Editing Croatia (section)

=== Independence ===
{{main|Breakup of Yugoslavia|Croatian War of Independence|Independence of Croatia|History of Croatia since 1995}}

As tensions rose, Croatia [[Independence of Croatia|declared independence]] on 25 June 1991. However, the full implementation of the declaration only came into effect after a [[Brioni Agreement|three-month moratorium on the decision]] on 8 October 1991.<ref name="NYTimes-Declaration-26June1991">{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/26/world/2-yugoslav-states-vote-independence-to-press-demands.html |title=2 Yugoslav States Vote Independence To Press Demands |first=Chuck |last=Sudetic |date=26 June 1991 |access-date=12 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110162855/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/26/world/2-yugoslav-states-vote-independence-to-press-demands.html |archive-date=10 November 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Sabor-Independence-8Oct1991">{{cite web|work=Official web site of the Croatian Parliament|publisher=Sabor|url=http://www.sabor.hr/Default.aspx?art=20091&sec=2462|title=Ceremonial session of the Croatian Parliament on the occasion of the Day of Independence of the Republic of Croatia|date=7 October 2004|access-date=29 July 2012|archive-date=14 March 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314021206/http://www.sabor.hr/Default.aspx?art=20091&sec=2462}}</ref> In the meantime, tensions escalated into [[Croatian War of Independence|overt war]] when the Serbian-controlled [[Yugoslav People's Army]] (JNA) and various Serb paramilitary groups attacked Croatia.<ref name="NYTimes-Otkos10">{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/11/04/world/army-rushes-to-take-a-croatian-town.html |title=Army Rushes to Take a Croatian Town |first=Chuck |last=Sudetic |date=4 November 1991 |access-date=29 July 2012 |archive-date=29 July 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120729183641/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/11/04/world/army-rushes-to-take-a-croatian-town.html}}</ref>

[[File:Vukovar Memorial Cemetery – Eternal Flame, 20150429160745.jpg|thumb|left|[[National Memorial Cemetery of The Victims of Homeland War in Vukovar]], the central place of holding the [[Remembrance Day (Croatia)|National Remembrance Day]], public holiday on [[November 18]], for all the victims of the war in Croatia and the [[Vukovar massacre]], one of the symbolic and crucial events in the [[Croatian War of Independence]] [[1991]]]]

By the end of 1991, a high-intensity conflict fought along a wide front reduced Croatia's control to about two-thirds of its territory.<ref name="NYTimes-Iceland">{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/20/world/croatia-clashes-rise-mediators-pessimistic.html |title=Croatia Clashes Rise; Mediators Pessimistic |date=19 December 1991 |access-date=29 July 2012 |archive-date=15 November 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121115174401/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/20/world/croatia-clashes-rise-mediators-pessimistic.html}}</ref><ref name="LATimes-OccupiedPct-1Aug91">{{cite news|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-08-01-mn-177-story.html |title=Serbian Forces Press Fight for Major Chunk of Croatia |first=Charles T. |last=Powers |date=1 August 1991 |access-date=29 July 2012 |archive-date=16 May 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120516054837/http://articles.latimes.com/1991-08-01/news/mn-177_1_defense-force|author-link=Charles T. Powers}}</ref> Serb paramilitary groups then began a campaign of killing, terror, and expulsion of the Croats in the occupied territories, killing thousands<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/utjecaj-srbijanske-agresije-na-stanovnistvo-hrvatske/175515.aspx |title=Utjecaj srbijanske agresije na stanovništvo Hrvatske |website=[[Index.hr]] |date=11 December 2003 |access-date=12 September 2015}}</ref> of Croat civilians and expelling or displacing as many as 400,000-500,000 Croats and other non-Serbs from their homes.<ref>{{cite web|title= SUMMARY OF JUDGEMENT FOR MILAN MARTIĆ|url= http://www.un.org/icty/pressreal/2007/pr1162e-summary.htm|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071215084458/http://www.un.org/icty/pressreal/2007/pr1162e-summary.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date= 15 December 2007|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{cite web |title=Croatia marks 25 years since war with tolerance message |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/8/5/croatia-marks-25-years-since-war-with-tolerance-message |website=AlJazeera |date=5 August 2020}}</ref> Serbs living in Croatian towns, especially those near the front lines, were subjected to various forms of discrimination.{{sfn|Goldstein|1999|p=233}} Croatian Serbs in Eastern and Western Slavonia and parts of the Krajina were forced to flee or were expelled by Croatian forces, though on a restricted scale and in lesser numbers.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bassiouni |first1=Mahmoud Cherif |last2=Manikas |first2=Peter |title=The Law of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia |date=1996 |publisher=Transnational Publishers |isbn=978-1-57105-004-5 |page=86}}</ref> The [[Government of Croatia|Croatian Government]] publicly deplored these practices and sought to stop them, indicating that they were not a part of the Government's policy.{{sfn|Allen|1996|p=46}}

