A proud member of the Union since 2013, Croatia has recently advanced its own integration by joining the Eurozone in January 2023, setting a precedent for neighboring states (Walker, 2023). Yet, increasing political turbulence risks undermining the progress and discrediting the EU.

What happens when a regime figures out how to Photoshop its tyranny into “democracy”? When the dictator swaps the military jacket for a tailored suit and starts quoting human rights conventions between propaganda speeches?

These anti-corruption protests target the government for its weak investment in adequate infrastructure, failure to pass reforms, and take accountability for the damages. In recent months, students have been demanding larger changes, mainly snap elections (Euronews 2025) to end the twelve-year rule of President Aleksandr Vucic.