The president of SDP, Ivica Račan, blamed for the election defeat and the loss of power in government, should have left his position immediately after the results were announced; he is still trying to protect his leadership position. He is losing his ground both in the party and with social democrats: everyone who is questioning his responsibility for losing the elections accuses him of wanting to end social democratic ideas in Croatia. On Friday 28 November, at a meeting with the presidents of the SDP county organization, he convinced the party leaders that the party really did not do poorly in the elections and that the party is still an influential political factor in the country. Aware, however, that the frustrated and unhappy election base cannot be kept in control with him as their leader, he announced that he will go to all party organizations to explain what happened during the elections. In the meantime, Račan is telling his colleagues that there is no reason for worry or despair, and he is suggesting that they should look up to him because he is relaxed and spends his time playing tennis. Really: everyone who knows Račan well knows that after he was freed from his Premier position, he intimately feels much better. Furthermore, he is satisfied because he will no longer be under constant pressure and stress, and he will once again live without worry and responsibility. That is the reason why Ivica Račan is acting like a man who has been relieved of hardship, and not as a politician who has experienced a difficult election defeat. Along with that, the coalition partners and party colleagues complained weeks before the election that they have the impression that Račan gave up and accepted the election defeat, and that there was no enthusiasm or desire for him to win; in fact they believe that he acted as if the possible election defeat does not worry him… Račan’s behavior proves that their suspicions were right. Even though Račan’s behavior is understandable, this behavior is absolutely unacceptable for his party.

Račan is already leaving the impression that he is an old fashioned politician, how will he act as a 64 year old man at the next elections? LEAD Račan appears satisfied, and is not acting like a politician who has experienced a difficult defeatEven though Račan has been described as a “lucky looser”, most members of SDP and their voters feel defeated, disappointed, and powerless. Most are aware that if Ivica Račan leaves the party, they can stop the further erosion of the party and the loss of support by voters. Not many have the courage or the strength to publicly seek his resignation. Račan has, however, turned out to be an untouchable leader: he cleansed the party of all potential political opposers, especially those that had the ambition to proclaim their own opinion and standpoint. In the party, there remained only those that were completely loyal to him. That is the reason why among social democrats, which used to gather the significant intellectual potential of the country, there are no longer distinguished intellectuals, scientists, or cultural, political and public officials. The largest portion of the left oriented intellectual potential today has completely distanced themselves from SDP because within the party it is impossible to form a critical mass that would at least fight for an open discussion on the reasons that SDP lost the elections and power. That is why in the party and in the public, the impression has been formed that there is no one to take over Račan’s position. Who recognized in the 1980’s that Ivica Račan, a then fairly anonymous member of the Communist Party, could be a leader in the party for over 15 years. Who could assume in 2000 that Ivo Sanader, then completely outside of the elite HDZ core, would become an unquestionable leader who will lift a completely devastated party from the ashes and face the most powerful people in the former government in the end winning the elections?

The claim that there is no one to take over Račan’s position is damaging SDP: there is a necessity for transformation, even though it resembles the Bolshevik period where the top leaders left power in the party only after their death. Račan has been the leader of SDP for 15 years. When we add in the fact that he was a leader of SKH from the mid-seventies, it is then clear that he has had one of the longest terms as a European party leader. This is a long period and a political leader of his constitution and energy is most likely completely burned out. That is why Račan, as a leader, has nothing new to offer. This is most necessary for SDP: new, modern ideas adapted to the new social and economic relations, as well as young leadership that will prepare the party for the elections in 2007.

That is why Račan’s departure from the presidential position in SDP is unavoidable.

Račan, without a doubt, has personally made a strong positive mark on the development of democratic relations in society, promoting tolerance as a dominant political model, and has secured a peaceful transition twice from totalitarianism into a democratic system: in 1990, when he handed over power from the communists to Tuđman, and in 2000, when he took over leading the country from HDZ. Račan has also: changed the perception of Croatia throughout the world and has brought Zagreb closer to the EU; secured macroeconomic and political stability; placed a foundation for economic development and growth; and created a transportation and tourism revolution in Croatia. He has also managed to keep the social democratic party strong during the period that was repressed by Tuđman; that was in no way easy. The problem is that Ivica Račan is no longer a politician of today, let alone of the future. These elections have shown that time has taken its toll, and that he does not know how to adapt to the new, modern method of political operation and marketing. Despite all of Račan’s successes, the argument for his departure is more significant and strong.

