 After the new liberal-left government took power in 2000, the leftist parties and organisations were given more breathing space but they were still marginalised in the mainstream media which was still under mostly state control and left to be controlled by right-wing and conservative editors.Except the ruling Social Democratic Party, the remaining opposition left parties were the Socialist Labour Party of Croatia of Stipe Šuvar and the Social Democratic Union which was notable only thanks to Vladimir Bebić.Both of them failed miserably in the 2000 and 2003 parliamentary elections.