The austerity fuelled wave of contention in Croatia – myth or reality?

Abstract

Analyses of protest dynamics in Croatia are rare, partially because until know it was not possible to view them systematically. Relying on the newly collected protest event data 2000-2017, this paper describes the main trends and dynamics of protest activities in Croatia in the observed period. It re-examines Beissinger and Sasse's claim about the absence of austerity related protests in Croatia after 2008. The analysis shows that though protests directly addressing austerity were relatively scarce, when the protest set is expanded to protests which demanded free public education, advocated labour rights, and fought for the right to the city, the prevailing thesis about "quietism" in Croatia can be challenged. The paper aims to relate some of the observed protest dynamics to Kerbo's distinction between movements of crisis and movements of affluence. Focusing on the period between the student movement in 2008 until Facebook protests in 2011, it shows that the student movement and "the right to the city" movement preceded Facebook pro- tests in formulating and expressing socio-economic grievances and articulated anti-systemic sentiment. Due to their strong organizational structure, resources and activists' "know-how", these movements resemble Kerbo's movements of affluence. On the other hand, the 2011 Facebook protests lacked organizational structure and continuous engagement and can be seen as movements of crisis.

Interrupting the neoliberal masculine state machinery? Strategic selectivities and municipalist practice in Barcelona and Zagreb

“…Following the 2008 rupture of a global crisis of capitalist accumulation, the EU and national governments, including those of Spain and Croatia, imposed ‘a raft of austerity measures: public spending cuts shrinking the welfare state, marketization, tax cuts for businesses and intensified workfare’ (Davies and Blanco, 2017: 1521). The crisis management and its socially devastating consequences were met by mass protests and social movements around health, education, housing and labour rights, particularly in the European semi-periphery (Bailey et al, 2018; Balković, 2019). In both Barcelona and Zagreb, new democratic practices developed in occupations of squares (Dolenec et al, 2017; Purcell, 2021).…”

Keeping a roof over your head: housing and anti-debt movements in Croatia and Serbia during the Great Recession

“…The first occurred in 2011, while the second, much larger one occurred between 2013 and 2016. Regarding the first wave, this mobilisation was part of a much larger anti-corruption wave that occurred in Croatia during 2011, with the so-called "Facebook protests" (Balković 2019;Kunac 2011). Regarding the second larger wave, which peaked in 2015, this is when a number of anti-eviction protests took place.…”

“…The origins of the Human Shield trace back to 2011, when it emerged in the wave of anti-government protests (Balković 2019). After these protests subsided, one of the leaders, Ivan Pernar, established a political party, Alliance for Change (Savez za promjene), that intended to contest the upcoming parliamentary election (Večernji List, April 29 2011).…”