The EU’s raison d’état in the Western Balkans: Can the new enlargement methodology help?
By employing the concept of raison d’état, the article questions the European Union’s role in the so-called Western Balkan region. While the region continues to be covered by the EU’s enlargement policy, we argue that the policy has been in paralysis. We explore whether the heightened geopolitical t...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Institute of International Politics and Economics, Belgrade
2022-09-01
|
| Series: | Međunarodni Problemi |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://internationalproblems.rs/wp-content/uploads/MP/2022/3/MP-2022-3-article-4.pdf |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850045518932082688 |
|---|---|
| author | Ivana Radić Milosavljević Spasimir Domaradzki |
| author_facet | Ivana Radić Milosavljević Spasimir Domaradzki |
| author_sort | Ivana Radić Milosavljević |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | By employing the concept of raison d’état, the article questions the European Union’s role in the so-called Western Balkan region. While the region continues to be covered by the EU’s enlargement policy, we argue that the policy has been in paralysis. We explore whether the heightened geopolitical tensions in Europe have brought the EU to a turning point at which it would use its enlargement policy decisively to pursue its strategic interests in the region. We start with a theoretical discussion of raison d’état and its instrumentalization in the context of the European Union as a non-state actor. Then, we use the conceptual benchmarks of the raison d’état to analyze its empirical implementation through the EU’s relations with Western Balkan countries. We explore the EU’s available enlargement policy tools and the diverging positions within the EU towards enlargement. We pay special attention to the “New enlargement methodology” devised by the Commission in 2019. We argue that despite the Commission’s efforts to promote the EU’s common interest in the region framed in a geopolitical narrative, the diverging national interests still preclude the EU from aggregating its own and pursuing its raison d’état towards the region. The “new methodology” does nothing to overcome this situation. What is more, by insisting on a “stronger political steer” and by further facilitating the reversal of the accession process, the document pushes the Union further away from a common ground regarding the enlargement. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-05596ca9c7454cb7b6d4baa70152d9d1 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0025-8555 2406-0690 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Institute of International Politics and Economics, Belgrade |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Međunarodni Problemi |
| spelling | doaj-art-05596ca9c7454cb7b6d4baa70152d9d12025-08-20T02:54:40ZengInstitute of International Politics and Economics, BelgradeMeđunarodni Problemi0025-85552406-06902022-09-0174339141010.2298/MEDJP2203391RThe EU’s raison d’état in the Western Balkans: Can the new enlargement methodology help?Ivana Radić Milosavljević0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2449-2842Spasimir Domaradzki1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5794-6532Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade, SerbiaDepartment of European Union Law and Institutions, Faculty of Political Science and International Studies, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, PolandBy employing the concept of raison d’état, the article questions the European Union’s role in the so-called Western Balkan region. While the region continues to be covered by the EU’s enlargement policy, we argue that the policy has been in paralysis. We explore whether the heightened geopolitical tensions in Europe have brought the EU to a turning point at which it would use its enlargement policy decisively to pursue its strategic interests in the region. We start with a theoretical discussion of raison d’état and its instrumentalization in the context of the European Union as a non-state actor. Then, we use the conceptual benchmarks of the raison d’état to analyze its empirical implementation through the EU’s relations with Western Balkan countries. We explore the EU’s available enlargement policy tools and the diverging positions within the EU towards enlargement. We pay special attention to the “New enlargement methodology” devised by the Commission in 2019. We argue that despite the Commission’s efforts to promote the EU’s common interest in the region framed in a geopolitical narrative, the diverging national interests still preclude the EU from aggregating its own and pursuing its raison d’état towards the region. The “new methodology” does nothing to overcome this situation. What is more, by insisting on a “stronger political steer” and by further facilitating the reversal of the accession process, the document pushes the Union further away from a common ground regarding the enlargement.https://internationalproblems.rs/wp-content/uploads/MP/2022/3/MP-2022-3-article-4.pdfraison d’étatwestern balkanseu enlargementgeopoliticseuropean perspectivenew enlargement methodology |
| spellingShingle | Ivana Radić Milosavljević Spasimir Domaradzki The EU’s raison d’état in the Western Balkans: Can the new enlargement methodology help? Međunarodni Problemi raison d’état western balkans eu enlargement geopolitics european perspective new enlargement methodology |
| title | The EU’s raison d’état in the Western Balkans: Can the new enlargement methodology help? |
| title_full | The EU’s raison d’état in the Western Balkans: Can the new enlargement methodology help? |
| title_fullStr | The EU’s raison d’état in the Western Balkans: Can the new enlargement methodology help? |
| title_full_unstemmed | The EU’s raison d’état in the Western Balkans: Can the new enlargement methodology help? |
| title_short | The EU’s raison d’état in the Western Balkans: Can the new enlargement methodology help? |
| title_sort | eu s raison d etat in the western balkans can the new enlargement methodology help |
| topic | raison d’état western balkans eu enlargement geopolitics european perspective new enlargement methodology |
| url | https://internationalproblems.rs/wp-content/uploads/MP/2022/3/MP-2022-3-article-4.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ivanaradicmilosavljevic theeusraisondetatinthewesternbalkanscanthenewenlargementmethodologyhelp AT spasimirdomaradzki theeusraisondetatinthewesternbalkanscanthenewenlargementmethodologyhelp AT ivanaradicmilosavljevic eusraisondetatinthewesternbalkanscanthenewenlargementmethodologyhelp AT spasimirdomaradzki eusraisondetatinthewesternbalkanscanthenewenlargementmethodologyhelp |