Extending the Kin-state Policies via the European Parliament

Mate Subašić’s (University of Liverpool) research focuses on issues related to ethnicity and national identity, particularly as they relate to transnational communities. He focuses on states located in Eastern and Southeastern Europe and the way in which their policies in this regard are expressed in the European Parliament.

In this working paper, Mate looks at the case of Croatia and its kin-state policies aimed at the Croatian community in Bosnia-Herzegovina, as the latter seeks to join the European Union. By studying official documents, interviews with government officials and the work of members of the European Parliament, he creates a three-stage history of Croatia’s campaign to influence European policies on ethnic minority rights. Through his analysis, Mate demonstrates that the European legal framework does not take into account the concept of kin-state, allowing Croatia to expand its policies in this area.

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