Radimir Cacic
Encyclopedia
Radimir Čačić is a Croatia
n politician and businessman, and the president of the Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats (HNS).
After graduating from the University of Zagreb
Faculty of Architecture in 1973, he worked for a Zagreb company before moving to Varaždin
and joining the construction company "Zagorje". Together with several partners, in 1979 he left Zagorje and founded the construction company "DP Coning". In 1989, the Yugoslav Chamber of Commerce awarded him with the title of manager of the year. Čačić amassed considerable wealth in the process, and when the laws were changed in March 1989 to allow for privatization, he spent 750,000 German mark
s to buy a 25% stake in his old company "Zagorje", and later merged the two companies, with some jobs being lost in the process.
He first entered politics in the Coalition of People's Accord
in 1989, but with no electoral success. In 1990 and 1991, with Čačić as the director, Coning was involved in a failed construction project in Dubrovnik, and in 1991-1992 in another much larger failed construction project in Israel, for which the company was later involved in multi-million dollar lawsuits.
DP Coning was transformed into Coning holding with several daughter companies, and the Holding was later renamed Ingprojekt. This transaction was later undone in a court of law, but Čačić had since sold or transferred his stakes in the Coning companies to a legal firm. Čačić's business affairs were commonly used against him when he became more active in politics, and for the Israel case he was once defamed by Miroslav Rožić
. By 1995, he was one of the few Croatian politicians who were wealthy prior to entering a public office, although his wealth would later multiply during the course of his political activity.
He succeeded Savka Dabčević-Kučar as the president of the Croatian People's Party (HNS) and held the position for six years. He in turn was succeeded by Vesna Pusić
, while Čačić became the president of the central committee of the party. He became a member of the Croatian Parliament after the 1995 parliamentary election
.
In the 2000 election
, the HNS won more seats in the Croatian Parliament and participated in the six-party coalition that formed the government under Ivica Račan
. Čačić was the only member of HNS in the government but was given the influential and suitable position of the Minister of Public Works, Reconstruction and Building which granted him access to many government sponsored projects.
Radimir Čačić was instrumental in reviving the project to build the highway Zagreb
-Split
, arranging a more viable financing model – one that did not favour Bechtel Corporation so much as the contracts signed by Croatian Democratic Union
(HDZ) did, both before and after Čačić. The ministry invited tenders in order to choose
the construction companies which would build the new road, and this method proved successful in getting the building under way. When Čačić exited the office, the sections from Karlovac
to Zadar
were mostly completed and the rest were also partially built.
Čačić also helped organize the public state-sponsored housing project for young families, the first such endeavour in modern Croatia. The buildings were later nicknamed Čačićevi stanovi (Čačić's apartments) after him.
After the 2003 election
, the HNS returned to the opposition but Čačić retained a seat in the Parliament.
The new HDZ
leadership organized a parliamentary investigation panel on Čačić's alleged misdeeds: he was accused of conflict of interest
given how his old company Coning was also awarded contracts in building the Zagreb-Split highway. However, after the subsequent inquiry, Čačić was cleared of all charges. In December 2006, the HDZ parliamentary investigation panel again convened and changed its previous decision, saying Čačić was indeed in conflict of interest because of twelve contracts worth 132 million kuna
signed with companies with a connection to Čačić, without this connection being properly registered according to relevant law. He in turn insisted that this was a meaningless distinction and that he was already disassociated from his old companies, and tried to get the decision reversed in court, but was rejected by a Zagreb court in 2007. He appealed the verdict and was ultimately rejected by the Constitutional Court of Croatia in 2010.
In 2005 his party won the local elections in the Varaždin county
and Čačić became the župan (prefect) of the county on June 9. He was replaced in June 2008, after two HNS deputies in the county council switched sides to the opposition.
