Thoughts about the new EU-member - Croatia: the Balkans or Europe?

Abstract

In 2013 European Union is enlarged with a new member, Croatia. A lot of things could come into one’s mind in connection with our Southern neighbour; the red and white chessboard, passionate people, the Croatian gastronomy, the sea with crystal-clear water, memory of a pleasant summer holiday or on the contrary the rifle-shots of the war two decades ago, the ethnic tension, corrupt politicians or war crimes. Croatia, simply known as „Yugo” before 1991, today is present on the map of the EU with its own country image and has been striving to shove off the negative Balkans since it got its independence. The study presents the new EU-member and its image along the concepts of Balkanian and European, as well as, with the results of a questionnaire survey, the picture about it in Hungary by the time of its EU-accession.