EU Integration Without Dealing with the Past? Democratisation, Reconciliation, and Regional Cooperation in the Western Balkans
This analysis examines the stalled EU integration of Western Balkan countries, arguing that unresolved historical grievances and insufficient reconciliation efforts are major obstacles. Despite the 2003 Thessaloniki Summit pledge that the Balkans' future lies in the EU, only Slovenia and Croatia have joined. The article highlights how contested historical interpretations, ethno-political tensions, and mutual mistrust hinder regional cooperation and democratic consolidation. It discusses the importance of transitional justice mechanisms—such as war crimes prosecution, truth commissions, and memory politics—as formal EU membership requirements. The piece contrasts the region's 'Europeanisation' efforts with persistent 'Balkanisation' tendencies, noting that unresolved war legacies undermine institutional trust and fuel emigration. It also references Germany and Austria's 'Vergangenheitsbewältigung' as a model, and calls for a shift from viewing the region as a foreign policy issue to a genuine enlargement priority.
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