The EU's transformative power in potential candidate states

Since the fall of Communism in 1991, Albania s aspiration is to become a member of the European Union. However, to become a member of the European family , countries have to go through a long process of transformation of domestic structures. This process could bring along important structural changes in potential candidate states, which are without membership perspective hardly to reach. This book explores whether the EU has an influence on political and economic domestic developments through membership conditionality in a potential candidate state. Moreover, the role of domestic characteristics and actors in the process is taken into consideration. It seems that the political elite, characterized by short term interest, polarisation and corruption, withholds Albania from further progress on the political and economic Copenhagen criteria. Identification with the European Union seems to be the main driver for transformation. However, national interests of political elites, based on a rational choice, undermine the domestic developments in Albania. These national interests do not only affect the integration process, but also the development of Albania itself.

Autorentext

M. van Berkel is interested in the politcal geography of the European Union and its influence on political and social processes of non-members. She studied at the University of Amsterdam and has a Bachelor degree in Human Geography, and a Master degree in Political Science (The European Union in a Global Order).

Klappentext

Since the fall of Communism in 1991, Albania's aspiration is to become a member of the European Union. However, to become a member of the 'European family', countries have to go through a long process of transformation of domestic structures. This process could bring along important structural changes in potential candidate states, which are without membership perspective hardly to reach. This book explores whether the EU has an influence on political and economic domestic developments through membership conditionality in a potential candidate state. Moreover, the role of domestic characteristics and actors in the process is taken into consideration. It seems that the political elite, characterized by short term interest, polarisation and corruption, withholds Albania from further progress on the political and economic Copenhagen criteria. Identification with the European Union seems to be the main driver for transformation. However, national interests of political elites, based on a rational choice, undermine the domestic developments in Albania. These national interests do not only affect the integration process, but also the development of Albania itself.