Radimir Čačić | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Prefect of Varaždin County | |
| In office 9 June 2017 – 30 May 2021 | |
| Deputy | Tomislav Paljak Robert Vugrin |
| Preceded by | Predrag Štromar |
| Succeeded by | Anđelko Stričak |
| In office 9 June 2005 – 20 June 2008 | |
| Deputy | Predrag Štromar |
| Preceded by | Zvonimir Sabati |
| Succeeded by | Zvonimir Sabati |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Croatia | |
| In office 23 December 2011 – 14 November 2012 | |
| Prime Minister | Zoran Milanović |
| Preceded by | Slobodan Uzelac Domagoj Ivan Milošević |
| Succeeded by | Vesna Pusić |
| Minister of Economy | |
| In office 23 December 2011 – 14 November 2012 | |
| Prime Minister | Zoran Milanović |
| Preceded by | Đuro Popijač |
| Succeeded by | Ivan Vrdoljak |
| Minister of Public Works, Construction and Reconstruction | |
| In office 27 January 2000 – 23 December 2003 | |
| Prime Minister | Ivica Račan |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| President of the People's Party – Reformists | |
| Assumed office 28 September 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| President of the Croatian People's Party | |
| In office 2008–2013 | |
| Preceded by | Vesna Pusić |
| Succeeded by | Vesna Pusić |
| In office 1995–2000 | |
| Preceded by | Savka Dabčević-Kučar |
| Succeeded by | Vesna Pusić |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1949-05-11)11 May 1949 (age 76) |
| Party | NS-R (2013–present) HNS (1990–2013) |
| Alma mater | University of Zagreb |
| Awards | Order of Duke Domagoj |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Croatia |
| Branch/service | Croatian Army |
| Years of service | 2001–present |
| Rank | Honorarybrigadier |
Radimir Čačić (pronounced[râdimiːrtʃâtʃitɕ]; born 11 May 1949) is a Croatian politician and businessman who has been President of thePeople's Party – Reformists (NS-R) since the party's formation in 2014, as well asPrefect ofVaraždin County from 2017 to 2021.
Čačić previously served as President of theCroatian People's Party (HNS) between 1995 and 2000. Following the2000 Croatian parliamentary election, he became part of thefirst cabinet ofIvica Račan where he notably spearheaded the construction ofmotorways.
He was elected president of the HNS again in 2008. Following the2011 parliamentary election, as the leader of the second-largest party in the four-partyKukuriku coalition alliance, Čačić becameDeputy Prime Minister, as well asMinister of Economy, in thecabinet ofZoran Milanović.
After causing a car crash that resulted in two fatalities, a Hungarian court sentenced him to 22 months in prison in November 2012. He resigned from his government post, and was ejected from the HNS in 2013. After serving his prison sentence, Čačić returned to politics with a new political party, the People's Party – Reformists. In 2017 he was elected the prefect of Varaždin County for the second time.
After graduating from the Faculty of Architecture at theUniversity of Zagreb in 1973, he worked for a Zagreb company before moving toVaraždin and joining the construction company Zagorje. Together with several partners, in 1979 he left Zagorje and founded the construction company DP Coning. In 1989, the Yugoslav Chamber of Commerce awarded him with the title of manager of the year. Čačić amassed considerable wealth in the process, and when the laws were changed in March 1989 to allow for privatization, he spent 750,000German marks to buy a 25% stake in his old company Zagorje, and later merged the two companies, with some jobs being lost in the process.[1]
He first entered politics in theCoalition of People's Accord (KNS) in 1989, but with no electoral success. In 1990 and 1991, with Čačić as the director, Coning was involved in a failed construction project inDubrovnik.[2]
During theCroatian War of Independence, Čačić was abrigadier of the fledglingCroatian Army. In theBattle of the Barracks, he led the September 1991 negotiations with theYugoslav People's Army toabandon the Varaždin barracks and was used as a hostage to make sure disarmed army members were safely escorted to Serbia. He was later awarded theHomeland War Memorial Medal and theOrder of Duke Domagoj.[3]
In 1991–92, Coning was involved in another much larger failed construction project in Israel,[4] for which the company was later involved in multimillion-dollar lawsuits.[5] DP Coning was transformed into Coning holding with several daughter companies, and the Holding was later renamed Ingprojekt. This transaction was later undone in a court of law, but Čačić had since sold or transferred his stakes in the Coning companies to a legal firm.[1] Čačić's business affairs were commonly used against him when he became more active in politics, and for the Israel case he was once defamed byMiroslav Rožić.[4] By 1995, he was one of the few Croatian politicians who were wealthy prior to entering a public office, although his wealth would later multiply during the course of his political activity.
