In the first week of collecting signatures in a campaign to call a referendum to revoke the Istanbul Convention, the conservative-backed civil initiative opposing the convention reported on Wednesday they had already collected some 215,000 signatures.

In order for the referendum to be called, the initiative still needs to collect some 160,000 signatures.

The Croatian Parliament ratified the Istanbul Convention in April this year, with vocal opposition from the Catholic Church and conservative groups, and even some senior members of the ruling centre-right Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). They oppose the convention on combating violence against women because they fear that implementing the convention would require national legislation to recognise a third gender, and possibly redefine marriage.

Speaking at a news conference, the initiative’s representatives invited the people “who care for family values, Croatian culture and tradition” to sign the petition during the four remaining days of the campaign.

The initiative must collect signatures from more than 370,000 people, or 10 percent of the Croatian electorate, by the end of this week.

“Each signature counts,” said the initiative’s coordinator, Kristina Pavlovic.

“The 215,000 people who signed for the referendum in the first week expressed their opposition to the ruling political elites, supported quietly by the (centre-left) Social Democratic Party (SDP). Those people represent a potential for positive changes in the future,” said a member of the initiative, Zeljko Sacic.

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