The latest headlines in Croatian politics centred on a decades-old incident, which was brought to light by conservative Member of Parliament Hrvoje Zekanović and set off an unexpected storm. The target was Sandra Benčić, the rising star of the green-left party “Možemo!” (We can!) and the party’s prime ministerial nominee. But this wasn’t just politics as usual, it was a calculated attempt to tarnish a reputation. Let’s dive into the tumultuous events that put Benčić’s character in the crosshairs—and how she dodged them.
Benčić in the limelight: parliament’s heated reveal
On October 4, Zekanović took the floor to share a story from 2001, in which an individual referred to as “S.B.” was reported to the police for selling pyrotechnics. As the audience pondered the identity of “S.B.,” it soon became evident that Zekanović was speaking about Sandra Benčić, an opposition parliamentarian and the newly declared candidate of the green-left party “Možemo!” for prime minister.
For two weeks, the right-wing parties launched a systematic campaign against the 45-year-old Benčić. Zekanović’s speech in the parliament clearly fired the starting gun for that character assassination strategy.
Benčić herself clarified the 2001 incident, stating: “I worked as a student at the Christmas fair, selling decorations and firecrackers. The police visited us multiple times to check the expiration dates of the firecrackers, as if students had any knowledge about that. While several students were taken to the police station, the owner was untouched, and we were released immediately.”
Media spotlight on Benčić
Previously, representatives of the ruling majority led by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) blamed her for blocking the bank account of her consultancy firm that many small businesses in Croatia have used. They also trumpeted that Benčić failed to report that she lives in a rented apartment to the Commission for the Prevention of Conflicts of Interest.
Communication expert Josip Jagić, who collaborates with Možemo!, believes that the peak of the negative campaign against Benčić is yet to come.
“The dirty campaign has not yet gained full momentum, but two types of trolls can already be seen on social networks. Some are spreading standard right-wing narratives about Benčić as a Soros stooge and a lover of migrants, while others are bad actors who claim that they were supporters of Možemo!, but have now become disillusioned. Those trolls are aimed at causing despondency among volatile voters, because the HDZ’s greatest strength is the low turnout at the elections,” Jagić said.
HDZ has a stable core electorate of 600,000 to 700,000 voters, which enables them to easily win the elections and form a coalition government with a couple of small parties when there is low voter turnout. Therefore, it is crucial for the opposition to mobilise as many voters as possible.
Benčić’s alleged “crimes” would hardly disqualify her for the position of prime minister, especially since HDZ is the only party in Croatia whose leader has been convicted of corruption and stealing state money. Former HDZ president and prime minister Ivo Sanader (2003-2009) is still serving an eight-year prison sentence for handing 10.4 million euros of public money to a friendly media company.
It quickly became clear that the smear campaign against Benčić was failing. On Croatian Twitter (now known as X), people began to mock the assault on Benčić. Users sarcastically accused her of committing obviously untrue wrongdoings, such as shooting Bambi’s mom or setting fire to the Library of Alexandria.
Benčić’s ascendency and future outlook
Benčić’s prime ministerial candidacy is part of a campaign to mobilise opposition voters. She has become the most popular politician on the left and is one of the most popular women in Croatian politics. Two years ago, the media started writing about her as a potential prime minister if the centre and left parties win the 2024 elections.
Jagić said the announcement of her candidacy has paid off for Možemo! thus far. The party has gained ground in the Crobarometer survey, and Benčić is now the third most popular politician behind President Zoran Milanović (SDP) and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković (HDZ). Her advantage over the two others is that she’s not among the most disliked politicians, where Plenković comes first, followed by Milanović in second place.
Možemo! is well positioned for the Croatian super-election year of 2024, during which European, parliamentary, and presidential elections will be held. “The ferocity of the attack on Sandra Benčić shows that the ruling HDZ is afraid of her candidacy for prime minister. They could have ignored all that, but they didn’t,” Jagić said.
The attempted character assassination of Benčić has so far failed, showing that you need better ammunition if you want such a negative campaign to work. HDZ has not damaged the reputation of Sandra Benčić, quite the opposite. They’ve shot themselves in the foot with such weak accusations.