Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.20901/pm.58.4.03

Maintaining the Boundary: Analyzing the Continuous Importance of Nonpartisanship for Croatian ‘Second Wave’ Advocacy NGOs

Karlo Kralj orcid.org/0000-0002-2929-5020 ; Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, Scuola Normale Superiore

Abstract

Advocacy NGOs in Croatia often emphasize their nonpartisan identity, meaning‎that they do not publicly associate with political parties or declare their‎endorsement of electoral candidates. While such NGOs’ behavior could be‎explained based on overall negative public perception of political parties, as‎well as funding conditions imposed by NGOs’ donors, this article argues that‎the continuous nonpartisan identity of advocacy NGOs is further reaffirmed‎by a specific civil society discourse. Drawing on the analysis of in-depth interviews‎with senior members of nine Croatian NGOs, active in areas of human‎rights, the rule of law, and education, three relevant themes of civil society‎discourse reaffirming NGOs’ nonpartisanship are outlined: (1) idea of civil‎society as an answer to malfunctioning state, (2) NGOs’ legitimation based‎on autonomy and expertise, and (3) perception of political parties as an inherently‎limiting organizational form.‎

Keywords

NGOs; Civil Society; Political Parties; Nonpartisanship; Activism in Post-socialist Europe

Hrčak ID:

265652

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/265652

Publication date:

23.11.2021.

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