[[File:16 obljetnica vojnoredarstvene operacije Oluja 05082011 Kninska tvrdjava 155.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|[[Army of Croatia|Croatian soldiers]] raising the flag on the [[Knin fortress]] at a commemoration of the [[Operation Storm]], the Croatian military action which liberated occupied Croatian territories in [[1995]]]]

On 15 January 1992, Croatia gained [[diplomatic recognition]] by the [[European Economic Community]], followed by the United Nations.<ref name="NYTimes-Germany-23Dec91">{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/24/world/slovenia-and-croatia-get-bonn-s-nod.html |title=Slovenia and Croatia Get Bonn's Nod |first=Stephen |last=Kinzer |date=24 December 1991 |access-date=29 July 2012 |archive-date=20 June 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620034701/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/24/world/slovenia-and-croatia-get-bonn-s-nod.html|author-link=Stephen Kinzer}}</ref><ref name="NYT-UN-membership">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/23/world/3-ex-yugoslav-republics-are-accepted-into-un.html |title=3 Ex-Yugoslav Republics Are Accepted into U.N. |newspaper=The New York Times |first=Paul L. |last=Montgomery |date=23 May 1992 |access-date=29 July 2012 |archive-date=11 November 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111013548/http://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/23/world/3-ex-yugoslav-republics-are-accepted-into-un.html|author-link=Paul L. Montgomery }}</ref> The war effectively ended in August 1995 with a [[Operation Storm|decisive victory]] by Croatia;<ref name="LATimes-Storm-Complete">{{cite news|newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-08-08-mn-32662-story.html |title=Croats Declare Victory, End Blitz |first=Dean E. |last=Murphy |date=8 August 1995 |access-date=18 December 2010 |archive-date=12 October 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012140454/http://articles.latimes.com/1995-08-08/news/mn-32662_1_serb-refugees}}</ref> the event is commemorated each year on 5 August as [[Victory Day (Croatia)|Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and the Day of Croatian Defenders]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.total-croatia-news.com/politics/37611-thanksgiving-day|title=Officials Issue Messages for Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day|website=www.total-croatia-news.com|date=4 August 2019|language=en-gb|access-date=4 August 2019|archive-date=5 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405210541/https://www.total-croatia-news.com/politics/37611-thanksgiving-day|url-status=dead}}</ref> Following the Croatian victory, about 200,000 Serbs from the self-proclaimed [[Republic of Serbian Krajina]] fled the region<ref name="bbc-storm"/> and hundreds of mainly elderly Serb civilians were killed in the aftermath of the military operation, often in revenge attacks. There were instances of their property being looted, seized or burned down. Approximately half have returned since then.<ref name="auto"/> Their homes were subsequently settled by Croat refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina.<ref>{{cite book|author=Janine Natalya Clark|year=2014|title=International Trials and Reconciliation: Assessing the Impact of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia|publisher=Routledge|location=London|isbn=978-1-31797-475-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=373cAwAAQBAJ|page=28}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=November 2024}} The [[Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia (1995–1998)|remaining occupied areas]] were restored to Croatia following the [[Erdut Agreement]] of November 1995, concluding with the [[United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium|UNTAES]] mission in January 1998.<ref name="NYTimes-UNTAES-16Jan98">{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/16/world/an-ethnic-morass-is-returned-to-croatia.html |title=An Ethnic Morass Is Returned to Croatia |first=Chris |last=Hedges |date=16 January 1998 |access-date=18 December 2010 |archive-date=18 May 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130518201803/http://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/16/world/an-ethnic-morass-is-returned-to-croatia.html|author-link=Chris Hedges}}</ref> Most sources number the war deaths at around 20,000.<ref name="autogenerated3">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3095774.stm|title=Presidents apologise over Croatian war |publisher=BBC|work=BBC News|date=September 10, 2003|access-date=February 7, 2010}}</ref><ref name="setimes1">{{cite web|url=http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2008/11/20/feature-01|title=Serbia to respond to Croatian genocide charges with countersuit at ICJ|work=SETimes.com|publisher=[[Southeast European Times]]|date=November 20, 2008|access-date=February 7, 2010}}</ref><ref name="tehrantimes1">{{cite news|url=http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=182811|title=UN to hear Croatia genocide claim against Serbia|newspaper=Tehran Times|date=November 19, 2008|access-date=February 7, 2010}}</ref>

