Abstract
Despite a decade of authoritarian rule under former President-Prime Minister Franjo Tudjman, Croatia is now the only Balkan State with a consolidated democracy and EU membership. Through analyzing historical events, V-Dem scores, and trade, this paper argues that democratization in Croatia only occurred because of underlying structural and social conditions conducive to democracy, followed by a second wave of democratization facilitated by EU accession standards. This research helps us understand how states recover from communism, what indicators suggest a state is nearing democratization, and how the EU should approach incentivizing democracy in neighboring states. If the EU implements policy reflecting the multi-stage model of democracy, it can advance democratization in the Balkans and thereby accelerate the region's integration into the EU and allow for a peaceful resolution of long-standing regional conflicts.
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Recommended Citation
Smith, Jacob J.
(2025)
"Croatia as a Model for a Democratic Balkans,"
Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union:
Vol. 2025, Article 13.
Available at:
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/urceu/vol2025/iss1/13
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