Europeans from the Start? Slovenia and Croatia Between State-building, National Identity and the European Union

The article draws on Hansen and Wæver’s three-layered framework of state-nation-Europe, applies it to Slovenia Croatia. aim is examine how nation- state-building affect these countries’ Europeanization before after EU accession. novelty the contribution specific attention paid post-Yugoslav space as a reference for state-building. Our findings underline that Slovenian Croatian state-nation concept its relationship Europe are not per se fixed frames, but fluid attitudes, prone change reaffirmation. We also establish comparative difference between domestic relational layer two states.