Download or read book Stagnation and Drift in the Western Balkans written by Marko Kmezic and published by Peter Lang Gmbh, Internationaler Verlag Der Wissenschaften. This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume allows a new generation of scholars, from the Balkans and beyond, to shed light on some of the struggles the region faces. The combination of post-communist and post-conflict transition, together with the current economic and financial crisis, pose difficult challenges for the Western Balkans. What is the state of democracy in the region? Are the countries of the Western Balkans stuck somewhere between authoritarianism and genuine democracy? What are the remaining obstacles to state building? What effect has the crisis had on young people in the Western Balkans? These are some of the questions the authors of this volume seek to answer. The studies look at different countries and combine methods from various disciplines ranging from political science, history, economics and law to sociology, anthropology and cultural studies.

Download or read book The Rise of Authoritarianism in the Western Balkans written by Florian Bieber and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2019-09-30 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the stagnation of democracy in the Western Balkans over the last decade. The author maps regional features of rising authoritarianism that mirror larger global trends and, in doing so, outlines the core mechanisms of authoritarian rule in the Balkans, with a particular focus on Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia. These mechanisms include the creation of constant crises, the use of external powers to balance outside influences, as well as state capture. The authoritarian patterns exist alongside formal democratic institutions, resulting in competitive authoritarian regimes that use social polarization to retain power. As the countries of the Western Balkans aspire, at least formally, to join the European Union, authoritarianism is often informal.

Download or read book The Europeanisation of the Western Balkans written by Jelena Džankić and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-09-21 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume casts a fresh look on how the political spaces of the Western Balkan states (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania) are shaped, governed and transformed during the EU accession process. The contributors argue that EU conditionality in the Western Balkans does not work ‘effectively’ in terms of social change because rule transfer remains a ‘contested’ business, due to veto-players on the ground and strong legacies of the past. The volume examines specific policy areas, salient in the enlargement process and to a different degree incorporated in the accession criteria, as well as EU foreign policy in the spheres of post-conflict stabilisation, democratization and the rule of law promotion.

Download or read book Electoral Violence in the Western Balkans written by Michal Mochtak and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-07-20 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the end of the Cold War there have been a number of cases where the democratization process has been turbulent, or even violent. Addressing electoral violence, its evolution and impact in the Western Balkans, this book explores the conflict logic of election and tries to understand its basic patterns. Two decades of electoral competition in the region are analysed to identify an interesting evolution of electoral violence in terms of forms, actors, motivations and dynamics. By identifying the potential drivers of electoral violence and explaining the escalation and stimulus of violence-related events, the author combines a theoretical approach with original data to emphasise the variability of the phenomenon and its evolution in the region. The book will appeal to students and scholars of post-communist Europe and democratisation processes and the Western Balkans in particular. It should also be of interest to political advisors and those involved in developing or implementing democratisation programmes.

Download or read book Europeanisation and Memory Politics in the Western Balkans written by Ana Milošević and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-10-15 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume explores how the process of European integration has influenced collective memory in the countries of the Western Balkans. In the region, there is still no shared understanding of the causes (and consequences) of the Yugoslav wars. The conflicts of the 1990s but also of WWII and its aftermath have created “ethnically confined” memory cultures. As such, divergent interpretations of history continue to trigger confrontations between neighboring countries and hinder the creation of a joint EU perspective. In this volume, the authors examine how these “memory wars” impact the European dimension - by becoming a tool to either support or oppose Europeanisation. The contributors focus on how and why memory is renegotiated, exhibited, adjusted, or ignored in the Europeanisation process.

Download or read book The Western Balkans in the World written by Florian Bieber and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-06-26 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a detailed understanding of how different types of engagements impact upon the reform and EU integration of the Western Balkan region. It examines the influence of Russia, China, Turkey and the UAE in the region and analyses the range of existing links. Contributors offer an academic and multifaceted perspective of the role of external and non-Western actors in the region that goes beyond, on the one hand, the tendency of some Western decision makers to perceive all engagement by third powers as a sinister threat and, on the other, the view of regional governments of all external involvement as a boon coming at a time of Western neglect and reduced foreign investments. By looking at the importance of Russia, Turkey, China and the UAE in the Western Balkans, the book sheds light on one key arena of global competition, offers new insights on the strengths and weaknesses of Euro–Atlantic integration and advances our knowledge of foreign policy and its economic, social and security dimensions for small and medium-sized countries. It will be of interest to academics, postgraduate and research students, and think-tankers with research interest in IR and Southeast European Studies. European decision makers will also gain an insight into the extent of non-Western influence in the region.

