POLITICAL GRAMMAR OF FEDERALISM AND THE CROATIAN EXPERIENCE

Za razliku od većine europskih zemalja klasičnog ustavnog prava koje su gradile ustavnu demokraciju bez federalizma, Hrvatsku je tijekom ustavnog razvoja u 20. stoljeću obilježilo gotovo polustoljetno iskustvo života u saveznoj državi socijalističkog tipa. Iako je najveći dio života FNRJ, odnosno SFRJ (1945.-1990.), a s njom i Hrvatska prakticirala fasadni federalizam njeni su akteri volens-nolens ipak imali priliku otkrivati političku kulturu federalizma. Može li hrvatsko iskustvo teorije i prakse federalnog načela biti od koristi u nastojanjima ulaska Republike Hrvatske u europske integracije? Stajalište je autora da tome nastojanju doprinosi svaka ona akcija koja nadilazi tradicionalne pozitivističke kanone i potencijal federalnog načela sagledava kao otvoreni koncept utemeljen na potrebi očuvanja identiteta i različitosti Hrvatske u EU kao složenoj asocijaciji europskih država kojoj je ustavna tolerancija prvo načelo.In contrast to the majority of classic constitutional law countries which built constitutional democracy whithout federalism, Croatia, during constitutional development in the 20th century, has been marked by its experience of almost half a century of existence in a socialistic type of federation. For the greater part of its existence, the FNRJ (that is the SFRJ - Socialistic Federal Republic of Yougoslavia) (1945-1990), and within it Croatia too, practised a facade of federalism (CJ Friedrich). Neverthless, those involved, like it or not, had the opportunity to discover the political culture of federalism. Can the Croatianexperience of theory and practice of the principle of federalism be of use in the Republic of Croatia’s efforts to enter European integration? The author’s view is that every effort which surpasses traditional positive canons and which considers the potential of the federal principle as an open concept contributes towards this endeavour. This concept is based on the need to maintain Croatian identity and diversity in the EU which is a complex association of European states in which constitutional tolerance is the first principle