Bosnian Standards or the European Criteria? A Credibility of Brussels in a Crisis Cover Image

Bosnian Standards or the European Criteria? A Credibility of Brussels in a Crisis
Bosnian Standards or the European Criteria? A Credibility of Brussels in a Crisis

Author(s): Bedrudin Brljavac
Subject(s): Social Sciences
Published by: EDITURA ASE
Keywords: The Bosnian Standards; European Union; Europeanization; European Criteria; International Community; Capability-expectations Gap; Credibility Crisis

Summary/Abstract: There is a wealth of literature and academic writings in which the European Union member states are criticized for not speaking “with a single voice” with regards to its common foreign policies. Similarly, in this paper I analyzed the European Union approach towards Bosnia and Herzegovina in terms of all-embracing Europeanization process of BiH from the angle of the EU's capabilities to affect domestic policy-making process. We came to conclusion that the EU is deeply divided, incoherent, and weak in terms of its Europeanizing policies in Bosnia thus further deepening political impasse in the country. This also proves that to some extent the EU itself is responsible for long-lasting status quo in the country since it is today having a role of international player from which Bosnian ordinary citizens have quite high expectations. This is a serious credibility gap for the EU since it could not assert and prove itself as an attractive and powerful actor that is capable of resolving cumbersome Bosnian enigma.

  • Issue Year: 2011
  • Issue No: 17
  • Page Range: 103-119
  • Page Count: 17
  • Language: English