Branimir Hup (born 1961) is a Kresimirian politician and trade unionist who has served as a Senator for District IV (Severnivaraje) since 1992. A senior member of Northern Power, he is currently one of the longest-serving members of the Assembly.
Hup represents the “Old Labor” wing of his party. A former truck driver and forestry manager, he champions a traditionalist, Marxist-inspired socialism that focuses heavily on workers’ rights, nationalization, and agricultural subsidies. While he is a staunch ally of party leader Syv Iric on economic issues, Hup is known for his social conservatism and has frequently courted controversy with disparaging remarks regarding the Bosken minority, distinguishing him from the party’s progressive wing represented by figures like Chwa Spas.
Early Life and Labor Roots
Branimir Hup was born in 1961 in Hladna Voda, a rugged logging town north of Bistrica. The Hup family has a long history of involvement in the northern labor movement, serving as mid-level organizers for the Severnivaraje Forestry Cooperative (SFC) dating back to the days of party founder Igor Marlek.
Hup did not attend university. After completing his mandatory military service in the Kresimirian Army (where he served as a logistics driver), he returned to District IV to work as a long-haul timber truck driver. By the late 1980s, his organizational skills saw him promoted to the position of floor manager at a state-run sawmill. During the economic turbulence of the Sanjakorin era, Hup became a vocal defender of the SFC against encroaching privatization by Maj Holdings.
Political Career
Election and the Pavel Iric Era (1992–2002)
In the 1992 election, Northern Power sought to refresh its slate. With the party leader Pavel Iric aging and looking for a younger running mate who could connect with the rank-and-file workers, the 31-year-old Hup was selected.
Hup won the second seat in District IV with 21.9% of the vote. For his first decade in office, he served as the “silent muscle” behind Pavel Iric. While Iric handled diplomatic negotiations in Sinj, Hup focused on constituent services, securing federal grants for modernizing the northern timber fleet.
The Syv Iric Era (2002–Present)
When Pavel Iric retired in 2002, he was succeeded by his son, Syv Iric. Hup, despite being a veteran senator, loyally supported the younger Iric’s ascension. The two formed a formidable political partnership: Syv provided the legal and intellectual framework for the party’s expansion, while Hup mobilized the unions and maintained the party’s grip on the rural base.
Hup played a key role in the “Northern Consolidation,” frequently campaigning in Viskogorje to win over the miners and energy workers who felt abandoned by Vjetrusa.
Hup, alongisde Iric, led the 2018 Bistrica Water Protests, standing on the barricades outside the SeverMin headquarters. Although the protests were ultimately broken by state surveillance, the image of Iric and Hup leading the defense of their city against “poison and police” cemented their status as the unchallenged hero of the north, propelling the party to its 2022 electoral victory.
Legislative Record
- 2013 Public Integrity Act: Hup voted For the act proposed by Syv Iric, delivering a blistering speech attacking Bran Maj as a “leech on the neck of the worker.”
- 2015 Digital Vigilance Act: He voted Against the surveillance bill, arguing that KresiX would be used by the CIA to spy on union organizers.
Ideology and Controversies
Traditionalist Socialism
Hup advocates for a command economy. He has called for the total nationalization of SeverMin and the expulsion of all Sinj-based banks from the north. He is skeptical of environmentalism when it threatens jobs, putting him at odds with the green wing of his own party, though he ultimately follows the party whip on votes.
The “Southern Question”
Unlike the cosmopolitan socialism of his colleague Chwa Spas, Hup holds views on the Bosken minority that are often described as chauvinistic.
- Comments: In 2008, he was recorded referring to the BLF as “guests who complain about the service.” In 2019, he opposed a bill to increase funding for the Bosken Heritage Foundation, arguing that “Kresimirian taxes should build Kresimirian roads, not foreign shrines.”
- Tension: These incidents have caused friction with the BLF, with whom Northern Power often cooperates in opposition to Blue Dawn. Party leader Syv Iric has notably refused to discipline Hup for these remarks, fearing a backlash from the party’s conservative rural base.
2022 Re-election
In the 2022 election, Hup secured his fourth decade in office with 34.2% of the vote, actually outpolling Syv Iric in their home district. This result cemented his status as an immovable fixture of northern politics.
Hup broke with his party leadership again in 2023, voting Against the Harm Reduction Act. While Northern Power leader Syv Iric supported the bill, Hup aligned with the conservatives, arguing that the decriminalization of drugs was a symptom of “urban moral decay” that threatened the traditional values of his rural constituents.