Original scientific paper
Croatian Administrative Elite and Governance Problems in the European Integrations Process
Drago Čengić
Sanjin Dragojević
Igor Vidačak
Abstract
This paper deals with the behaviour of the Croatian
administrative elite within the context of legislative and
administrative obligations which Croatia has on its road to
European Union membership. Presented empirical findings
(mostly the qualitative ones) are part of the international
project "After the Accession: The Socio-Economic Culture of
Eastern Europe in the Enlarged Union: An Asset or a
Liability?", realized between 2002 and 2003 in eight Central
and Eastern European countries. We defined here as public
administration the complex of institutions designed for
implementation of formal rules on state level, and by
Croatian administrative elite we mean the key politicians and
experts managing particular state ministries and agencies.
The key research findings can be summarized as follows.
First, there are very visible tensions among the parts of the
administrative elite considering the low level of
professionalism within the central and local public
administration staff. Second, Croatia has no clearly defined
and elaborated EU accession strategy and firmly defined
negotiation position towards the EU. Third, these data warn
us that Croatia still does not have in a real sense an effective
administrative elite along all the lines of a central and local
administrative system. The main reason for that is the
attitude of the political elite which is regarding the
administrative staff only as a politically dependent sub-
-structure and not as a developmental resource of public
administration.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
16062
URI
Publication date:
30.4.2004.
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