The residents of Croatia’s capital, Zagreb, voted for change in May, turning away from a regime that had held power since 2000, whose mayor had been deeply entangled in corruption and clientelism. Možemo!, which translates as 'We Can!', won 23 out of 47 seats in the City Assembly. The coalition consists of small Left-Green parties, the municipalist initiative Zagreb je NAŠ! (‘Zagreb is Ours!’) and social movements including environmentalists, LGBTQ+ rights activists and trade unions. Together they have promised “to change the way the city is governed, to return the city to its citizens in politics”.
The new mayor, Tomislav Tomašević, won the first round on 16 May with 45% of the vote before defeating his far-Right populist opponent Miroslav Škoro on Sunday 30 May. Tomašević – who won more than 65% of the second-round vote – became popular during his years of activism, especially against Zagreb's urban crises, which escalated during Milan Bandić's time as mayor.
28-point programme
On 18 June, the day after forming a coalition with the now-minor Socijaldemokratske Partije (Social Democratic Party), Možemo! published its 28-point programme for the city. This includes giving Zagreb citizens the digital means to call out corruption; making Zagreb's finances transparent; offering support for public and active transport; and increasing in welfare spending and for public housing. (The full programme can be read here.)
