Conclusion: Civil Society Empowerment and Its Limits

Abstract

This chapter summarises the strategies and outcomes of civil society mobilisation related to the rule of law in Croatia, Montenegro, and Serbia. It claims that the EU accession process provides opportunities for civil society actors to mobilize strategically and to strengthen their positions at the domestic level. However, structural obstacles and a lack of government officials’ receptiveness poses serious limitations to empowerment. To overcome these limits, the chapter puts forward practical recommendations as to how the EU and other international donors could shift from instrumental towards strategic, long-term support for civil society actors in enlargement countries. For civil society actors themselves, it suggests that lasting empowerment hinges upon their ability to develop sustainable mobilisation formats and find constructive ways of engaging at the domestic level.