QUO VADIS CROATIA: AFTER 5 YEARS OF MEMBERSHIP IN THE EUROPEAN UNION?

Since its independence, Croatia has not been successful in establishing a comprehensive and systematic economic policy. Individual policies, that have been pursued, have generally been neither well-conceived nor well-prepared. Those in power used to spend most of their time and effort in trying to persuade the people in the success of their policies even when it was obvious that they would not prove to be successful. Often, due to ignorance and inability to create the necessary policies, steps were taken to show that something is being done, though they probably did not believe in the appropriateness of these moves themselves. In the absence of complete and systematic policies, they tried to pursue with partial policies by believing in their peculiar abilities. Privatization, a stable macroeconomic framework and a stable currency, pension reform, investment in infrastructure, membership in international organizations and integrations, etc. are by no means bad policies. But that can be the case if preparations are not good and wholesome and do not include the whole economic and social system. Such an approach was lacking and as a result Croatia is at the bottomend of the EU. Through the years of accession negotiations with the EU (since 2004), the introductory article was titled: QUO Vadis Croatia? aiming for Croatia to become a full member as soon as possible, striving to give its contribution to the accession and hoping that an EU membership will get Croatia’s politics out of a dead end. After Croatia entered the EU (2013), we stopped writing the introductory article Quo Vadis Croatia? After five years of membership, Croatian economy sinks to the bottom of the EU, people are emigrating, as the most obvious proof of a failed policy, and we have to readdress the title (question) Where are you going Croatia?