Frane Staničić Elected New President of Croatia’s Constitutional Court Amid Controversy

Croatia’s Constitutional Court on Tuesday elected Frane Staničić, a Zagreb University law professor and sitting Constitutional Court judge, as its new president, replacing Miroslav Šeparović, who held the post for nine and a half years. 

Maša Marochini Zrinski was chosen as vice president.

The vote, however, was marked by controversy. Only eight of the court’s thirteen judges participated, while the remaining five walked out in protest, claiming the process was rushed.

Outgoing president Šeparović said he was pleased with the selections but criticized the dissenting judges’ actions.

“They believed the time was not right to hold the vote. However, my term runs out on October 13 and the court cannot function without a president,” Šeparović explained.

Former Justice Minister and HDZ MP Ivan Malenica warned that the judges’ refusal to vote sets a bad precedent.

“I want the Constitutional Court and all of its judges to abide by the Constitution and the law and to be free of any external influence, especially political influence,” he said.

Opposition politicians accused the ruling HDZ of trying to maintain control over the court. Možemo MP Urša Raukar Gamulin claimed the party is taking a “hard-right turn” by supporting Staničić.

“The HDZ wants to keep its majority on the court. This just confirms their shift, because Judge Staničić’s ideological positions are known,” Raukar Gamulin said.

SDP MP Arsen Bauk noted that the deciding votes came from judges whose terms also expire in two weeks.

“They have decided to hang on until the very last minute of their terms to ensure the Constitutional Court effectively retains the role of the upper chamber of parliament,” Bauk argued.

Most MP Nikola Grmoja described the standoff as a clash between two factions of judges—those backed by the HDZ and those supported by the SDP.

Justice Minister Damir Habijan emphasized that the new president must focus on constitutional principles.

“The president needs to stick to the Constitution and the law. We can agree or disagree, but the main motivation of any judge should not be ideology,” Habijan said.

The court’s new leadership takes over at a critical moment. In the coming weeks, the Sabor is expected to elect three new judges. Each nominee will need a two-thirds majority, forcing the ruling coalition to work with the opposition SDP on the appointments.