In addition, he was his party's candidate in the 2009–10 Croatian presidential election, eventually finishing third behind Ivo Josipović, and Milan Bandić, winning 12 percent of the vote in the first round.

[3] Hebrang father joined the Communist Party and fought for the Partisans in World War II, becoming a close friend and adviser to Marshal Josip Broz Tito, eventually becoming a high ranking government member.

However, in the late 1940s he fell out of favor with senior Party members, was arrested for treason by the Yugoslav government, and subsequently disappeared.

His mother Olga was imprisoned for twelve years and the children were sent to live with their aunt Ilona in Zagreb.

They lived very poorly, as Ilona's husband was sent to the prison camp at Goli Otok for several years and she was made to raise the three young children alone.

After the HDZ's victory in the Croatian parliamentary elections of 2003, he joined Sanader's government as one of the two vice-presidents and the Minister of Health and Social Welfare from 2003 to 2005.