DEMOCRACY, DEMOGRAPHY & DIASPORA: ELECTORAL LEGITIMACY, KEY TO CROATIA’S FUTURE

Abstract

Looking back at thirty years since the founding of the sovereign Republic of Croatia, this article asks to what extent Croatia's electoral process has succeeded or failed in guaranteeing the democratic rights of citizens in a free, healthy, transparent and productive society. Through frank, revealing interviews conducted with noted Croatian political and humanitarian leaders, legal experts, and scholars, this article examines whether the electoral process serves to select leaders who act in the best interests of the people or of politicians with deep roots in the country’s troubled communist past. Does the law confront corruption, wrest control of the government from privileged elites, and result in policies that win public support and create a mandate that officials implement? Are political leaders and parties held accountable for their actions? The answers to these questions demonstrate the key role that electoral law plays in Croatia’s pursuit of its rightful destiny -- a democratic future.