EU Membership of Western Balkan Countries and Digital Citizenship Practices

Abstract

Following the end of the Cold War, the European Union's interest in the Western Balkans intensified, driven by geopolitical and geostrategic considerations. Moreover, the region holds significance as a transit route for energy lines supplying EU member states. Encompassing a diverse geographical expanse, the Western Balkans includes Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, North Macedonia, Romania, Greece, and Slovenia. While the EU’s perspectives on the Balkan countries, situated in a geopolitically crucial position, became clearer following the Thessaloniki Summit 2003, they are currently grappling with various challenges. Within the EU, enlargement fatigue has emerged following the enlargements in 2007 and 2013. Concurrently, economic and political crises within the union have prompted restructuring efforts. These reforms, encompassing areas such as the “Rule of Law”, “Functioning Market Economy” and “Democratization and Transparency of Public Administration”, have become imperative amid the evolving global order and globalization trends. Consequently, reforms in digital citizenship have also become inevitable. This study examines the EU membership and digital citizenship practices of the Western Balkan countries.