LISTOVNI RAZMJERNI SUSTAV U HRVATSKOJ NAKON 20 GODINA: IZUZETAN ILI TIPIČAN?
LIST PROPORTIONAL SYSTEM IN CROATIA AFTER 20 YEARS: EXCEPTIONAL OR TYPICAL?

Summary/Abstract: The proportional representation electoral system is one of the most disputed aspects of the Croatian political system since 2000. However, critics rarely offer a systematic comparative basis for their objections. This article fills this gap and argues that the proportional representation system in Croatia functions adequately in relation to theoretical assumptions and in comparison to other proportional representation systems in the European Union. Based on comparative data on disproportionality and the effective number of parties, as well as an analysis of the effective electoral threshold and the effective size of the electoral district, two decades of using this electoral system are examined. The analysis shows that the effects of the proportional representation system do not deviate from theoretical expectations and are comparable to other proportional representation systems in the European Union in key characteristics. It also shows that the variation in the effects of the proportional representation system in European Union member states largely depends on the specificities of each state, i.e., the electoral system, rather than any central elements of the electoral design itself. In conclusion, it can be argued that the effects of the proportional representation system in Croatia largely correspond to expectations, and therefore, the Croatian case can be considered typical rather than exceptional.

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