Download or read book Western Intervention in the Balkans written by Roger D. Petersen and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2011-09-30 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Conflicts involve powerful experiences. The residue of these experiences is captured by the concept and language of emotion. Indiscriminate killing creates fear; targeted violence produces anger and a desire for vengeance; political status reversals spawn resentment; cultural prejudices sustain ethnic contempt. These emotions can become resources for political entrepreneurs. A broad range of Western interventions are based on a view of human nature as narrowly rational. Correspondingly, intervention policy generally aims to alter material incentives ('sticks and carrots') to influence behavior. In response, poorer and weaker actors who wish to block or change this Western implemented 'game' use emotions as resources. This book examines the strategic use of emotion in the conflicts and interventions occurring in the Western Balkans over a twenty-year period. The book concentrates on the conflicts among Albanian and Slavic populations (Kosovo, Montenegro, Macedonia, South Serbia), along with some comparisons to Bosnia.

Download or read book Viva la Transici n written by Christophe Solioz and published by Nomos Verlag. This book was released on 2020-11-19 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In einem Europa, das von Entdemokratisierung und Entsolidarisierung geprägt ist, zeigt der Autor Wege der Transition auf: hin zu einem starken und polymorphen Europa mit ausgeprägten und demokratisch organisierten Institutionen. Ausgangspunkt der Analyse sind der Zusammenbruch des Warschauer Paktes und die Transitionsprozesse in Mittel- und Osteuropa. In drei großen Teilen werden Begrifflichkeiten geklärt und das Verhältnis der mittel- und osteuropäischen untereinander analysiert sowie Bruch und Annäherung von Ost und West anschaulich dargestellt. Zunächst wird in Teil I die Phase nach dem Fall der Berliner Mauer bis zum Jahr 2008 mit all ihren Paradoxien und Annäherungsprozessen nachgezeichnet, bevor sich anschließend ab 2008/09 die Phase der großen Krisen (Teil II) andeutet. In Teil III wird ein kleiner Ausblick gewagt, der trotz Corona bedenkenswert ist.

Download or read book The Western Balkans in the World written by Florian Bieber and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introduction: The influence of external actors in the Western Balkans / Florian Bieber and Nikolaos Tzifakis -- Security co-operation in the Western Balkans : cracks and erosion of Euro-Atlantic integration? / Tobias Flessenkemper and Marko Kmezic -- The economic development of the Western Balkans : the importance of non-EU actors / Matteo Bonomi and Milica Uvalic -- Serbia : looking East, going West? / Florent Marciacq -- Bosnia and Herzegovina : abandoned by the West, embraced by the East? / Adnan Huskic -- Kosovo : between western and non-western states / Gëzim Visoka -- Macedonia : a fertile ground for external influences / Zoran Nechev and Ivan Nikolovski -- Montenegro : always at a crossroads / Jovana Marovic -- Albania : new geopolitics and shifting linkages / Enika Abazi -- Russia : playing a weak hand well / Dimitar Bechev -- China : a new geoeconomic approach to the Balkans / Anastas Vangeli -- Turkey : forced marriage or marriage of convenience with the Western Balkans? / Ahmet Erdi Öztürk and Samim Akgönül -- UAE : sultanism meets illiberal democracy / Will Bartlett and Tena Prelec.

