Europeanization Impact on Croatia's Course to Democracy

Resumo

Due to the perspective of future integration into the European Union (EU), the Balkans countries are set on a clear course towards democracy. Europeanization as a particular dynamic related to the EU role as a global actor, applied to the Croatia post-communist transition, constitute the vector of analysis. This essay aims to address the simultaneously interconnected and heterogeneous responses of Croatia’s post-communist course of change to European integration. In this line of research, we search for answers to how Europeanization affected Croatia’s post-communist transition. This will be pursued through an analysis of the democratization course, mainly regarding political, institutional and social aspects, and economic integration. Despite elements of complementarity and resistance in the working relationship among Europeanization and Croatia government policies, which are highly debatable, we fi nd it has substantial implications on Croatia policy-making.