On 8 January 2010, he caused a traffic accident on the M7 motorway
in Hungary
that caused injuries which led to the death of two passengers in the other car he hit. Čačić's Chrysler 300
rear-ended the Škoda Fabia
. Čačić subsequently called the police. He was charged by a Somogy County court and released on €1,000 bail. Under Hungarian law he now faces a jail sentence. The incident led to Čačić handing in his resignation as president of the Croatian Tennis Association
, which was later refused by the federation's governing board.
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 politician and businessman, and the president of the Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats (HNS).
After graduating from 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...
Faculty of Architecture in 1973, he worked for a Zagreb company before moving to Varaždin
Varaždin
Varaždin is a city in north Croatia, north of Zagreb on the highway A4. The total population is 47,055, with 38,746 on of the city settlement itself . The centre of Varaždin county is located near the Drava river, at...
and joining the construction company "Zagorje". Together with several partners, in 1979 he left Zagorje and founded the construction company "DP Coning". In 1989, the Yugoslav Chamber of Commerce awarded him with the title of manager of the year. Čačić amassed considerable wealth in the process, and when the laws were changed in March 1989 to allow for privatization, he spent 750,000 German mark
German mark
The Deutsche Mark |mark]], abbreviated "DM") was the official currency of West Germany and Germany until the adoption of the euro in 2002. It is commonly called the "Deutschmark" in English but not in German. Germans often say "Mark" or "D-Mark"...
s to buy a 25% stake in his old company "Zagorje", and later merged the two companies, with some jobs being lost in the process.
He first entered politics in the Coalition of People's Accord
Coalition of People's Accord
Coalition of People's Accord was the bloc of mostly moderate nationalist and liberal parties formed on the eve of first multi-party elections in Croatia in 1990....
in 1989, but with no electoral success. In 1990 and 1991, with Čačić as the director, Coning was involved in a failed construction project in Dubrovnik, and in 1991-1992 in another much larger failed construction project in Israel, for which the company was later involved in multi-million dollar lawsuits.
DP Coning was transformed into Coning holding with several daughter companies, and the Holding was later renamed Ingprojekt. This transaction was later undone in a court of law, but Čačić had since sold or transferred his stakes in the Coning companies to a legal firm. Čačić's business affairs were commonly used against him when he became more active in politics, and for the Israel case he was once defamed by Miroslav Rožić
Miroslav Rožic
Miroslav Rožić is a Croatian right-wing politician. As a former vice-president of Croatian Party of Rights , he served as a representative in Croatian Parliament between 2001 and 2007...
. By 1995, he was one of the few Croatian politicians who were wealthy prior to entering a public office, although his wealth would later multiply during the course of his political activity.
He succeeded Savka Dabčević-Kučar as the president of the Croatian People's Party (HNS) and held the position for six years. He in turn was succeeded by Vesna Pusić
Vesna Pusic
Vesna Pusić is a member of Croatian Parliament and one of the main speakers of the opposition Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats in the Parliament...
, while Čačić became the president of the central committee of the party. He became a member of the Croatian Parliament after the 1995 parliamentary election
Croatian parliamentary election, 1995
-Subsequent changes:The following changes happened after elections:*The Croatian Pure Party of Rights gained one member of parliament*The Croatian Christian Democratic Union gained one more member of parliament*The Serb People's Party lost one member of parliament...
.
In the 2000 election
Croatian parliamentary election, 2000
Elections for the Chamber of Representatives of the Croatian Parliament were held on January 3, 2000. These were the first elections to be held after the expiration of a full term of the previous Chamber....
, the HNS won more seats in the Croatian Parliament and participated in the six-party coalition that formed the government under Ivica Račan
Ivica Racan
Ivica Račan was a Croatian career politician, leader of the League of Communists of Croatia and later Social Democratic Party from 1989 to 2007...
. Čačić was the only member of HNS in the government but was given the influential and suitable position of the Minister of Public Works, Reconstruction and Building which granted him access to many government sponsored projects.
Radimir Čačić was instrumental in reviving the project to build the highway Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
-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...
