The Rise and Fall of ORaH

ORaH emerged in 2013 as a promising Green alternative in Croatia, peaking at a 16.8% approval rating in October 2014. However, the party suffered a steep decline, falling to 0.6% after the 2016 parliamentary elections. This failure is attributed to a combination of strategic miscalculations—specifically the decision to support incumbent Ivo Josipović in the presidential elections—and internal structural weaknesses, including a lack of political experience among 80% of its members and a 'top-down approach' that failed to build a grassroots base. The party was also perceived as a 'virtual party' and an 'SDP satellite', eventually being overtaken by other 'third option' parties like Živi zid and Most.

• ORaH experienced a rapid ascent and descent in popularity, reaching a historical peak of 16.8% in October 2014 before falling to 0.6% following the 2016 parliamentary elections.
• The party's initial success was driven by general public dissatisfaction with the government of PM Zoran Milanović and the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), as well as the personal charisma of Mirela Holy.
• A critical strategic error occurred when the party presidency decided to abstain from the presidential elections to support Ivo Josipović, which led the public to perceive ORaH as a satellite of the Socialist-Democrat Party of Croatia (SDP).
• Internal organizational failures contributed to the party's decline, including a complex structure that hindered decision-making, a lack of funds, and a 'top-down approach' that resulted in the party being viewed as 'virtual' and 'elitist'.
• ORaH failed to establish a broad leadership profile, remaining perceived as a 'single-person party' centered on Mirela Holy, while other 'third option' parties like Most and Živi zid successfully crossed the electoral threshold.

APA

Popovic, M. (2016). The Rise and Fall of ORaH. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-rise-and-fall-of-orah/

Chicago

Popovic, Marko. The Rise and Fall of ORaH. Green European Journal, 2016. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-rise-and-fall-of-orah/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Popovic |first1=Marko |title=The Rise and Fall of ORaH |publisher=Green European Journal |date=1 September 2016 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-rise-and-fall-of-orah/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{popovic2016rise, author = {Popovic, Marko}, title = {{The Rise and Fall of ORaH}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2016}, month = sep, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-rise-and-fall-of-orah/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }