Review article
How the population of Varaždin and the Varaždin county voted at the assembly, regional, and local elections between 1920 and 1928
Đurđica Cesar
Abstract
The city of Varaždin and its wider area were actively involved in the political life of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. The city took part in the 1920 Constitutional Assembly elections, at the 1923, 1925, and 1927 People’s assembly elections, as well as at the 1927 regional elections. At all those elections, there was a struggle between the centralistic and unitarian ideas of the government, advocated by the pro-regime political groups, and, on the other hand, the federalistic ideas advocated by the opposition.
Within the opposition, the leading role was played by Radić’s HPSS - HRSS – HSS, whereas the other Croatian parties were less successful.
The Varaždin supporters of the centralistic option were Pribičević’s adherents led by Hinko Krizman. They supported the Democratic Party at the 1920 and 1923 elections, and the Autonomous Democratic party (SDS) at the 1925 and 1927 elections.
In the Varaždin County and Međimurje, the majority of votes went to the Croatian Republican Peasant Party (HRSS) at all the elections, especially in 1925, when Radić was imprisoned, and the party was legally persecuted and almost banned.
Having the population structure in mind, it is evident that the peasants of the wider Varaždin area regularly supported the HRSS at all the elections between 1920 and 1927, even when many of them were angry and confused by the political turn Radić had taken.
In the city of Varaždin, two political options struggled for the electoral win: the centralistic one, led by Krizman, and the federalistic one, which consisted of the Croatian Union, the Croatian Party of Rights, the Croatian People’s Party, and the HRSS. At the 1920 elections, the majority of votes went to the Croatian Union, and in 1923 to the Party of Rights. The HRSS won in 1925, but in the coalition with the Union, while Krizman’s party won in 1927.
As for the local government, the people of Varaždin regularly chose the opposition-federalistic option (the Independent Citizenship, the Croatian Block) at all the City government elections. The only exception was 1928, when most votes went to the Pribičević – Krizman Autonomous Democratic Party.
Keywords
assembly elections; Constitutional Assembly; the Croatian Republican Peasant Party; the Autonomous Democratic Party; the Croatian Block; regions; Zagreb Region; Podravina Region; regional elections; the city representatives; Varaždin
Hrčak ID:
99940
URI
Publication date:
27.11.2012.
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