ZAGREB, 9 July, 2022 - Members of the Social Democrats Association on Saturday established a new left-wing political party, the Social Democrats, and elected Davorko Vidović as president, who said they would translate social democratic values into the political fight.
The new party's leadership comprises former high-ranking members of the Social Democratic Party who were ousted from or left the SDP last October after disagreements with its presidency.
The Social Democrats will be the largest opposition party in parliament, where they have 18 seats - 14 members of the party and four independents.
Vidović said the dissolution of the SDP was not the only reason behind the establishment of the new party, and that the Social Democrats did not see either the SDP or We Can! as competition.
"All of us here today became aware very early on of the need for Croatia to get an authentic, modern, left-wing political party which will stand for old social democratic values and translate them into the political fight."
The Social Democrats want to be a party which knows how to coherently articulate political ideas and mobilise people who will ensure better socioeconomic conditions for everyone, Vidović said.
"Presenting the accession to Schengen, the eurozone, the purchase of (fighter) planes and the construction of Pelješac Bridge as extraordinary goals speaks to a lack of true vision."
Vidović said the Social Democrats' programme would focus on health, education, housing, pensions, judicial and electoral reform, and the protection of human rights and social justice.
He added that the party's MPs would not knock down at all costs the ruling HDZ's initiatives which benefitted citizens.