After the end of the war, Croatia faced the challenges of post-war reconstruction, the return of refugees, establishing democracy, protecting human rights, and general social and economic development.

The 2000s were characterized by democratization, economic growth, structural and social reforms, and problems such as unemployment, corruption, and the inefficiency of public administration.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Puljiz|first1=Vlado|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=26RVYkUkBXAC&q=hrvatska+nakon+2000&pg=PA43|title=Socijalna politika Hrvatske|last2=Bežovan|first2=Gojko|last3=Matković|first3=Teo|last4=Šućur|first4=dr Zoran|last5=Zrinščak|first5=Siniša|publisher=Pravni fakultet u Zagrebu|year=2008|isbn=978-953-97320-9-5|location=Zagreb|pages=43–52|language=hr}}</ref> In November 2000 and March 2001, the Parliament amended the Constitution, first adopted on 22 December 1990, changing its bicameral structure back into its historic unicameral form and reducing presidential powers.<ref>{{cite web|title=22 December – Christmas Constitution – the first Constitution of the independent Republic of Croatia|url=https://www.sabor.hr/en/about-parliament/history/important-dates/22-december-christmas-constitution-first-constitution|website=sabor.hr|access-date=27 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=History and Development of Croatian Constitutional Judicature – Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia |url=https://www.usud.hr/en/history-and-development-croatian-constitutional-judicature#9 |website=www.usud.hr}}</ref>

