Framing Europe: Albanian Audiovisual Media and the Discourse of EU Integration

Political actors bear a pivotal importance in advancing/hindering the European Union (EU) integration process in the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia). All countries of the Western Balkans have marked similarities but also significant differences in relation to their dynamics and developmental outlook. In order to make the article more concrete, we focus the attention on Kosovo, North Macedonia and Albania. The article uses a comparative method to pit against each other indicators pointing to similarities and differences among these countries, in the context of finding the factors of progressing and hindering towards the EU integration for the three countries. The factors in focus are: ruling majority-opposition and political parties, international actors, civil society, the media, public perceptions, and ethnic and nationalistic divisions (a specific factor in North Macedonia and Kosovo). The analyze show that there has been improvement is some aspects. The political parties, the ruling majority and opposition, give both tendencies towards the more inclusive political situation and pragmatist one of their interests fulfilling. International actors, civil society and the media show contribution to the EU integration. For the last factor, results indicate that in North Macedonia ethnicity is a major cause behind political conflicts, with a clear impact on the EU integration process. Kosovo is to be located somewhere in the middle, as interethnic relations play a role, but also internal strife is significant in terms of defining the forcefield between the different political and ethnic actors.

This article explores the correlation between Russian influence and the European Union (EU) integration process in the Western Balkans. The focus is on analyzing the impact of Russian influence expressed through political, economic and cultural means on the region’s integration into the EU. The article argues that the Russian foreign policy toolkit inhibits the EU accession process for the six countries of the Western Balkans, as it interferes with the internal functioning of these countries, which, in turn, affects their ability to fulfill EU requirements. Using a comparative case approach this study has found evidence that Russian cultural, political and financial support negatively affects the Western Balkans’ European integration process, hindering progress towards accession. Additionally, the findings support the argument that Western Balkans countries with Slavic populations are more susceptible to Russian influence. The article highlights the significant impact of Russia on the EU integration process in the Western Balkans and underscores the need for EU policymakers to address this issue to ensure a smooth and successful accession process for the region.

This paper examines the role of the European Peace Facility (EPF) and the Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) as key instruments in Moldova’s European Union (EU) integration process. Amid increasing threats from Russian hybrid warfare – including cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine – Moldova faces pressing security challenges that hinder its EU accession trajectory but also act as catalysts for change. The EPF, established by a Council Decision of March 2021, provides financial and material assistance aimed at conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and the strengthening of security, with Moldova being a major beneficiary. Complementing this, the 2024 Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) formalises deeper EU–Moldova cooperation, emphasising areas such as the countering of hybrid threats, cyber issues, strategic communication, and border management, thereby enhancing Moldova’s preparedness and resilience. The author seeks to determine how these instruments support Moldova’s EU integration and the improvement of its security framework through policy transfer, institutional capacity-building, transnational socialisation, and the promotion of EU standards, contributing to Moldova’s progress in aligning with EU foreign and security policy positions. This paper underscores the importance of sustained EU support to address unresolved issues such as corruption and the presence of Russian troops in Transnistria, which pose diplomatic and strategic dilemmas. Furthermore, it explores how these EU instruments facilitate Moldova’s alignment with the EU acquis in external relations (Chapter 30) and common foreign and security policy (Chapter 31), fostering institutional reforms necessary for integration. Overall, the author argues that the EPF and the SDP not only enhance Moldova’s security but also support its EU accession process, in the context of an evolving geopolitical landscape characterised by Russia’s assertiveness and the strategic importance of Moldova’s stability for the EU.