Download or read book The Periphery of the Periphery written by Dimitar Bechev and published by Anchor Books. This book was released on 2012 with total page 16 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Next July Croatia will become the 28th EU member, but as Europe struggles to deal with the euro crisis, has any further enlargement into the Western Balkans frozen to a halt? Although the temptation for the EU is to adopt a 'wait and see' strategy, the stability of the status quo may prove deceptive. There is a silent pact between the enlargement-fatigued and crisis-hit EU member states and rent-seeking Balkan elites who do not mind slowing the pace of reform, with a 'fire-brigade' approach to periodic crises and outbursts of violence in Kosovo and elsewhere. But in a new ECFR paper, "The periphery of the periphery: the Western Balkans and the euro crisis",Dimitar Bechev warns that a failure to deliver transformation in the region would hurt EU credibility in other regions, like the Middle East and former Soviet Union. He argues that: The EU must shift its focus from a narrative based upon security, to one based upon the economy. A Greek exit would send shockwaves through the Western Balkan economies already weakened by the euro crisis, and threaten an economic meltdown -- Stagnation and rising unemployment (especially among the young) wipe out support for the type of reformist policies that the EU supports. The popularity of the EU in the Western Balkans has declined markedly in some areas, as 'Eurorealism' takes over from 'Europhilia' -- Reform remains essential. The Western Balkans are also struggling to cope with the crisis thanks to domestic policy failures, highlighting that 'Europeanisation' needs to be accompanied by deeper transformation. "In good times the EU exported prosperity to the Balkans; now in a time of crisis it is exporting instability. The EU needs to restore a sense of momentum towards enlargement and put pressure on under-performing governments. If not ambitious powers like Russia, Turkey and China will fill the gaps." Key facts: Montenegro opened accession talks on 29th June and hopes to join the EU in a decade -- Serbia was upgraded to candidate status back in March 2012 -- Bosnia may submit a membership application this year, after its 16 month wait for a state level government ended in February 2012 -- Kosovo began a visa liberalisation dialogue with the European Commission on 19th January 2012 -- 2/3 of Western Balkans trade is with the EU"--Publisher's description.

Download or read book Interdependence Between Core and Peripheries of the European Economy written by William Bartlett and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: European countries are economically dependent upon each other. This paper therefore embeds the analysis of the Western Balkan countries within a wider perspective of the European economy as a whole. It combines a simple Core-Periphery model with an under-consumption model to provide a convincing explanation of the emergence of secular stagnation, the dependency relationships between the European economies, and the spillover effects of Eurozone crisis to the Western Balkans. Due to tendencies to under-consumption, the Core countries have been vulnerable to secular stagnation and in order to overcome this tendency within the Eurozone they are dependent on export revenues from the peripheries to sustain their economic growth. This has led to high trade and current account deficits during the boom and placed the peripheries in a highly vulnerable position during the recession period. Financialisation of the European economy has emerged as a response to the tendency towards secular stagnation, as the provision of consumer credit has stimulated demand and temporarily overcome under-consumption tendencies. The paper argues that continuing austerity as a method to create internal devaluation is unlikely to succeed as a means to extricate the periphery countries from the crisis. Given the dependencies of the European economies upon one another, a possibly better way out of the current period of low growth and stagnation would be a coordinated fiscal expansion to stimulate domestic and Europe-wide demand.

Download or read book Hunger and Fury written by Jasmin Mujanovic and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018-03-01 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Less than two decades after the Yugoslav Wars ended, the edifice of parliamentary government in the Western Balkans is crumbling. This collapse sets into sharp relief the unreformed authoritarian tendencies of the region's entrenched elites, many of whom have held power since the early 1990s, and the hollowness of the West's "democratization" agenda. There is a widely held assumption that institutional collapse will precipitate a new bout of ethnic conflict, but Mujanovic argues instead that the Balkans are on the cusp of a historic socio-political transformation. Drawing on a wide variety of sources, with a unique focus on local activist accounts, he argues that a period of genuine democratic transition is finally dawning, led by grassroots social movements, from Zagreb to Skopje. Rather than pursuing ethnic strife, these new Balkan revolutionaries are confronting the "ethnic entrepreneurs" cemented in power by the West in its efforts to stabilise the region since the mid-1990s. This compellingly argued book harnesses the explanatory power of the striking graffiti scrawled on the walls of the ransacked Bosnian presidency during violent anti-government protests in 2014: 'if you sow hunger, you will reap fury'.

