Transformation of the Political Concept of Transition Following the Historical Rupture of 1989/1991 in Croatia

Abstract

This paper aims to contribute to the research on the transformation of political concepts using a case study of transition. This political concept is examined within the period of the so-called historical rupture of 1989/91 in the then Socialist Republic of Croatia, that is, the Republic of Croatia. Setting up a methodological framework based on the work of Michael Freeden and Reinhart Koselleck, the paper attempts to answer the questions regarding the transformation of the political concept of transition, its constituent elements, how they relate to each other and how they reflected the reality of that time. The paper is based on the analysis of the weekly Danas and the monthly journal Banka, along with various other scientific articles, interviews and books. It suggests that by the very development of the political concept of transition at the time, the actors contributed to the context of restoration of capitalism. In the process, these actors divided reality into two main spheres, political and economic, and placed their own perspectives within each of these spheres. In the political sphere, they aspired to democratisation and pluralism of political parties, while in the economic sphere their aspirations were private ownership and greater economic efficiency. As a consequence, the radical changes of that time (historical fracture) were formulated through the political concept of transition, which today largely defines our conception of the recent past.