Book presentation: “State-Owned Enterprises: Between Ideology, Politics and Efficiency”

Yesterday, a panel discussion on the key challenges of state ownership was held at Business Club 5, marking the publication of the book “State-Owned Enterprises: Between Ideology, Politics and Efficiency” by Darko Tipurić, Lana Cindrić, Zlatko Žuro, and Anamarija Idžojtić.

The discussion featured Domagoj Hruška, Ivo Markotić, Davor Štern, and Anamarija Idžojtić, who presented the book and agreed that the core challenge does not lie in state ownership itself, but rather in the quality of institutions and governance practices. Particular emphasis was placed on the detrimental effects of “morocracy,” political interference, and patronage-based appointments, which undermine the efficiency and long-term sustainability of state-owned enterprises. In such an environment, the professionalization of management structures is often lacking, and accountability becomes diluted, negatively impacting business performance.

At the same time, it was emphasized that state-owned enterprises have the potential to be efficient and competitive, but only if they are grounded in clear rules, meritocratic principles, and robust oversight mechanisms.

The discussion highlighted the need for the depoliticization of governance, the strengthening of corporate governance frameworks, and long-term institutional development as key prerequisites for enabling state-owned enterprises to become genuine drivers of economic growth.