Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.52328/t.5.1.4
Quasi-experimental approach to the economic development of Croatia: Were Yugoslavia and socialism better?
Miljenko Antić
orcid.org/0000-0003-2319-3039
; Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Zagreb
Abstract
Croatia was economically and demographically more successful during the period from 1946 — 90 than after the independence. The article investigates the causes of such a situation as well as the theoretical consequences of the case study of the Republic of Croatia. The article explains the causes of the very rapid economic development of the Socialist Republic of Croatia until 1980. However, during the last ten years of the socialist system and communist dictatorship, an economic crisis broke out. This crisis contributed (along with foreign policy circumstances) to the collapse of that system, to the introduction of democracy and capitalism, and to the collapse of former Yugoslavia. Yet, the new system did not meet its expectations. The Republic of Croatia achieved very modest economic results after independence, with a significant decline in population. Although the war contributed to this situation, the post-war results show that the wrong economic policy is the main cause of this failure. The impact of privatization was particularly negative. Theoretically, the case study of Croatia does not confirm the dominant theories about the advantages of democracy over dictatorship, capitalism over socialism or theories that emphasize the advantages of national homogeneity for economic development but it confirms the theories about the influence of economy on democratic transition.
Keywords
socialism; capitalism; democracy; dictatorship; privatization
Hrčak ID:
279349
URI
Publication date:
20.6.2022.
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