ROLE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES AND CAMPAIGNS AIMED AT ACCESSION TO THE EUROPEAN UNION EXPERIENCES OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC, POLAND, SLOVENIA AND CROATIA

On the road to full membership in the European Union, and after completion of accession negotiations, Croatia must hold a referendum at which Croatian citizens will state their opinions on Croatia's entry into this community. In order for Croatian citizens to become familiar with the benefits of EU membership and in order to influence public opinion so that the outcome of the referendum is positive, the Croatian Government has adopted two communication strategies aimed at informing the Croatian public and gaining support for its European policy. The authors analyze the advantages and disadvantages of these strategies, comparing them with the experiences of other European countries that have successfully passed this road, and point to the untapped communication possibilities.