnionMartina Dalić19 October 201614 May 2018Croatian Democratic UnionPredrag Štromar9 June 201723 July 2020Croatian People's Party-Liberal DemocratsMarija Pejčinović Burić19 June 201719 July 2019Croatian Democratic UnionTomislav Tolušić25 May 201817 July 2019Croatian Democratic UnionZdravko Marić19 July 20195 July 2022IndependentDavor Božinović19 July 2019IncumbentCroatian Democratic Union Tomo Medved23 July 2020IncumbentCroatian Democratic UnionBoris Milošević23 July 202029 April 2022Independent Democratic Serb Party Anja Šimpraga29 April 202217 May 2024Independent Democratic Serb Party Oleg Butković15 July 2022IncumbentCroatian Democratic UnionBranko Bačić17 January 2023IncumbentCroatian Democratic UnionIvan Anušić16 November 2023IncumbentCroatian Democratic UnionJosip Dabro17 May 202418 January 2025Homeland MovementMarko Primorac17 May 202429 January 2026IndependentDavid Vlajčić11 February 2025IncumbentHomeland MovementTomislav Ćorić29 January 2026IncumbentCroatian Democratic Union
See also List of cabinets of Croatia
References