Croatia joined the [[Partnership for Peace]] on 25 May 2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.enciklopedija.hr/clanak/partnerstvo-za-mir|title=Partnerstvo za mir – Hrvatska enciklopedija|website=www.enciklopedija.hr}}</ref> and became a member of the [[World Trade Organization]] on 30 November 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mvep.hr/hr/vanjska-politika/multilateralni-odnosi-staro-ijvhj/svjetska-trgovinska-organizacija-(wto)/|title=MVEP • Svjetska trgovinska organizacija (WTO)|website=www.mvep.hr}}</ref> On 29 October 2001, Croatia signed a [[Stabilisation and Association Agreement]] with the [[European Union]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Kronologija: Težak put od priznanja do kucanja na vrata EU – Jutarnji List|url=https://www.jutarnji.hr/arhiva/kronologija-tezak-put-od-priznanja-do-kucanja-na-vrata-eu/3756672/|date=2 October 2006|website=www.jutarnji.hr|language=en|access-date=30 May 2020}}</ref> submitted a formal application for the EU membership in 2003,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uprava.gov.hr/kada-je-i-kome-republika-hrvatska-podnijela-zahtjev-za-clanstvo-u-europskoj-uniji/13976|title=Kada je i kome Republika Hrvatska podnijela zahtjev za članstvo u Europskoj uniji?|website=uprava.gov.hr}}</ref> was given the status of a candidate country in 2004,<ref>{{cite web|title=Kako je izgledao put Republike Hrvatske ka punopravnom članstvu u Europskoj uniji?|url=https://uprava.gov.hr/drzavni-strucni-ispit-789/primjeri-pitanja-i-odgovora-za-srednju-strucnu-spremu/osnove-sustava-europske-unije/kako-je-izgledao-put-republike-hrvatske-ka-punopravnom-clanstvu-u-europskoj-uniji/12417|website=uprava.gov.hr|access-date=30 May 2020}}</ref> and began [[2013 enlargement of the European Union#Negotiation progress|accession negotiations]] in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|title=Evo kako je izgledao hrvatski put prema EU!|url=https://dnevnik.hr/vijesti/hrvatska/evo-kako-je-izgledao-hrvatski-put-prema-eu---292731.html|website=Dnevnik.hr|language=hr|access-date=30 May 2020}}</ref> Although the Croatian economy had enjoyed a significant boom in the early 2000s, the financial crisis in 2008 forced the government to cut spending, thus provoking a public outcry.<ref>{{cite book |first=Ivo |last=Goldstein |author-link=Ivo Goldstein |title=Povijest Hrvatske 1945–2011 |version=3. svezak |publisher=EPH Media d.o.o.}}</ref>

Croatia served on the [[United Nations Security Council]] in the 2008–2009 term for the first time, assuming the non-permanent seat in December 2008.<ref name="MVPEI-UNSC-2008-2009">{{cite web |title=Membership of the Republic of Croatia in the UN Security Council 2008–2009 |url=http://www.mvpei.hr/mvp.asp?pcpid=2531 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130107231744/http://www.mvep.hr/mvp.asp?pcpid=2531 |archive-date=7 January 2013 |access-date=24 September 2011 |publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (Croatia)}}</ref> On 1 April 2009, Croatia joined [[NATO]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Hrvatska postala članica NATO saveza|url=https://dnevnik.hr/vijesti/hrvatska/hrvatska-postala-punopravna-clanica-nato-saveza.html|website=Dnevnik.hr|language=hr|access-date=30 May 2020}}</ref>

[[File:Tratado de Lisboa 13 12 2007 (081).jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|right|Croatia became the 28th EU member country on 1 July 2013.]]

A wave of anti-government protests in 2011 reflected a general dissatisfaction with the current political and economic situation. The protests brought together diverse political persuasions in response to recent government corruption scandals and called for early elections. On 28 October 2011 [[List of MPs elected in the Croatian parliamentary election, 2007|MPs]] voted to dissolve Parliament and the protests gradually subsided. [[President of Croatia|President]] Ivo Josipović agreed to a dissolution of [[Croatian Parliament|Sabor]] on Monday, 31 October and scheduled new elections for Sunday 4 December 2011.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/eastern-approaches/2011/03/06/et-tu-zagreb|title=Et tu, Zagreb?|newspaper=The Economist|date=6 March 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://dnevnik.hr/vijesti/hrvatska/ovo-su-bili-najzanimljiviji-trenuci-u-saboru.html |title=Pogledajte sve snimke sa suđenja Sanaderu |publisher=Dnevnik.hr |date=2011-10-28 |access-date=2011-12-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://odluka2011.dnevnik.hr/clanak/vijesti/predsjednik-josipovic-raspisao-izbore.html |title=Predsjednik Josipović raspisao izbore! |publisher=Odluka2011.dnevnik.hr |date=2011-10-31 |access-date=2011-12-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111203150728/http://odluka2011.dnevnik.hr/clanak/vijesti/predsjednik-josipovic-raspisao-izbore.html |archive-date=2011-12-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On 30 June 2011, Croatia successfully completed EU accession negotiations.<ref name="EU-Negotiations-Completed">{{cite web |date=30 June 2011 |title=EU closes accession negotiations with Croatia |url=http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/824&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en |access-date=24 September 2011 |publisher=[[European Commission]]}}</ref> The country signed the [[Treaty of Accession 2011|Accession Treaty]] on 9 December 2011 and held a [[2012 Croatian European Union membership referendum|referendum]] on 22 January 2012, where Croatian citizens voted in favor of an EU membership.<ref name="EU-Accession-Treaty">{{cite web |date=9 December 2011 |title=Croatia signs EU accession treaty |url=http://europa.eu/news/external-relations/2011/03/20110302_en.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120123185048/http://europa.eu/news/external-relations/2011/03/20110302_en.htm |archive-date=23 January 2012 |access-date=12 December 2011 |publisher=[[European Union]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-16670298|title=Croatia voters back EU membership|work=BBC News|date=1 June 2018}}</ref> [[Croatia joined the European Union]] on 1 July 2013.