, arranging a more viable financing model – one that did not favour Bechtel Corporation so much as the contracts signed by 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) did, both before and after Čačić. The ministry invited tenders in order to choose
Complex sales
Complex sales, also known as Enterprise sales, can refer to a method of trading sometimes used by organizations when procuring large contracts for goods and/or services where the customer takes control of the selling process by issuing a Request for Proposal and requiring a proposal response from...
the construction companies which would build the new road, and this method proved successful in getting the building under way. When Čačić exited the office, the sections from Karlovac
Karlovac
Karlovac is a city and municipality in central Croatia. The city proper has a population of 49,082, while the municipality has a population of 59,395 inhabitants .Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County...
to Zadar
Zadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...
were mostly completed and the rest were also partially built.
Čačić also helped organize the public state-sponsored housing project for young families, the first such endeavour in modern Croatia. The buildings were later nicknamed Čačićevi stanovi (Čačić's apartments) after him.
After the 2003 election
Croatian parliamentary election, 2003
-External links:*...
, the HNS returned to the opposition but Čačić retained a seat in the Parliament.
The new HDZ
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...
leadership organized a parliamentary investigation panel on Čačić's alleged misdeeds: he was accused of conflict of interest
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
given how his old company Coning was also awarded contracts in building the Zagreb-Split highway. However, after the subsequent inquiry, Čačić was cleared of all charges. In December 2006, the HDZ parliamentary investigation panel again convened and changed its previous decision, saying Čačić was indeed in conflict of interest because of twelve contracts worth 132 million kuna
Croatian kuna
The kuna is the currency of Croatia since 1994 . It is subdivided into 100 lipa. The kuna is issued by the Croatian National Bank and the coins are minted by the Croatian Monetary Institute....
signed with companies with a connection to Čačić, without this connection being properly registered according to relevant law. He in turn insisted that this was a meaningless distinction and that he was already disassociated from his old companies, and tried to get the decision reversed in court, but was rejected by a Zagreb court in 2007. He appealed the verdict and was ultimately rejected by the Constitutional Court of Croatia in 2010.
In 2005 his party won the local elections in the Varaždin county
Varaždin County
Varaždin County is a county in northern Croatia. It is named after its county seat, the city of Varaždin.-Geography:In addition to the city of Varaždin, the county includes the towns of Ivanec, Ludbreg, Lepoglava, Novi Marof and Varaždinske Toplice, as well as 22 municipalities...
and Čačić became the župan (prefect) of the county on June 9. He was replaced in June 2008, after two HNS deputies in the county council switched sides to the opposition.
On 8 January 2010, he caused a traffic accident on the M7 motorway
M7 motorway (Hungary)
The M7 motorway is a Hungarian motorway which runs from Budapest towards the Croatian border at Letenye, reaching Székesfehérvár, then Siófok, a town on Lake Balaton, and the city of Nagykanizsa in the southwest of the country....
in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
that caused injuries which led to the death of two passengers in the other car he hit. Čačić's Chrysler 300
Chrysler 300
The Chrysler 300 is a full-size upscale car first shown at the 2003 New York Auto Show as a concept car. Sales in the U.S. began in the spring of 2004 as an early 2005 model year car. Designed by Ralph Gilles, the new 300 was built as a high-end sedan while the SRT-8 model was designed to be the...
rear-ended the Škoda Fabia
Škoda Fabia
The Škoda Fabia is a supermini produced by Czech manufacturer Škoda Auto since 1999. It was the successor to the Škoda Felicia, which was discontinued in 2001...
. Čačić subsequently called the police. He was charged by a Somogy County court and released on €1,000 bail. Under Hungarian law he now faces a jail sentence. The incident led to Čačić handing in his resignation as president of the Croatian Tennis Association
Croatian Tennis Association
The Croatian Tennis Association is the governing body of tennis in Croatia. It organizes Croatia's teams in the Davis Cup and the Fed Cup. It also organizes and helps coordinate local tournaments and produces a national ranking list of players....
, which was later refused by the federation's governing board.