First of all, in the democratic world that Račan likes to refer to, it is common for the leaders of parties that lose in the elections to leave their positions in the party. The reason is simple: defeat is the best indicator that one model of political leadership is worn out; along with that, political losers rarely return unless they are young. Račan is not.

These elections were a showdown between two political leaders, Ivo Sanader and Ivica Račan; they had little to do with their parties. Looking at it this way, Sanader defeated Račan. Sanader was portrayed in his pre-election campaign as a decisive, strong politician who knows what he wants: both on the billboards and television commercials, he exploded with strength, energy and confidence. Račan, who had strong arguments on his side, left the impression that he was a tired and worn out individual; his campaign was non convincing and had no serious and attractive political ideas which would mobilize voters. Račan, however, completely compromised the ideas of social democracy so that very few who enter SDP can recognize the party of modern social democratic ideas and principles.

Most importantly: as in the last three and one half years when Račan, due to weak media communication, did not know how to present the success of the leading coalition, that is how during this pre-election campaign he did not know how to communicate with the public. He confirmed that he is an old school politician. Račan might have been good at operations behind the scenes, but he is most likely not prepared for the role as a political front man and leader. Due to the fact that the characteristics of the two leaders are permanent, as the years go on it is clear that if Ivica Račan remains president of SDP during the next elections, the difference between the two leaders with become more defined. In that case, Račan will be four years older and more tired, with even less energy and enthusiasm, and his chances against the decade younger Sanader will be lowered to a minimum. In 2007, when the next elections should be held, Račan will be 64 years old. If he already leaves the impression that he is an old fashioned politician without new ideas, and if he did not manage to portray himself in 2003 as a modern political fighter, how will this appear in four years time? Nothing short of tragic.

During these elections, the voters clearly showed that the desire a new face and that they require a new politician with new ideas. They are tired of the old political leaders. Because of that, the results of the election showed the end of the political careers for older party leaders: Dražen Budiša, Ivić Pašalić, Miroslav Tuđman, Ante Kovačević, Mate Granić… The current circumstances saved Zlatko Tomčić from experiencing their fate.

The political fate of Dražen Budiša is one more argument as to why Ivica Račan should resign from the presidential position of SDP. Because he did not know how to depart on time, Dražen Budiša experienced an unfortunate end to his political career; even worse, he pulled his entire party down with him. If Ivica Račan does not resign, SDP will lunge towards failure by the next elections. This no longer an issue of Ivica Račan and the party leadership, this deals with SDP on the political scene in Croatia. Socialist and social democratic ideas showed that they could deal with the political throwback that was present in the country. SDP proved itself as a party that was a prerequisite for stability in the democratic system as well as much more- the generator for democratic changes and necessary economic and political reforms. The fact that social democratic ideas are especially potent is shown by the significant number of voters that gave their votes to social democratic options instead of giving their votes to Ivica Račan. That is why a modern and strong social democratic party is extremely necessary in Croatia, along with balanced, democratic social development. In the upcoming years, SDP can exist only if it is led by people that understand the new needs and desires of voters.

The final appearances by Ivica Račan, after everyone from coalition partners to his election base accuse him of being the reason why SDP was defeated, prove that he will not let go of power. Without that, there will be no modernization within the party. By the current statute, the president of the party has imperial authority; he personally selects, terminates or names party leaders, and has a form of immunity from them. When the internal relations would be democratized, when the party would be modernized and opened towards the left oriented intellectual potential outside of SDP, social democracy would not be a problem in Croatia. Then a new leader would be found to replace Račan.

If Račan holds his position as the party leader and enters a conflict with everyone who, for example, dared to ask logical and completely necessary questions on his resignation, that is when SDP will finish like Budiša’s HSLS. If Račan departs on time, as Savka Dabčević-Kučar did in HNS, he would allow the new generation of SDP to take hold of the modern challenges faced by their time.