Promoting Political Change and Economic Revitalization in the Western Balkans:The Role of the European Union
Promoting Political Change and Economic Revitalization in the Western Balkans:The Role of the European Union

Summary/Abstract: There is a sweeping consensus among regional elites as well as European and American policymakers, analysts and scholars that the cornerstone of any strategy for stabilizing and revitalizing the region must be the prospect of EU membership. Following this, the author argues that the credibility of the EU’s foreign policy stands or falls with the democratization and revitalization of the Western Balkan region. In order to succeed, the EU cannot simply plug these countries into the existing pre-accession process that worked well in the case of Central European countries. The countries in the Western Balkans need a more dynamic and far-reaching EU strategy that brings more attention and greater resources to bear on supporting positive changes in politics, the economy and society.

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