The Social Democratic Party supported Stjepan Mesić and Josip Manolić in 1994 when they tried to split a number of parliamentary members from the Croatian Democratic Union in order to spark new elections. They were fierce opponents of the Croat–Bosniak War in Bosnia and Herzegovina which was organised by Franjo Tuđman and Gojko Šušak. The plan eventually failed with Mesić and Manolić becoming marginalised.