IESET.
Movements·croatia_plenkovic_hdz_eu_integration_2016_present

Croatia Plenkovic HDZ EU-integration reform 2016-present

HRV·2016 – present·HDZ-led governments under Andrej Plenkovic
Leaders: Andrej Plenkovic (Prime Minister, 2016-present)

Doctrine — stated goals and content

Croatia's Plenkovic-era governing programme has emphasised deep EU integration, macro-institutional convergence, and incremental labour-market modernisation. The visible recent policy cluster is Croatia's entry into the euro area and Schengen zone in 2023, alongside Labour Act amendments covering fixed-term contracts, remote work, platform work, and employee information rights.

Policy-content fingerprint — how the framework codes this movement on its axes

↑
trade openness
regulatory.trade_openness
Trade policy openness — tariffs, non-tariff barriers, FTAs, industrial protection.
increased · moderate
more open trade
Euro adoption and Schengen accession reduced currency, travel, and transport frictions with EU partners.
↑
immigration openness
regulatory.immigration_openness
Immigration policy openness — work visas, family reunification, asylum processing, border enforcement posture.
increased · moderate
more open (easier legal immigration, broader asylum)
Full Schengen application lifted internal border checks on persons.
~
labour market flexibility
regulatory.labour_market_flexibility
Ease of hiring/firing, collective-bargaining scope, minimum wage rigidity, temporary/permanent contract regulation.
mixed · moderate
Labour Act amendments tightened fixed-term rules while formalising remote and additional work.
↑
rule of law
institutional.rule_of_law
Rule of law as institutional substrate — contract enforcement, judicial independence, equal treatment before the law. Upstream of most other axes.
increased · weak
stronger rule of law
EU convergence and codified labour rules strengthened predictable legal obligations.

Policies enacted

References