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Caught between stability and democracy in the Western Balkans

A comparative analysis of paths of accession to the European Union

Bibliographic Data

ID7754331
AuthorsAdea Gafuri (0000-0001-8647-1687, University of Gothenburg), Meltem Müftüler-Bac (0000-0001-9735-3520, Sabancı Üniversitesi, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume37
Issue2
Pages267-291
Publication date2021-04-03
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueEast European Politics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2159-9165 • E-ISSN: 2159-9173
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/21599165.2020.1781094
OpenAlexW3045238353
LanguageEN
Citations received14
References cited58

The Western Balkans have been on the path of European Union accession, officially since 2003. The European Union invested heavily in the region to stabilise and democratise these countries and prepare them for eventual EU accession. This paper proposes that the EU-with its democracy aid and progress on accession stages acted as an external actor that- unexpectedly legitimised the political regimes despite their apparent backsliding. To better assess whether the EU played a role in democratic backsliding, and if so to what extent, the paper takes upon two case studies - Serbia and North Macedonia. The paper aims to enhance our understanding of democracy promotion, the EU's role as an external actor both in terms of its legitimisation role and democracy assistance in furthering democratic reforms in third countries

Accession · Democracy · Democracy promotion · Democratization · Economics · European union · International trade · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Balkans: History, Politics, Society · European Union Policy and Governance · Law · Political Conflict and Governance

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Unique citing works14
Citations per year2,33
Citation span2020 - 2026 (7)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 14

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