Background: Albania negotiations for the country's EU membership formally began on 19 July 2022. The process will consist, among others, of approximating national legislation with the EU acquis, which is divided into six thematic clusters. Albania must achieve the country's legislation full compliance with the EU acquis and its successful implementation. Negotiations and subsequent membership in the European Union (EU) will support the democratisation and strengthening of the rule of law in Albania. This research examines the role of the Albanian Parliament in the EU integration process through the approximation of national laws. This desk research serves as a cornerstone for further research and academic studies regarding the Albanian Parliament's involvement in EU integration efforts through the process of national law approximation. Therefore, to better approximate national legislation with that of the EU, it is recommended that Parliament increases the trend of approving laws aimed at approximation. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the legislative activity of the Albanian Parliament (Parliament hereinafter) between 2018 and 2023 in terms of approximation of national laws with the EU acquis. The study used a desk review to analyse the annual number of laws adopted and approximated to EU law. Reliable sources from the Official Journals of the Republic of Albania (Albania hereinafter) were used to collect data on laws adopted and approximated during the study period providing an understanding of the total number of laws adopted and approximated for each year, the relevant EU act, and the clusters of the negotiation chapters. Results and Conclusions: Analysing the role of Parliament in EU integration through the approximation of national legislation from 2018 to 2023 highlights the multidimensional nature of the integration process and the important contribution made so far by the legislative power. During the period covered by the study, Parliament has made important efforts to approximate national legislation with EU legislation, which is proven by the study results. Based on the study data, a quantifiable difference was found between the total number of laws approved and those approximated by Parliament from 2018 to 2023. The study's conclusions and recommendations provide a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities in approximating Albanian legislation with the EU acquis and advancing the country's European integration agenda.

Over the past two decades, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BiH) European Union (EU) integration process has garnered significant scholarly attention in the context of Western Balkans studies. This article contributes to this discourse by employing a descriptive analysis approach to examine thirty-one key legal documents issued between 1992 and 2022 by the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, Council of Ministers, and Presidency. These documents serve as primary sources, offering crucial insights into BiH’s legal framework governing its EU integration efforts. Through rigorous textual analysis, this article evaluates the efficacy of these documents in facilitating the necessary reforms for EU accession. The findings reveal a significant discrepancy between the rhetoric of reform in governmental papers and the actual implementation of these reforms in BiH’s political landscape. This highlights systemic challenges within BiH’s governance that hinder effective reform implementation and EU accession progress. By critically analyzing these legal documents, this article provides a nuanced understanding of BiH’s EU integration trajectory, emphasizing the gap between policy formulation and implementation. It argues that mere rhetorical commitments in governmental documents are insufficient to drive meaningful reform in BiH and achieve EU membership.

This article delves into the intricate relationship between contested state- hood and European Union (EU) integration, explicitly focusing on Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Since the early 1990s, amidst the dissolution of Yugoslavia and the EU’s enlargement efforts, BiH has grappled with challenges to its statehood, which have impeded its alignment with EU requirements. Despite being universally recognised as an independent state, BiH faces internal contestation, evident in its consociational constitutional framework and the divergent nationalist narratives among constituent groups. Moreover, while BiH maintains external sovereignty, it coexists with significant international oversight, complicating its path toward EU integration. The EU’s expansion into internally contested states like BiH necessitates a nuanced approach considering the entanglement of Europeanisation and de-Daytonisation processes. This article emphasises the complexity of BiH’s governance landscape, where internal dynamics and external influences converge, creating formidable obstacles to sovereignty assertion and governance efficacy. To surmount these challenges, BiH must address internal divisions, foster inclusive governance mechanisms and balance external supervision and internal autonomy. In shedding light on how contested statehood influences the EU’s role and policies, the article discusses the concept of ‘complex sovereignty’, particularly relevant to BiH’s context.

This research focuses on the interpretative dimension of European Union (EU) integration and on its role in post-communist democratization. It offers an understanding of the significance of taking part in political life. This significance takes shape under specific circumstances, which are part of the asymmetrical power relations with the EU. My findings are based on field trips in two post-communist countries that are situated at different stages of the EU integration process: Bulgaria, which became an EU member in 2007, and Macedonia, which is a candidate country. Methodologically, I use qualitative methods that triangulate findings into converging cultural trajectories. I conclude that EU integration, as a phenomenon within the world of meaning, acts simultaneously as a boost to and an inhibitor of democratic political culture. People create different subcultures where different interpretations of the EU integration process lead to dissimilar effects. Discursive communities of people representing these different subcultures may also produce dissimilar effects on the national level.

