Preliminary communication
https://doi.org/10.32728/h2017.04
Annual Assembly of Political Society for Croats and Slovenes in Istria in 1905
Željko Klaić
orcid.org/0000-0001-8976-4434
; Gospodarska škola Varaždin
Abstract
The Annual Assembly of the Political Society for Croats and Slovenes in Istria, held on 10 December 1905 in Pula, occurred at a time when the most pressing issue was that of the general electoral rights for the state parliament in Vienna, an issue that, according to Minister-President of Cisleithania, Paul Gautsch, had entered the final phase of a resolution. At the same time the Monarchy was gripped by the so called Hungarian crisis which prompted the opposition deputies from Croatian, Dalmatian and Istrian to work together with the Hungarian opposition in their attempt to achieve equal rights for the Croatian people. The leadership of Istrian national revival was sympathetic to the signing of the Rijeka Resolution (3 October 1905) and proclaimed a partnership policy with the Hungarian opposition. The aim was to achieve a status of equality of the Croatian people within the Monarchy, but they were sceptical regarding the policy of rapprochement towards the Italian side – one of the proclaimed goals of the so-called “new course” policy – because they feared the possible sacrifices of Croatian and Slovene interests in Istria.
The leadership of the Istrian national revival strongly supported the adoption of a new electoral law for the state parliament – based on the universal right to vote – which they believed would have tipped the balance of power from the ruling Italian civil liberals to oppositionist Istrian populars, as well as improved the overall position of Croatians and Slovenes in Istria. However, the negotiations among the leaders of the national revival movement regarding the electoral reform reveal their fears about the possible dangers of gerrymandering.
There were, of course, other topics discussed at the Annual Assembly of the Political Society such as the strengthening of the political organization in the field, municipal elections, matters of economy and the current state of the liturgical language.
Keywords
Political Society for Croats and Slovenes in Istria; Vjekoslav Spinčić; Matko Mandić; Matko Laginja; Dinko Trinajstić; Ivan Zuccon; General Electoral Law; Italian Liberals
Hrčak ID:
202091
URI
Publication date:
29.12.2017.
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