Croatia was affected by the [[2015 European migrant crisis]] when Hungary's closure of borders with Serbia pushed over 700,000 refugees and migrants to pass through Croatia on their way to other EU countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bib.irb.hr/datoteka/914376.HuB-SpecialEditiononRefugeeCrisis-100_January2017.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://bib.irb.hr/datoteka/914376.HuB-SpecialEditiononRefugeeCrisis-100_January2017.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=Šenada Šelo Šabić, Croatia's response to the refugee crisis, European Expression, Issue 100, 2016}}</ref>

On 19 October 2016, [[Andrej Plenković]] began serving as the current Croatian Prime Minister.<ref>{{cite web |title=Andrej Plenković – O meni |url=https://www.andrejplenkovic.hr/page.php?id=1 |access-date=17 December 2020 |website=www.andrejplenkovic.hr}}</ref> The most recent presidential elections, held on 5 January 2020, elected [[Zoran Milanović]] as president.<ref>{{cite web |title=Održana svečanost prisege predsjednika Republike Hrvatske Zorana Milanovića |url=https://www.predsjednik.hr/vijesti/svecanost-prisege/ |access-date=23 January 2021 |website=Predsjednik Republike Hrvatske – Zoran Milanović |language=hr}}</ref>

On 25 January 2022, the [[OECD]] Council decided to open accession negotiations with Croatia. Throughout the accession process, Croatia was to implement numerous reforms that will advance all spheres of activity – from public services and the justice system to education, transport, finance, health, and trade. In line with the OECD Accession Roadmap from June 2022, Croatia will undergo technical reviews by 25 OECD committees and is so far progressing at a faster pace than expected. Full membership is expected in 2025 and is the last big foreign policy goal Croatia still has to achieve.<ref>{{cite web|title=The OECD and South East Europe|url=https://www.oecd.org/south-east-europe/economies/see-croatia.htm|website=OECD.org|access-date=27 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=OECD membership means benefits for citizens, higher living standard|url=https://mvep.gov.hr/press-22794/oecd-membership-means-benefits-for-citizens-higher-living-standard/253882|website=Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs|access-date=27 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Croatia's accession to the OECD is progressing faster than expected|url=https://mvep.gov.hr/press-22794/croatia-s-accession-to-the-oecd-is-progressing-faster-than-expected/257332|website=Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs|access-date=27 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=OECD još jedan instrument za unaprjeđenje reformskih procesa, članstvo će nas učiniti još boljom i kvalitetnijom zemljom|url=https://vlada.gov.hr/vijesti/oecd-jos-jedan-instrument-za-unaprjedjenje-reformskih-procesa-clanstvo-ce-nas-uciniti-jos-boljom-i-kvalitetnijom-zemljom/38169|website=GOV.hr|language=hr|access-date=27 June 2023}}</ref>

On 1 January 2023, Croatia adopted the [[euro]] as its official currency, replacing the [[Croatian kuna|kuna]], and became the 20th [[Eurozone]] member. On the same day, Croatia became the 27th member of the border-free [[Schengen Area]], thus marking its full EU integration.<ref>{{cite web |title=Euro and Schengen: Croatia joins the Euro and Schengen areas |url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_7907 |access-date=27 June 2023 |website=European Commission}}</ref>