Download or read book The Irregular Pendulum of Democracy written by Dimitri A. Sotiropoulos and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-04-30 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book argues that the backsliding or stagnation of democracy should be interpreted in a wider perspective on irregular movements towards and away from contemporary liberal democracy. This a perspective couched by a metaphor, namely the 'pendulum of democracy', which the author has constructed to suggest that democratic regimes may swing between a democratic end (fully developed liberal democracy) and a semi-authoritarian end (competitive authoritarianism). The pendulum does not have a predictable frequency. Democratization may lead to irregular movements back and forth. It is easier to analyze such movements of the pendulum when democracy is not consolidated yet (for instance, in the three post-Yugoslav political regimes mentioned above), as democratic institutions and processes are not yet stable. For this reason, this book analyses the swing of unconsolidated democracy away from the democratic end in the cases of today’s Serbia and Montenegro and the swing back towards liberal democracy in the case of North Macedonia which - until 2017 - had been developing into a competitive authoritarian regime, but then embarked on the road to democratic recovery.

Download or read book Stabilization and Progress in the Western Balkans written by Dušan Šimko and published by Social Strategies. This book was released on 2011 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For more than a decade, the Balkans have been a centre of crisis - armed conflicts have brought death, expulsion, destruction and untold suffering to the people. The postwar efforts of the West have failed to bring lasting stability and real progress so far. The Symposium at Basel University was an interdisciplinary event where complex issues were elucidated by historians, geographers, sociologists and political scientists. The event enabled East and West European scholars and their American counterparts to exchange their somewhat divergent views. The speakers covered a broad range of subjects: historical causes, aspects of postwar economic and social development as well as sociocultural consequences of the democratization process. Special attention was devoted to the situation of minorities, the refugee problem and the security situation in the fragile states of the West Balkans and also to the responsibility of the EU and USA for the general stagnation in the area. The Symposium was intended to illustrate differing interpretations of the events of the past ten years and to encourage discussion between speakers and participants at the event.

Download or read book The Aftermath of War written by Albert Simkus and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-04-01 with total page 335 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At a time when most observers saw war in Europe as belonging to an ever more distant past, the wars of Yugoslav succession shattered this illusion. The direct and indirect consequences of these wars for people in the region are still not fully understood, but it is clear that the war has had far reaching social and political consequences for each national society as a whole. This groundbreaking volume provides a series of analyses of experiences and social attitudes in the Western Balkans in the aftermath of those wars. Based on survey data from 22,000 respondents, the editors have created a volume which contributes to our understanding of both specific war-related effects as well as a detailed description of contemporary attitudes and values across these societies. This book will be of interest to academic specialists and students interested in the effects of war on psychological health and on ethnic relations in the Western Balkans as well as how this applies to other post-conflict societies. It will also be of interest to sociologists, political scientists, and historians studying differences in attitudes between the countries, ethnic groups, and generations in this region related to diverse topics from ethnic tolerance to states’ responsibility for equality and gender roles.

Download or read book Balkanization and the Euro Atlantic Processes of the Western Balkans written by Liridona Veliu Ashiku and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2024-08-30 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores how ‘balkanization’ as a discourse underpins the policies of the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) toward the Western Balkans. It shows how EU and NATO policies have emerged from, and led to, the constant reinvention of the unity of the West through ‘balkanizing’ the region and illustrates how this dynamic is maintained by and instrumentalized for the political elites. Through a genealogical analysis that stretches from the Balkans Wars to more recent events such as North Macedonia’s change of name in 2018, the author shows how Western policies have aimed at recreating the united West on the back of the ‘broken’ Balkans. The book will appeal to scholars and students of Southeast Europe, International Relations, Political Science, Peace and Conflict Studies and History.

Download or read book Migration EU Integration and the Balkan Route written by Marko Kmezić and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2023-10-20 with total page 173 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contributing to our understanding of the impact of the 2015 migrant “crisis” on the future of EU integration, this book views the “crisis” as an accelerant to existing problems, namely Brexit, the growing popularity of anti-immigrant far right parties and the rise of xenophobic and antiliberal governments from the Baltics to the Balkans. Providing analysis at the national, regional level and EU level, this book shows how the countries on the migrant route have been affected according to their degree of integration with the EU and the specific socio-political and economic conditions of each country. The volume will be of interest to scholars or international relations, security studies, border studies, EU policies, migration studies and Southeast European studies.