Zagreb is OURS! Green Municipalism in Action

The 'Zagreb is OURS!' platform, established in February 2017, secured four seats in the Zagreb city assembly and significant representation in district and neighbourhood councils by employing a grassroots, participative approach to policy-making and campaigning. The movement sought to challenge the long-term authoritarian rule of Mayor Milan Bandić and the neoliberal policies of the Croatian Left through a strategy of 'one foot in the institutions, the other on the streets.' Its programme focused on sustainability, equality, and participation, specifically proposing reforms for waste management, public transport, and the decentralisation of decision-making power to local councils.

• The 'Zagreb is OURS!' platform was formed in February 2017 by a diverse group of activists, trade unionists, and social entrepreneurs to challenge the systemic issues of Zagreb's governance from within political institutions.
• The platform's electoral strategy combined institutional participation with grassroots activism, aiming to decentralise power, increase budget oversight, and ensure citizen participation in city reforms.
• The political programme was developed through a highly participative process involving assemblies of over 100 activists, thematic workgroups, and a website for public commenting and voting on priorities.
• Specific environmental and urban policy proposals included improving Zagreb's waste recycling—the worst among EU capitals—through door-to-door collection, a new sorting and composting plant, and 'pay-as-you-throw' pricing, alongside expanding public transport and cycling infrastructure.
• The 2017 election results saw the platform and its coalition partners win 7.6% of the vote, securing four seats in the city assembly, 21 seats in city districts (averaging 10% of the vote), and 41 seats in neighbourhood councils (averaging 16% of the vote).
• The movement is part of a broader 'New Municipalism' trend in Europe, inspired by 'Barcelona en Comú', which seeks to regain local governance from multinational corporations and national governments to solve collective problems.

APA

Rilović, A. (2017). Zagreb is OURS! Green Municipalism in Action. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/zagreb-is-ours-green-municipalism-in-action/

Chicago

Rilović, Andro. Zagreb is OURS! Green Municipalism in Action. Green European Journal, 2017. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/zagreb-is-ours-green-municipalism-in-action/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Rilović |first1=Andro |title=Zagreb is OURS! Green Municipalism in Action |publisher=Green European Journal |date=14 December 2017 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/zagreb-is-ours-green-municipalism-in-action/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rilovic2017zagreb, author = {Rilović, Andro}, title = {{Zagreb is OURS! Green Municipalism in Action}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2017}, month = dec, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/zagreb-is-ours-green-municipalism-in-action/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }