Albania between Western Balkans Regionalization and European Integration

Ilir Kalemaj

doi:10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n6p281

Abstract

Different local observers like Koneska (2007), Bechev (2011) and others have argued that there is a missing regional identity in the Southeastern Europe region, where both leaders and masses are reluctant to identify with the (Western) Balkan label, which is often connected to corruption, state capture, organized crime and other remedies that are deemed simultaneous obstacles to the path of democratization, rule of law and the EU integration. Albania, because of its idiosyncratic characteristics, it escaped unscathed the (former) Yugoslav wars and has not faced identity and nation-building challenges like its Western Balkan neighbors. These characteristics include inter alia the ethnic homogeneity and mass migration after the isolation of Communism. However, Albania has been part of the same web, with the same transition difficulties as its immediate Balkan neighbors. Because of these reasons, as well as geographical, historical and cultural, the regional identity that would have fostered a more sustainable regional cooperation between Albania and some of its neighbors has ranged from problematic to non-existent, with only recent glimpses of hope for future relations that would seek to create a notion of regional community. These include both top-dawn efforts, ranging from the series of meetings between Albania`s premier Rama and his Serbian counterpart Vucic, trying to normalize the relations between the two countries, to projects such as the Balkan Union or “Balkan Schengen”, although they still are at the level of initiative and remain to be materialized. Other projects include bottom-up drives, such as the “Balkan Benelux” or trade networks such as CEFTA, with limited results. The EU’s conditionality approach has been instrumental in the process, complimenting the U.S., NATO and other international actors` role in the process of ameliorating the neighbor relations in the region and moving fast ahead with regional cooperation, hopping that it would foster a regional identity in the near future. The present paper concentrates on how regional cooperation has affected Albania and its relations with the Western Balkan neighbors and what is to be expected in the near future. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n6p281

Highlights

The Yugoslav dismemberment and the following ethnic conflict, has prevented the creation of a common regional identity that would replace the socialist (Yugoslav) one and would be more inclusive of the other national groups in the region, and prevented the birth of a normal way of conducting business among the various Western Balkan states
The term Western Balkans has been disputed from its inception till as well as its geographical and political ramifications, the area that includes all former Yugoslav Republics, minus Slovenia, plus Albania has been often a reference point for political instability, widespread corruption and penetration of organized crime, dysfunctional economies, as well as problems with property laws and law enforcement, lack of depoliticization of public administration etc., altogether inter-ethnic and inter-religious problems, these problems have been more acute in some places than others
The present paper concentrates on how regional cooperation has affected Albania and its relations with the Western Balkan neighbors and what is to be expected in the near future

Summary

Introduction

The Yugoslav dismemberment and the following ethnic conflict, has prevented the creation of a common regional identity that would replace the socialist (Yugoslav) one and would be more inclusive of the other national groups in the region, and prevented the birth of a normal way of conducting business among the various Western Balkan states. The term Western Balkans has been disputed from its inception till as well as its geographical and political ramifications, the area that includes all former Yugoslav Republics, minus Slovenia, plus Albania has been often a reference point for political instability, widespread corruption and penetration of organized crime, dysfunctional economies, as well as problems with property laws and law enforcement, lack of depoliticization of public administration etc., altogether inter-ethnic and inter-religious problems, these problems have been more acute in some places than others This has been noted previously by different local observers like Koneska[1] (2007), Bechev (2011) and others that have argued that there is a missing regional identity in the Southeastern Europe region, where both leaders and masses are reluctant to identify with the (Western) Balkan label, which is often connected to the symptoms mentioned above and the other remedies that are deemed simultaneous obstacles to the path of democratization, rule of law and the EU integration. Albania has been part of the same web, with the same transition difficulties as its immediate Balkan neighbors and in some areas, like severe political antagonism, has demonstrated even a worse record that has prevented its rapid democratization and successful integration into the European Union

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion