[2] A native of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kovačević earned a Ph.D. degree from the University of Vienna.
He was outspoken critic of Franjo Tuđman and his handling of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
As a member of opposition alliance that included the left-wing Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDP), he entered the Croatian Parliament in 1995.
As the rule of Franjo Tuđman neared its end, Kovačević, as well as his party, began to distance itself from Croatian political centre and shift to hardline nationalist right, embodied in their new partners Croatian Party of Rights (HSP).
[3] During the 2005 presidential election, Kovačević ran as HKDU candidate, finishing 8th with 0.86% of the vote.