Only Stand-ins? Women’s Parliamentary Representation and Quota Implementation in Croatia Since 2011

Abstract

Quota implementation in Croatia has been riddled with ambivalence, contradiction, and obstruction since the enactment of the 2008 Act on Gender Equality. It was only at the 2020 elections that 22.5% of women were elected to parliament. Prior to that, paradoxically, Croatia had achieved the highest levels of women’s parliamentary representation before the introduction of legislative quotas. This chapter analyzes the implementation of gender quotas and explains why the proclaimed goal of 40% gender-balanced representation is not yet achieved. Emphasis is put on the implementation of quotas by the major parties in parliament during the 2011, 2015, 2016, and 2020 elections. The analysis suggests that, with the exception of early elections, the smaller parties have adjusted to quota requirements gradually, but, and this is important, there has been no meaningful recalibration of practices by the major parties. Simultaneously, women were placed at the bottom of the candidate lists and parties that did not comply with the quota rules were not sanctioned by any significant means. Indictments are not issued, or are issued years after the infractions occurred, courts are not giving their rulings in a timely manner, and the penalties awarded are inadequate. The Croatian case serves as an apt example (and a cautionary tale) of quota failure due to poor policy design, limited implementation, and an overall lack of commitment by major policy actors.