Mate Granic
Encyclopedia
Mate Granić is a Croatia
n diplomat and politician who was part of the Croatian Government in much of the 1990s.
Granić was born in Baška Voda
in Dalmatia
(then SR Croatia
, SFR Yugoslavia). He graduated from a gymnasium
in Split
and the medical faculty of the University of Zagreb
to become a doctor
by profession.
Mate Granić served as the foreign minister
of Croatia from 1993 until 2000. He was a member of the Croatian Democratic Union
(HDZ) and a close associate of Franjo Tuđman. As foreign minister, Granić helped negotiate a peace treaty between Croatia, Bosnia
and Serbia
and he visited Serbia
in 1996.
Granić was considered to be a leader of HDZ moderates. His objective as foreign minister was to justify Croatian policies towards Bosnia
and Krajina
and protecting Croatia from UN sanctions. He did that successfully, which combined with his mild nature made him one of the most popular HDZ politicians.
His general popularity made him a natural choice for party's presidential candidate after the Tuđman's death. In January 2000, Granić entered the presidential election
, but was eliminated in the first round, coming in third place with 22.5% of the vote. He was not a great campaigner nor a natural populist
, which probably led to his crushing defeat.
When a new cabinet took office later that month, now with the HDZ without the presidency or control of the Parliament, Granić lost his post as foreign minister. Afterwards, Granić's led a splinter faction of HDZ to form the Democratic Centre (Demokratski Centar). Granić believed that HDZ will be completely overtaken by radicals led by Ivić Pašalić
, former Tuđman's interior politics consultant, and that's why he founded a new party.
However, not all moderates followed Granić, and in 2002 they finally won a bitter inner-party struggle with far right
. Granić's former protege Ivo Sanader
became party's leader, and all that made DC politically indistinct from HDZ. As a result, the party barely survived 2003 elections, securing only one parliamentary seat, for Vesna Škare-Ožbolt
who later became the Minister of Justice in Sanader's government.
Granić left DC and seemingly retired from public life after the election. In 2004 he founded a consulting company called MAGRA Ltd. in Zagreb. In 2005, he became a special advisor to the presidency of the Croatian Party of Rights
(HSP).
In the 2007 parliamentary election
he headed the HSP election list in the 3rd election unit. The list failed to attain a seat in the Parliament.
Granić is married with three children. His brother Goran Granić
is a prominent Croatian politician, but unlike Mate, Goran is a liberal
.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n diplomat and politician who was part of the Croatian Government in much of the 1990s.
Granić was born in Baška Voda
Baška Voda
Baška Voda , is a municipality in Croatia in the Split-Dalmatia County. It has a population of 2,924 , 95.5% which are Croats, 1.03% Serbs, etc. It is located on the Adriatic coastline of Dalmatia 10 km northwest of Makarska....
in Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
(then SR Croatia
Socialist Republic of Croatia
Socialist Republic of Croatia was a sovereign constituent country of the second Yugoslavia. It came to existence during World War II, becoming a socialist state after the war, and was also renamed four times in its existence . It was the second largest republic in Yugoslavia by territory and...
, SFR Yugoslavia). He graduated from a gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
in Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
and the medical faculty of the University of Zagreb
University of Zagreb
The University of Zagreb is the biggest Croatian university and the oldest continuously operating university in the area covering Central Europe south of Vienna and all of Southeastern Europe...
to become a doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
by profession.
Mate Granić served as the foreign minister
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
of Croatia from 1993 until 2000. He was a member of the Croatian Democratic Union
Croatian Democratic Union
The Croatian Democratic Union is the main center-right political party in Croatia. It is the biggest and strongest individual Croatian party since independence of Croatia. The Christian democratic HDZ governed Croatia from 1990 to 2000 and, in partial coalition, from 2003...
(HDZ) and a close associate of Franjo Tuđman. As foreign minister, Granić helped negotiate a peace treaty between Croatia, Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
and Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
and he visited Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
in 1996.
Granić was considered to be a leader of HDZ moderates. His objective as foreign minister was to justify Croatian policies towards Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
and Krajina
Krajina
-Etymology:In old-Croatian, this earliest geographical term appeared at least from 10th century within the Glagolitic inscriptions in Chakavian dialect, e.g. in Baška tablet about 1105, and also in some subsequent Glagolitic texts as krayna in the original medieval meaning of inlands or mainlands...
and protecting Croatia from UN sanctions. He did that successfully, which combined with his mild nature made him one of the most popular HDZ politicians.
His general popularity made him a natural choice for party's presidential candidate after the Tuđman's death. In January 2000, Granić entered the presidential election
Croatian presidential election, 2000
Presidential elections were held in Croatia on 24 January 2000. As no candidate passed the 50% threshold, a secound round was held on 7 February, the first time a second round had been required in the country's history. The result was a victory for Stjepan Mesić of the Croatian People's Party, who...
, but was eliminated in the first round, coming in third place with 22.5% of the vote. He was not a great campaigner nor a natural populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
, which probably led to his crushing defeat.
When a new cabinet took office later that month, now with the HDZ without the presidency or control of the Parliament, Granić lost his post as foreign minister. Afterwards, Granić's led a splinter faction of HDZ to form the Democratic Centre (Demokratski Centar). Granić believed that HDZ will be completely overtaken by radicals led by Ivić Pašalić
Ivić Pašalić
Ivić Pašalić is a Croatian right-wing politician.Pašalić was born to a Croatian family in Šuica, Bosnia and Herzegovina . He was a physician in Zagreb before the arrival of democracy in Croatia. In 1990 he joined the Croatian Democratic Union and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the...
, former Tuđman's interior politics consultant, and that's why he founded a new party.
However, not all moderates followed Granić, and in 2002 they finally won a bitter inner-party struggle with far right
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
. Granić's former protege Ivo Sanader
Ivo Sanader
Ivo Sanader |Split]]) is a Croatian politician who served as the Prime Minister of Croatia from 2003 to 2009.Sanader obtained his education in comparative literature in Austria, where he also later worked in the 1980s. He worked as a journalist, in marketing, publishing and also as a private...
became party's leader, and all that made DC politically indistinct from HDZ. As a result, the party barely survived 2003 elections, securing only one parliamentary seat, for Vesna Škare-Ožbolt
Vesna Škare-Ožbolt
Vesna Škare-Ožbolt is a Croatian politician.Before the first democratic elections in 1990, Škare-Ožbolt used to work in Croatian judiciary...
who later became the Minister of Justice in Sanader's government.
Granić left DC and seemingly retired from public life after the election. In 2004 he founded a consulting company called MAGRA Ltd. in Zagreb. In 2005, he became a special advisor to the presidency of the Croatian Party of Rights
Croatian Party of Rights
The Croatian Party of Rights is a right-wing political party in Croatia. The "right" in the party's name refer to the idea of Croatian national and ethnic rights that the party has vowed to protect since its founding in the 19th century...
(HSP).
In the 2007 parliamentary election
Croatian parliamentary election, 2007
Parliamentary elections to the Croatian Parliament were held on 25 November 2007 in Croatia and on 24 November and 25 November 2007 abroad. The campaign officially started on 3 November...
he headed the HSP election list in the 3rd election unit. The list failed to attain a seat in the Parliament.
Granić is married with three children. His brother Goran Granić
Goran Granic
Goran Granić is a Croatian centre-left politician who was the deputy prime minister from 2000 to 2002.From 1995-1996, Granić was selected as mayor of Zagreb by his party that won the local elections...
is a prominent Croatian politician, but unlike Mate, Goran is a liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
.
External links
- Biography at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs