Nationalism, liberalism and liberal nationalism in post-war Croatia

In: Nations and nationalism: journal of the Association for the Study of Ethnicity and Nationalism, Band 9, Heft 1, S. 55-82

Abstract

This article analyzes ethnic nationalism and liberalism as expressed in the views of Croatians in the aftermath of the 1991-1995 war-a war during which ethnic-nationalist rhetoric played a large role. Because the war was part of systemic change in the nation, including the adoption of more democratic and capitalist social formation, we also anticipated economic and political liberalism to be present among a sizeable portion of the population. The authors provide an analysis of the structrual conditions fostering these sentiments, an analysis potentially applicable to a range of societies presently in transition. The authors find that three out of five Croatians embrace both ethnic-national views and views that are distinctly liberal, suggesting that liberal nationalism is now dominant in Croatia. The characteristics of groups holding differing views suggest that recent events and current changes in Croatia bode positively for continued growth of liberal sentiments, but this will not necessarily be at the expense of ethnic nationalism. (Nations and Nationalism, ECMI)