ABSTRACT
The development of modern civil society in Croatia is full of radical social and political conflicts and changes. In the 20th century Croatia was a part of five different states and political systems: The Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary; the authoritarian Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Kingdom of Yugoslavia; the fascist Independent State of Croatia; and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Croatia has been an independent, democratic republic, which joined the European Union in 2013 as its youngest member. The labeling of numerous political actors as populists usually in a derogatory sense is a frequent occurrence in the Croatian media and in public political communication. Systematic research on the characteristics of populist supporters and on how populist rhetoric influences citizen's attitudes, emotions, and perceptions of social reality is close to non-existent in Croatian social sciences. Recent developments on the political scene, corresponding with the economic crisis that began in 2009, confirm that populism has emerged in Croatia as an ideology.
