The Lion & The Ringmaster: Croatia's Accession to the European Union
July 1, 2013 marked Croatia's official induction into the European Union. For Croatia this was the culmination of a long negotiation process filled with concessions and challenges. This situation inspired the question of how Croatia's alliance with the EU has affected the state? In order to analyze this relationship the aspects of Croatian identity and sovereignty were explored, in addition to the EU's principles and problems regarding member and candidate states. The evidence found within this investigation came from a number of literary sources ranging from the academic to official government documents. Furthermore, nine interviews were conducted within Croatia, which explored how the EU's influence has affected the Croatian state. Through this research it was conclusively found that Croatia's alliance with the EU creates problems and exasperates existing issues within the country. Furthermore, this situation showcases a pattern of discrimination within the EU that benefits Western European EU states at the expense of its Central and Eastern counterparts. As a result, the recommendations would be to promote awareness of the double standards and discriminations occurring within the EU, which victimize Central and Eastern European states, so that these countries may be able to preserve their identity and sovereignty.
The European Union, South-Eastern Europe and the Europeanization of Croatia
In this paper the author argues that the Europeanization and transition of postcommunist countries are one and the same process. In his opinion the transition is essentially – Europeanization. In South-Eastern Europe this causes a political shift from the nationalist forces to the pro-European forces. The collapse of former Yugoslavia caused a slowdown of Europeanization; however, if the newly formed nation-states want to prosper and if the European Union wants security and stability on the continent, the process of Europeanization has to be successfully completed.
The Balkans: A Post-Communist History
1. Conceptual Frameworks: 'The Balkans' and the Nature of Post-Communist Democratization and Economic Transformations 2. Albania: Between a Rock and a Hard Place 3. Bulgaria: The Devil has all the Best Tunes 4. Romania: The Road to the EU is Paved with Good Intentions 5. Croatia: Paying a Price 6. Serbia: From Serbdom to Pariahdom 7. Bosnia and Herzegovina: The Travails of Coexistence 8. Macedonia: Towards a Bi-National State? 9. Montenegro: To Be or Not to Be? 10. Kosova: The Forging of a Nation and a State 11. The Post-Communist Balkans, the West and the EU: Major Challenges and Contradictions between Rhetoric and Reality