Geopolitical Momentum for the Western Balkans – EU Relations: Risks and Opportunities

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F48546054%3A_____%2F22%3AN0000062" target="_blank" >RIV/48546054:_____/22:N0000062 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://opf.flu.cas.cz/images/Geopolitical_Momentum_for_the_Western_Balkans_12_22.pdf" target="_blank" >https://opf.flu.cas.cz/images/Geopolitical_Momentum_for_the_Western_Balkans_12_22.pdf</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

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Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Geopolitical Momentum for the Western Balkans – EU Relations: Risks and Opportunities

Original language description

The Russian invasion of Ukraine brings a new sense of urgency to the EU-WB relations but also stresses the EU's reduced credibility in region. This paper argues that the war has changed the geopolitical context for the enlargement process and has brought increased chances for rethinking the future EU–WB relations. If the EU does not appreciate the ‘momentum’, its stagnant approach toward the region risks magnifying existing threats to regional stability. We suggest three possible pathways for the EU – Western Balkans relations: 1) Geopolitics and security; 2) Fast track for the accession process; 3) Enhancing the EU enlargement policy with new means. We see a version the first pathway as the most probable. While the EU is developing a geopolitical approach following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, this pathway addresses ineffectively the risks induced by the war in Ukraine and leaves all the other structural risks in place. EU representatives have legitimized autocrats at the expense of institutions without encouraging any reforms in the Western Balkans. Thus, the past six months have brought new blunders and inconsistencies regarding the enlargement process. If the EU seeks to preserve its image of a valued-based project, it should find the means to do it in the changed geopolitical context.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

O - Miscellaneous

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

50601 - Political science

Project

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Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2022

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů