A Brief Review of Civil-Military Relations in the Republic of Croatia
A Brief Review of Civil-Military Relations in the Republic of Croatia

Summary/Abstract: Modern civil-military relations theory is concerned with the distribution of power and influence among individual elements representing the civilian authority and the armed forces. This review presents a brief examination of civilmilitary relations in Croatia – including past and present factors affecting its development. The Croatian Constitution, the Law on Defense and other defense legislation represent legal parameters defining the special relationship between popularly elected politicians, appointed bureaucrats and soldiers. The Croatian Ministry of Defense and its General Staff are in the process of reforming and reorganizing. The new structures, although tailored for Croatia's needs, are also very similar to those of Western defense institutions. The present civil-military challenge for Croatia lies in achieving the adequate balance between its “desire” for democratic development and liberalization, on the one hand, and its conservative, traditional “need” for military security, on the other. In Croatia's case, it is a question of the extent and nature of the application of civilian control exercised by the political leadership. Primarily, this implies the critical role of the Croatian Parliament, or rather the potential role it could play in military affairs.

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