Parliament declares Croatian Flag Day with unanimous vote

Parliament unanimously recognises Croatian Flag Day

ZAGREB, 7 June 2025 – Croatia’s Parliament has unanimously declared 5 June as Croatian Flag Day, commemorating the historic date in 1848 when Josip Jelačić was installed as Ban of the Triune Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia – a moment directly tied to the origins of the modern Croatian flag.

It was on this day that the Croatian tricolour – red, white and blue – was officially flown for the first time.

“All were in favour. I am pleased to announce that the decision to declare 5 June as Croatian Flag Day was adopted unanimously,” said Speaker of Parliament Gordan Jandroković, following a vote in which 117 MPs supported the proposal.

The tricolour soon came into widespread use across Croatian territories during the revolutionary spring of 1848.

With Jelačić’s installation as Ban, a defining moment occurred in Croatian history that cemented the flag’s role as a central symbol of national identity. Jelačić’s original tricolour, regarded as the prototype of Croatia’s national and state flag, is preserved in the collection of the Croatian History Museum, though it is rarely displayed due to its fragility.

The initiative for the new national observance came from MP Andro Krstulović Opara (HDZ), with the support of the Parliamentary Committee on Education and a favourable opinion from the Croatian Government.

Krstulović Opara highlighted that Croats are among the few European nations to have preserved their original flag, which inspired the banner of the Triune Kingdom and later served as the model for the official flag adopted by law on 21 December 1992 – just one day before the adoption of Croatia’s post-independence Constitution.

A replica of this historical flag was brought into the Parliament by Speaker Jandroković, marking the second time in two years it has been presented in the chamber.

Ban Jelacic’s fist Croatian flag (Photo: Croatian Institute of History)

The same tricolour was also displayed in the Sabor on 30 May 1990, during the historic session that established Croatia’s first democratically elected multi-party Parliament.

Krstulović Opara noted that the flag had, at various points, been banned, and he referenced a key development from the previous day: the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (HAZU) adopted a Declaration on the Historical Croatian Coat of Arms, resolving long-standing disputes over the use of the white field in the emblem.

“That coat of arms appeared on the official flag from 25 July until 21 December 1990, alongside the replica of the Ban’s flag, displayed in the chamber until the Parliament building was renovated in 1995. Those who restored the building, under pressure from campaigns against the white field, failed to return it,” he said.

MP Marin Miletić of the Most party also expressed satisfaction that Croatia now officially recognises Flag Day, calling the flag a vital symbol of Croatian statehood and national identity. He also submitted a Declaration on the Historical Croatian Coat of Arms, based on the HAZU document, aimed at removing all attempts to “tarnish the historical Croatian coat of arms with the first white field.”

“That is our historical Croatian coat of arms, and we as Croats have every reason to be proud of it,” he said.

Zagreb

In other matters, Parliament also declared 2025 the Year of Pharmacy in the Republic of Croatia, following a proposal from the Committee on Health and Social Policy with government backing.

The initiative aims to raise the profile and visibility of the pharmacy profession and recognise its vital contributions to public health and safety.

Parliament further adopted the 2024 Defence Report, as well as reports on post-earthquake reconstruction efforts in Zagreb and the regions of Banovina, Karlovac, Zagreb County, and Krapina-Zagorje County.

Meanwhile, Parliament rejected a proposal from the Možemo! parliamentary group that would have required the government to allocate funds within 30 days for the restoration of public and private buildings in Karlovac’s historic city centre.