The Development of Security Community in Croatia: Leading the Pack

Of the former Yugoslav republics, Croatia is in an enviable position. After years of difficult reforms and restructuring, its efforts are paying off. The country recently assumed a seat on the UN Security Council, it joined NATO and there is an expectation of forthcoming EU membership. Through these steps, the country has begun to integrate into the well-established Euro-Atlantic community. This article explores the depths of this integration through the theoretical lens of security community. We draw conclusions regarding security community in Croatia to provide lessons for NATO’s New Strategic Concept. Ultimately, we argue that NATO must remember that there remain security concerns in the European neighborhood, even in apparent successes like Croatia.