EUROPEAN INTEGRATION PROCESSES Where is Croatia

and Political Studies Moscow, October 17-18, 2002 The fact that by admission of Slovenia the borders of the European Union almost reached Zagreb, repeatedly provoked a discussion about the reasons of lagging behind of Croatia.The author observes the basic reasons (beside the imposed war) in political atmosphere which was unacceptable for international community.Such atmosphere resulted in big mistakes of the entire (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and economic policy (tycoon privatization and the wrong stabilization level).Unacceptable political atmosphere is also shown by the fact that Croatian and Slovenian economists commonly prepared the starting bases of transition.Slovenia consistently implemented this concept, while Croatia completely ignored it.The second wave of democratization (at the beginning of century) created political atmosphere more acceptable for international community and more adequate for economic development.Beside certain progress in economic sphere especially expressed are shifts in direction of somewhat faster integration into the European Union.