Croatia: A Stable Western Ally and a Playground of External Contestation

Višeslav Raos / 24 May 2023

Croatia is a committed member of the EU and NATO and a stable ally of the United States in the region. Yet, it has been experiencing illiberal tendencies since becoming an EU member, marked by widespread corruption and a weakening of independent institutions which should control the executive.

This stems from the dominant position of the HDZ party and not from external influence. However, non-Western external actors can use these illiberal tendencies to expand their influence. Find out which instruments have been employed by these actors in the pursuit of exerting greater influence in Croatia. A second analytical study titled Croatia: A Stable Western Ally and a Playground of External Contestation was written as a part of PSSI's Western Balkans Project.
 

The analytical study was written as a part of PSSI's Western Balkans Project.