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Abstract. This study compared attitudes toward multiculturalism and assimilationism among three ethnic groups (Serbs, Croats, and Hungarians) in two neighboring countries (Croatia and Serbia). Additionally, this study examined the predictive role of ethnic identity on aforementioned attitudes directly and indirectly via symbolic threat. The results showed that Croats and Serbs had less positive multicultural and more positive assimilationist attitudes when in a majority position than when in a minority position. Hungarians, a minority in both countries, did not differ between countries. Additionally, symbolic threat mediated the relationship between ethnic identification and both assimilation and multiculturalism only in Croatia. The group status moderated these effects. Our findings confirm the importance of group's status and national context in understanding the majority–minority intergroup dynamic.

Different countries were successful in different ways in their attempts to contain the spread of the coronavirus, which compromised the health of many people. Stress levels rose and the restrictive measures impacted the citizens' trust in institutions. An important resource for managing crises is a country’s economic growth. Given that the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita is one indicator of economic growth, the goal of this study is to investigate the differences in perceived stress and trust in institutions between European countries categorized into below-average, average and above-average GDP per capita levels during the coronavirus pandemic. The analyses of N = 84,080 participants from 29 countries gathered via an online survey showed that citizens of higher-level GDP per capita countries experienced less stress and had more trust in institutions. Compared to the average level, Croatian citizens experienced somewhat higher stress and had somewhat higher trust in the government’s measures. These results imply that economic growth is one of the country-level factors associated with the quality of managing the coronavirus pandemic.

In Croatia, four minority groups practice their right to education in their respective mother tongues. Relations between the majority and minority groups in the four multiethnic communities have developed under different historical circumstances. Thus, in some regions the different language of the minority and the majority group can be perceived as a threat to identity and result in intergroup prejudice and discrimination, whereas in others it might not. In this study, we wanted to examine: (a) the mediating effect of perceived threat on the relationship between in-group identification and intergroup orientation, (b) whether those relationships are moderated by the group status, and (c) contextual specificities, that is, we wanted to test the model in four different contexts. Results showed that ethnonationalism (rather than ethnic identity) is detrimental for intergroup relations, partially due to its connection to the perception of the out-group as a threat. Model tests in different contexts revealed some contextual differences.