The Western Balkans in a New Geopolitical Reality – a Privileged Partnership Instead of Full Membership?
The Western Balkans in a New Geopolitical Reality – a Privileged Partnership Instead of Full Membership?

Summary/Abstract: The following paper represents the author’s attempt to shed some light on the number of hypothetical alternatives regarding the seemingly stalled process of the European integration of Western Balkan states in the new geopolitical reality initiated firstly by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently deepened by the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Through qualitative content analysis as the primary research tool, the authors have established that the explored “plan B“ options are still not considered serious alternatives by mainstream politics in the EU and the negotiating countries, although some academic interest and sporadic political suggestions regarding the topic can be noticed from time to time. The main challenge in the European Union’s indecisiveness towards the region remains the dilemma of how the Union should express its unwillingness to repeat previous mistakes and accept unprepared Balkan newcomers while avoiding giving too much ground to their rival regional competitors.

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