He succeededSavka Dabčević-Kučar as President of theCroatian People's Party (HNS) and held the position for six years. He in turn was succeeded byVesna Pusić, while Čačić became the president of the central committee of the party. He became a member of theCroatian Parliament after the1995 parliamentary election.
In the2000 parliamentary election, the HNS won more seats in theCroatian Parliament and participated in the six-party coalition that formed the government underIvica Račan. Čačić was the only member of HNS in the government but was given the influential and suitable position of the Minister of Public Works, Reconstruction and Building which granted him access to many government-sponsored projects.
Čačić was instrumental in reviving the project to build theZagreb–Split highway, arranging a more viable financing model – one that did not favourBechtel Corporation so much as the contracts signed by theCroatian Democratic Union (HDZ) did, both before and after Čačić.[6][7][8] The ministry invitedtenders in order tochoose the construction companies which would build the new road, and this method proved successful in getting the building under way. When Čačić exited the office, the sections fromKarlovac toZadar were mostly completed and the rest were also partially built.
Čačić also helped organize the public state-sponsored housing project for young families, the first such endeavour in modern-day Croatia. The buildings were later nicknamedČačićevi stanovi (Čačić apartments) after him.
After the2003 parliamentary election, the HNS returned to the opposition but Čačić retained a seat in the Parliament.
The new HDZ leadership organized a parliamentary investigation panel on Čačić's alleged misdeeds: he was accused ofconflict of interest given how his old company Coning was also awarded contracts in building the Zagreb–Split highway. However, after the subsequent inquiry, Čačić was cleared of all charges. In December 2006, the HDZ parliamentary investigation panel again convened and changed its previous decision, saying Čačić was indeed in conflict of interest because of twelve contracts worth 132 millionCroatian kunas signed with companies with a connection to Čačić, without this connection being properly registered according to relevant law. He in turn insisted that this was a meaningless distinction and that he was already disassociated from his old companies, and tried to get the decision reversed in court, but his plea was rejected by a Zagreb court in 2007. His appeal against the verdict was ultimately rejected by theConstitutional Court of Croatia in 2010.[9]
In 2005 his party won the local elections inVaraždin County and Čačić became theprefect of the county on 9 June. He was replaced in June 2008, after two HNS deputies in the county council switched sides to the opposition.[10]
On 8 January 2010, he caused a severe traffic accident on theM7 motorway inHungary which resulted in the death of two passengers in the car he hit. Čačić'sChrysler 300rear-ended aŠkoda Fabia in dense fog.[11] In 2011, Čačić caused two more traffic accidents in Zagreb, both times without causing injury.[12] The 2010 incident led to Čačić handing in his resignation as president of theCroatian Tennis Association, which was later refused by the federation's governing board.
Čačić represented HNS in theKukuriku coalition and was the top-listed candidate for the3rd electoral district at the2011 parliamentary election.[13] In the district they won 52.73% of the vote.[14] Following the overall election win, Čačić becameDeputy Prime Minister in thecabinet ofZoran Milanović.
On 29 June 2012 the court of first instance found him guilty for the car accident and sentenced him to 1 year and three months on probation.[15] Croatian opposition politiciansTomislav Karamarko,Jadranka Kosor andDragutin Lesar called for Čačić to resign; members of the ruling coalitionMirela Holy andJosip Leko expressed reservations about the issue.[16] On 14 November 2012 the court of second instance confirmed the verdict and increased his sentence to 22 months in prison.[17] The same day, Čačić resigned from theCroatian Government.[18]
Čačić was ejected from the HNS in January 2014.[19] He was released from prison in June 2014 after serving a year out of his 22-month sentence.[20]
On 28 September 2014 he became the first president of thePeople's Party – Reformists.[21]
Nakon pristiska javnosti, Vlada je 2004. godine bila prisiljena raspisati natječaj za dionicu od Dugopolja do Šestanovca, što se "ispod žita" pokušavalo progurati američkom "Bechtelu".
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ministry created | Minister of Public Works, Construction and Reconstruction 2000–2003 | Succeeded by Ministry dissolved |
| Preceded by Zvonimir Sabati | Prefect of Varaždin County 2005–2008 | Succeeded by Zvonimir Sabati |
| Preceded by | Deputy Prime Minister Serving alongsideNeven Mimica,Branko Grčić andMilanka Opačić 2011–2012 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Economy 2011–2012 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | President ofCroatian People's Party 1995–2000 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President ofCroatian People's Party 2008–2013 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Position created | President ofPeople's Party – Reformists 2014–present | Incumbent |
| Sporting positions | ||
| Preceded by | President of theCroatian Tennis Association 2002–2012 | Succeeded by |
