RECLAIMING THE FUNDAMENTALS - UNLEASHING REFORM POTENTIAL OF THE EU ENLARGEMENT PROCESS
RECLAIMING THE FUNDAMENTALS - UNLEASHING REFORM POTENTIAL OF THE EU ENLARGEMENT PROCESS

Author(s): Jelena Pejić Nikić, Bojan Elek, Dušan Pokuševski, Nikola Mumin, Luka Šterić
Contributor(s): Luka Šterić (Editor)
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, International Law, Inter-Ethnic Relations, EU-Approach / EU-Accession / EU-Development
Published by: BCBP Beogradski centar za bezbednosnu politiku
Keywords: EU accession process; Western Balkans; functional democracies
Summary/Abstract: The study analyses weaknesses of the current EU accession process when it comes to the impact on fundamental reforms in the Western Balkans and offers alternative solutions aiming to maximize the reform potential of the enlargement process. The accession process so far has been both technically and politically flawed in attempting to be the driver of the transformation in the Western Balkans that would generate changes tangible for the citizens and contribute to the development of functional democracies in the region. The lack of will and convincing strategies for accelerating enlargement has been paired with the support for stabilocracy, the dominant EU approach in the last decade, which prioritized stability over reforms. The consequence of this strategy has been the region steadily becoming both less secure and less democratic, with once unquestionable European credibility and influence progressively eroding.

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