EXAMINING THE GAP BETWEEN EU FUNDAMENTAL VALUES IN THEORY AND PRACTICE: A CASE STUDY OF MACEDONIA’S JOURNEY TOWARD EU ACCESSION Cover Image

EXAMINING THE GAP BETWEEN EU FUNDAMENTAL VALUES IN THEORY AND PRACTICE: A CASE STUDY OF MACEDONIA’S JOURNEY TOWARD EU ACCESSION
EXAMINING THE GAP BETWEEN EU FUNDAMENTAL VALUES IN THEORY AND PRACTICE: A CASE STUDY OF MACEDONIA’S JOURNEY TOWARD EU ACCESSION

Author(s): Larisa Vasilevska
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, Law, Constitution, Jurisprudence, International Law, Political Theory, Political Sciences, Civil Society, Governance, Public Law, Government/Political systems, International relations/trade, Developing nations, Politics and law, Politics and society, History and theory of political science, Methodology and research technology, Comparative politics, Inter-Ethnic Relations, EU-Accession / EU-DEvelopment, EU-Legislation, Geopolitics, Politics and Identity, Corruption - Transparency - Anti-Corruption, Peace and Conflict Studies
Published by: Institute for Research and European Studies - Bitola
Keywords: International Law; Rule of Law; EU Fundamental Values; Bilateral Disputes; EU Enlargement

Summary/Abstract: The objective of this paper is to assess the gap between the EU’s commitment to its values and the fairness of its accession process, in particular the Macedonian journey to the EU, which is not only contradictory to the EU’s core values but also contradictory to the principle of equal rights and self-determination. For this purpose, the methodology consists of conducting qualitative analysis based on two bilateral agreements and analyzing the evolution of EU requirements and their implications. The paper argues that rather than enforcing the Copenhagen criteria and making the country’s pre-accession progress contingent on the strengthening of the rule of law, the EU has expended enormous effort in what was essentially a political bilateral dispute between states, with the resolution of the dispute to be replaced as a pre-accession criterion. The paper concludes that the EU should return to its fundamental values and prioritize merit-based criteria in the enlargement process, not a politically based decision.

  • Issue Year: 10/2024
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 61-80
  • Page Count: 20
  • Language: English
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