Nation-states cannot function without their national identity, on which a sense of unity and belonging is built, and from which image and brand are later developed. Croatia has built its national identity and global image on its natural beauty and sporting success. Although these are the fundamental determinants by which others recognize us, Croatia can stand out in many other ways too, but it can also use its geopolitical position to its advantage. Despite having joined the European Union over ten years ago, there are still few scientific and professional papers that analyse how Croatian membership has affected the local population, as well as the state's politics. This is precisely why this paper deals with the question of whether Croatian membership in the European Union has influenced a change of its national identity and image. Its main goal is to study the main components of the strength of national identity as well as the possible elements that we do not take advantage of when it comes to building an image. The qualitative research carried out in the paper is based on a case study and a semi-structured interview with Croatian experts from various social fields with the aim of explaining this issue from multiple perspectives. Through the analysis of the responses of the interlocutors, the conclusion reached is that the European Union, as a community of European states, does not aim to influence the national identity and image or to change it in any way. On the contrary, membership in this type of community and the accompanying financial and economic advantages it brings can have a favourable effect on changes in identity and image, and the work on them remains solely within the jurisdiction of each member country. Even though Croatia is widely recognized in the world today as a small and safe country, it still lacks an umbrella state organization that would systematically deal with building its identity. This way, other sides of Croatian identity would be highlighted, not just tourism and sports.