We are delighted to invite His Excellency Professor Ivan Grdešić, the Republic of Croatia's Ambassador to the UK, to speak at the University of Glasgow. His seminar will concern Croatia's recent EU membership, which is not only historic and a symbolic 'return to Europe', but also a fundamental democratic process through which the nation will secure independence, prosperity and security.

It was not a simple or politically expedient process. It required taking a higher road and involved dismantling many vested interests and demanded implementation of reforms that were not very popular and not very populist. This was a ten year process of adaptation and change, a process which required political consensus in the polarised Croatian political environment. It was something that was achieved by outside pressure, domestic political opportunism and from time to time with some vision and leadership.

Biography

Ivan Grdešić was the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Croatia to the United States of America, 2000 – 2004 and is now Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Croatia to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. He is a Professor in the Faculty of Political Science, Zagreb and is head of the scientific research projects “Croatian Political System, Governance and Public Policy" and “Elections, parties and parliament in Croatia 1990 – 2000" at the Faculty of Political Science, Zagreb.

He has published in domestic and international journals on Croatia's political systems, democratic transition, elections and public policies. He is the author of two books "Političko odlučivanje" (Political Decision-making, 1995.) and “Osnove analize javnih politika” (Introduction to Policy Analysis, 2006) and is co-author of several books. He is also the Founder and Co-editor of the professional quarterly journal “Političke analize” (Political Analysis).

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