Boj Volansky is a former Kresimirian politician who served as a Senator for Decelska for thirty years and led the Civic Renewal Front (CRF) from 1999 to 2021. His long leadership is a tale of two distinct eras: an initial period of consolidation followed by a severe decline that nearly destroyed the party, culminating in his own dramatic and unprecedented electoral defeat in 2022.
Early Career and Rise to Leadership
Boj Volansky was first elected to the Assembly in the landmark 1992 election. He was part of the wave of new CRF senators who swept into office under the successful leadership of Mia Marija Pavlovic, bringing the party to a historic high of six seats. Representing District IX, he quickly established himself as a capable legislator and a key figure within the party.
In 1999, after Pavlovic’s retirement from the leadership, Volansky was chosen as her successor. He inherited the leadership of a party at the peak of its influence, tied with Blue Dawn as the largest faction in the Assembly.
Leadership of the Civic Renewal Front (1999-2021)
Volansky’s tenure as leader is overwhelmingly defined by a steady and then catastrophic decline in the party’s fortunes.
Initial Decline
His first test as leader, the 2002 election, saw the CRF lose two of its six seats, falling to a total of four. This marked the beginning of a downward trend, as the party struggled to maintain the momentum built by Pavlovic.
Catastrophe and Internal Dissent
The 2012 election was a disaster for the CRF. The party lost half of its remaining seats, collapsing to a low of just two members in the entire Assembly: Volansky and his colleague Florijan Kostic. This result mirrored the party’s near-death experience in 1972 and led to widespread calls from within the CRF for Volansky to resign.
However, Volansky steadfastly refused to stand down. His leadership style in his later years was widely seen as increasingly out of touch and arrogant. He was criticized for a series of major blunders, including poorly received public statements that alienated voters and a failure to adapt the party’s platform to the rising influence of Northern Power and a resurgent Vjetrusa. His refusal to accept responsibility for the party’s dire state created a deep and bitter rift within the CRF. The surprise victory of newcomer Vesna Horvatin in the 2014 special election created a clear rival and a focal point for the anti-Volansky faction.
The 2022 Election and Political Downfall
The internal crisis reached its peak in 2021. With the party machinery now firmly behind Horvatin, the CRF’s executive council formally removed Volansky as leader and installed Horvatin in his place.
In an unprecedented move, Volansky refused to accept the party’s decision. He announced his intention to run for his District IX seat in the 2022 election as a CRF candidate, in open defiance of the new leadership. In response, the local CRF organization in Decelska, with the backing of the national party, launched a campaign against their own thirty-year incumbent. They nominated a popular local member, Ana Tomic, to run against him.
The election resulted in a dramatic showdown in District IX. The presence of two CRF candidates split the liberal vote. While Blue Dawn leader Ari Stov won the first seat, the race for the second was a direct contest between the old guard and the new. Ana Tomic ultimately prevailed with 26.1% of the vote. Boj Volansky finished in third place with 20.3%, a humiliating defeat that ended his three-decade career in the Assembly.
Legacy
Boj Volansky’s legacy is deeply controversial. He is remembered as the leader who inherited a party at its zenith and presided over its near-total collapse. While his long service is acknowledged, his final years are seen as a cautionary tale of a leader who failed to recognize the need for change and whose refusal to step down led to a bitter internal conflict and a dramatic public downfall.