QUO VADIS CROATIA - INTEGRATION PROCESSES, GLOBALIZATION TRENDS AND COUNTRIES IN TRANSITION: HISTORICAL RETROSPECTIVE AND CURRENT MOMENT, WHERE IS CROATIA

During the past ninetieth as well as at the beginning of new century countries in transition were strongly influenced by Euro-Atlantic integration processes and globalization trends, as well as economic neoliberalism. Majority of countries in transition got over transitional crisis and realized positive GDP growth rates in 2000. European, better to say Central European countries in transition achieved best results. They were best prepared for transition and did not allow to be misled by the influence of non-critical application of economic neoliberalism. Majority of European especially Central European countries in transition belongs to the first block of countries for admission into the European Union. The best amongst them is neighboring and friendly Slovenia which will among the first become the member of the European Union and stop being country in transition. Due to sequence of events during the ninetieth, Croatia will have to wait for some time more. So far nobody knows how long will this time take. The most positive fact is that international position of Croatia has essentially changed and improved since the beginning of 2000. By its signing, Croatia rapproched Stabilization and Association Agreement. Croatia clearly declared its strategically-political attitude and desire for as fast as possible integration into the European Union. The promptness of integration of Croatia into the European Union is determined by factors of internal and external character. The first factors refer to efficiency of development of adequate macroeconomic and macropolitical environment. The function of legal and social state, the rule of law, human rights and freedom protection, overcoming maffiacracy and especially GDP growth rate and promptness, are included here as well. Important strategic question that government must answer to is the question of monetary sovereignty, whether to keep it till the end of integration processes or leave it even before integration into the European Union. The other factors which will determine the rate of integration of Croatia into the European Union have foreign-political character. General international economic, political, military and safety situation can influence the acceleration of accession of Croatia into the European Union even before some supposed development criteria are realizaed within 50 percent of average GDP per capita of the countries of the European Union. There is enough presumption for that to happen so we can hope it will turn out well.