CURBING THE EXECUTIVE BIAS IN EU ENLARGEMENT POLICY FOR A STRONGER DEMOCRACY IN THE WESTERN BALKANS
CURBING THE EXECUTIVE BIAS IN EU ENLARGEMENT POLICY FOR A STRONGER DEMOCRACY IN THE WESTERN BALKANS

Author(s): Milena Lazarević, Sena Marić
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, Civil Society, EU-Approach / EU-Accession / EU-Development
Published by: Centar za evropske politike CEP
Keywords: EU enlargement; Western Balkan; Rule of law; Democratic institutions; State capture; Civil society
Summary/Abstract: Almost two decades have passed since the countries of the Western Balkans (WB) began their way on the European integration process. From today’s perspective, however, the region’s prospects of achieving EU membership in the foreseeable future appear rather grim. On the EU side, enlargement policy towards the WB is coming to an impasse. Member states diverge in their assessments of aspirants’ performances, with positions that increasingly deviate from those of the European Commission (EC). The most recent examples of this phenomenon include disagreements over the opening of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania as well as granting Kosovo a visa-free regime, in spite of the EC’s positive opinions in all three cases. Moreover, the argument that the EU should focus on internal consolidation before dealing with further enlargement is gaining traction among member states, being most vehemently promoted by France. The hesitation, and the divergence in functional terms from agreed standards and procedures, demonstrated by member states damage the credibility of the enlargement policy and its transformative power in the WB region.

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