Integration or Disintegration?

The effect of EU conditionality has been largely
applauded in the
case of enlargement to Central and Eastern Europe
(CEE). Despite
limitations it largely helped the CEE countries
transform from
communist regimes to market economies and liberal
democracies. In
the case of the Western Balkans however, the
application of
conditionality has deviated from this ideal
functioning. This work
examines the case of Serbia where compliance has been
particularly
constrained. It focuses on cooperation with the
International
Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the
case of Kosovo,
and finds shortcomings
in both the EU s and Serbia s approach. On the one
hand, the EU has
failed to produce satisfactory initiatives to
encourage substantial
Serbian compliance. On the other hand, compliance is
stalled
because certain aspects of EU conditionality conflict
with the
collective understanding of Serbian national
identity. This two-sided
analysis draws on both rationalist and constructivist
arguments and
gives an in-depth account of Serbian Europeanization.
The work is
therefore useful both to scholars of European Studies
and scholars
of nationalism.

Autorentext

MSc: Studied European Political Economy at the London School ofEconomics and Political Science. She also holds a master degree inNationalism Studies from the Central European University in Budapest and a bachelor inEuropean Studies from the University of Oslo.

Klappentext

The effect of EU conditionality has been largelyapplauded in the case of enlargement to Central and Eastern Europe(CEE). Despite limitations it largely helped the CEE countriestransform from communist regimes to market economies and liberaldemocracies. In the case of the Western Balkans however, theapplication of conditionality has deviated from this idealfunctioning. This work examines the case of Serbia where compliance has beenparticularly constrained. It focuses on cooperation with theInternational Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and thecase of Kosovo, and finds shortcomings in both the EU's and Serbia's approach. On the onehand, the EU has failed to produce satisfactory initiatives toencourage substantial Serbian compliance. On the other hand, compliance isstalled because certain aspects of EU conditionality conflictwith the collective understanding of Serbian nationalidentity. This two-sided analysis draws on both rationalist and constructivistarguments and gives an in-depth account of Serbian Europeanization.The work is therefore useful both to scholars of European Studiesand scholars of nationalism.