Matko Laginja

Matko Laginja (August 10, 1852 – March 18, 1930) was a Croatian lawyer and politician.

Biography Born in Klana, he earned a doctorate in law in Graz. In his youth he adopted the political program of Ante Starčević and together with Vjekoslav Spinčić and Matko Mandić brought Croatian national thinking and sharp attacks against the local Italian party and Italian nationalism into the political life of Istria. As a leading local politician, he fought for three decades for a renaissance of the region's Croats. He continued his work in Zagreb, particularly as the ban of Croatia. From 1900 to 1915 he was an attorney in Pula; in 1915 he moved his practice to Zagreb.

He was elected to the Constitutional Assembly as a Croatian Union candidate. He resigned on June 1, 1921 along with ten others issuing a statement against centralization and for a federalized country. After this he withdrew from public life. He died in Zagreb.