Policy-Making at the European Periphery

344 Pages·2019·4.796 MB·English

by  Zdravko Petak, Kristijan Kotarski

EDITED BY ZDRAVKO PETAK AND KRISTIJAN KOTARSKI
new perspectives on south-east europe
POLICYMAKING AT THE
EUROPEAN PERIPHERY
The Case of Croatia
New Perspectives on South-East Europe
Series Editors
Kevin Featherstone
London School of Economics and Political Science
European Institute
London, UK
Spyros Economides
London School of Economics and Political Science
European Institute
London, UK
Vassilis Monastiriotis
London School of Economics and Political Science
European Institute
London, UK
South-East Europe presents a compelling agenda: a region that has chal-
lenged European identities, values and interests like no other at formative
periods of modern history, and is now undergoing a set a complex transi-
tions. It is a region made up of new and old European Union member
states, as well as aspiring ones; early ‘democratising’ states and new post-
communist regimes; states undergoing liberalising economic reforms, par-
tially inspired by external forces, whilst coping with their own embedded
nationalisms; and states obliged to respond to new and recurring issues of
security, identity, well-being, social integration, faith and secularisation.
This series examines issues of inheritance and adaptation. The disciplinary
reach incorporates politics and international relations, modern history,
economics and political economy and sociology. It links the study of South
East-Europe across a number of social sciences to European issues of
democratisation and economic reform in the post-transition age. It
addresses ideas as well as institutions; policies as well as processes. It will
include studies of the domestic and foreign policies of single states, rela-
tions between states and peoples in the region, and between the region
and beyond. The EU is an obvious reference point for current research on
South-East Europe, but this series also highlights the importance of
South-East Europe in its eastern context; the Caucuses; the Black Sea and
the Middle East.
More information about this series at
http://www.palgrave.com/gp/series/14733
Zdravko Petak
Kristijan Kotarski
Editors
Policy-Making at the
European Periphery
The Case of Croatia
Editors
Zdravko Petak Kristijan Kotarski
Faculty of Political Science Faculty of Political Science
University of Zagreb University of Zagreb
Zagreb, Croatia Zagreb, Croatia
New Perspectives on South-East Europe
ISBN 978-3-319-73581-8 ISBN 978-3-319-73582-5 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73582-5
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018940534
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2019
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the
Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of
translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on
microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval,
electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now
known or hereafter developed.
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this
publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are
exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information
in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the pub-
lisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the
material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The
publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institu-
tional affiliations.
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Printed on acid-free paper
This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Springer International
Publishing AG part of Springer Nature.
The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland
C
ontents
1 Croatia’s Post-communist Transition Experience:
The Paradox of Initial Advantage Turning into a Middle-
Income Trap 1
Kristijan Kotarski and Zdravko Petak
Part I Policy-Making Process in the Newest EU Member
State 27
2 Policy-Making Context and Challenges of Governance
in Croatia 29
Zdravko Petak
3 The Europeanization of the Croatian Political System 47
Hrvoje Špehar and Ivan Pepić
4 Political Attention of Croatian Governments 1990–2015 65
Daniela Širinić
5 Interest Groups in the Policy-Making Process in Croatia 83
Igor Vidačak and Kristijan Kotarski
v
vi CoNTENTS
6 P olitical Economy of Corruption, Clientelism and Vote-
Buying in Croatian Local Government 107
Vuk Vuković
Part II Croatia’s Political Economy 125
7 L ong-Term Trends in Croatian GDP Growth 127
Anita Čeh Časni, Petra Palić, and Maruška Vizek
8 M onetary Policy in a Highly Euroized Economy 147
Kristijan Kotarski and Marina Tkalec
9 F iscal Policy and European Semester in Croatia: Why
Should We Focus on Public Debt? 169
Hrvoje Šimović and Milan Deskar-Škrbić
10 B anking Regulation in Croatia: Qualitative
and Quantitative Assessment 187
Milan Deskar-Škrbić, Kristijan Kotarski, and Luka Brkić
11 T he Competitiveness of the Croatian Economy: A
Comparison of Private and Public Sector Enterprises 207
Velimir Šonje
Part III Sectoral Public Policies 227
12 T he Croatian Pension System and Challenges of Pension
Policy 229
Predrag Bejaković
13 H ealth Policy in Croatia: A Case of Free Falling 247
Dagmar Radin
CoNTENT S vii
14 E ducation Policy in Croatia 265
Tihomir Žiljak and Nikola Baketa
15 C ohesion Policy in Croatia: What Have We Accomplished
so Far? 285
Jakša Puljiz, Sanja Maleković, and Ivana Keser
16 F eatures of Croatian Public Policies 303
Ana Petek
17 Q uo Vadis Croatia? The Interplay of Institutions,
Interests and Ideas 321
Zdravko Petak and Kristijan Kotarski
Index 339
C
ontributors
Nikola Baketa Institute for Social Research, Zagreb, Croatia
Predrag Bejaković Institute of Public Finance, Zagreb, Croatia
Luka Brkić Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb,
Croatia
Anita Čeh Časni Faculty of Economics and Business, University of
Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Milan Deskar-Škrbić Erste Bank, Zagreb, Croatia
Ivana  Keser Institute for Development and International Relations,
Zagreb, Croatia
Kristijan Kotarski Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb,
Zagreb, Croatia
Sanja Maleković Institute for Development and International Relations,
Zagreb, Croatia
Petra Palić The Institute of Economics, Zagreb, Croatia
Ivan  Pepić Global Studies Institute, University of Geneva, Geneva,
Switzerland
Zdravko  Petak Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb,
Zagreb, Croatia
ix
x CoNTRIBUToRS
Ana Petek Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb,
Croatia
Jakša  Puljiz Institute for Development and International Relations,
Zagreb, Croatia
Dagmar  Radin Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb,
Zagreb, Croatia
Hrvoje  Šimović Faculty of Economics and Business, University of
Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Daniela  Širinić Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb,
Zagreb, Croatia
Velimir Šonje Arhivanalitika Consulting, Zagreb, Croatia
Hrvoje Špehar Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb,
Croatia
Marina Tkalec The Institute of Economics, Zagreb, Croatia
Igor Vidacǎ k Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb,
Croatia
Maruška Vizek The Institute of Economics, Zagreb, Croatia
Vuk Vuković oraclum Intelligence Systems Ltd., Cambridge, UK
Tihomir Žiljak Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb,
Croatia