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National Identity Matters: The Limited Impact of EU Political Conditionality in the Western Balkans
Journal
Journal of European Public Policy
ISSN
1350-1763
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2010
Author(s)
Richter, Solveig
Abstract (De)
Political developments in South Eastern Europe raise serious doubts about the prospects for the effectiveness of the European Union's external democracy promotion via political conditionality. They make it questionable whether the European Union (EU) can repeat its success story as it is widely acknowledged in Central Eastern Europe. With reference to countries characterized by legacies of ethnic conflict, this article shows that incentive-based instruments only trigger democratic change if certain domestic preconditions are met. It will be argued that if national identity runs counter to democratic requirements, this will ‘block’ compliance by framing it as inappropriate action. The argument is empirically demonstrated using the example of one of the most problematic issue areas in Croatia, for which the EU has only partially succeeded in bringing about democratic change: the prosecution of war crimes.
Language
English
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
HSG Profile Area
SEPS - Global Democratic Governance
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Volume
17
Number
2
Start page
263
End page
281
Pages
18
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
248211