This essay uses the case of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Central and Eastern Europe to stipulate how European Union (EU) integration affected the economic globalisation of the post-socialist region. Existing studies argue that expectations of impending EU membership had a direct effect on raising FDI inflows because they reduced perceived investment risks for potential investors. In contrast, I show that the EU accession process worked through an indirect effect on FDI: it influenced post-socialist states' efforts to promote FDI as a desirable strategy of economic development and the behaviour of firms. These state efforts, in turn, increased FDI inflows, net of conventional risk and return factors. Further analyses indicate that decisions about state FDI-promotion have been influenced not only by EU conditionality but also, and importantly, by particular legacies, namely the countries' initial choice of privatisation strategies, extent of reform during socialism and history of state sovereignty. Overall, the results suggest that EU integration and legacies of the past shape both the structural and the ideational context for domestic decision-making elites in Central and Eastern Europe, and may act not only as constraints but also as enabling conditions facilitating the global economic integration of the region.

This chapter compares the European Union (EU) integration process in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Montenegro. The analysis centres on the different political systems and conflict-resolution mechanisms in these three countries in order to explain their different progress in EU accession. Our main argument is that consolidated statehood is not only key for effective democratisation, but also a prerequisite for EU accession and functional EU integration. Systematically applying these concepts to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Montenegro, the chapter unpacks the connection between internal contestation and a lack of general consensus on EU integration, as well as the connection between different nation-building projects and limited Europeanisation.

This article examines the relationship between the phenomenon known as ‘globalization’, on the one hand, and the regional integration process undertaken by European Union (EU) member states, on the other. Bearing in mind that the EU single market programme was a more deliberate and radical act of integration than the more haphazard globalization process, the article argues that the relationship between the two is a complex mix of convergence and conflict. The argument is applied to the financial services sector, and in particular the securities industry. The first conclusion is that the EU integration process is compatible with global financial integration. The EU single financial area has not led, and will not lead, to the emergence of a separate European ‘bloc’. Indeed, on a number of regulatory issues, the combination of globalization and EU integration has induced convergence and a degree of harmonization between the EU and other jurisdictions such as the United States and Japan. The second c...

As Ukraine progresses toward European Union (EU) integration, the transformation of its legal education system has become a pivotal aspect of its alignment with EU standards. The training of legal professionals capable of navigating both Ukrainian and EU legal systems is essential to the implementation of directives, fostering cross-border cooperation, and maintaining the rule of law. However, this process faces challenges including the legacy of Ukraine's post-Soviet legal education, resource constraints, and the need for rapid modernization. By adopting international best practices, fostering partnerships, and integrating modern technologies, Ukraine has the opportunity to create a legal education framework that meets EU demands and empowers its lawyers to thrive in global contexts. This article aims to analyze the challenges and opportunities in training lawyers for Ukraine’s European future. It seeks to compare Ukraine’s legal education practices with those in EU countries, identify critical gaps, and propose actionable reforms to align Ukraine’s legal training systems with EU standards. A comparative analysis methodology is employed, drawing insights from literature, policy documents, and case studies of EU member states and transitioning nations. The study systematically examines disparities in curriculum content, teaching methods, practical skill development, faculty expertise, resource access, ethical training, and employment market alignment. Both qualitative and quantitative data inform the recommendations for reform. The analysis reveals significant disparities between Ukraine and EU countries in legal education systems. Key findings include Ukraine’s reliance on outdated curricula, limited practical training opportunities, inadequate faculty development, and fragmented ethical training. Conversely, EU countries emphasize dynamic, interdisciplinary curricula, robust practical skill development, and integrated ethical considerations, supported by advanced resources and technology. Despite these challenges, Ukraine's EU integration provides a unique opportunity to modernize its legal education system through international collaboration, leveraging technology, and implementing market-aligned reforms. Future studies should explore the long-term impact of implemented reforms on Ukraine’s legal system and investigate strategies for sustaining educational alignment with rapidly evolving EU standards.

We investigate the impact of European Union (EU) integration on capital flows to prospective new EU member states. Using annual data between 1992 and 2020, our results suggest that although EU integration increased net capital flows before the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), it was not able to shield countries from the general decline in capital flows that occurred after the GFC. Furthermore, the results show that the impact of EU integration mainly runs through improved institutional quality. We also find considerable heterogeneity in the drivers of different types of capital flows (FDI, portfolio investments, and other capital flows) that we consider.

The number of geographical studies on borders and border regions has increased over the last few decades due to the process of globalization. The European Union (EU) integration process in particular has created demand for such studies of its internal borders and the changing views about them. This research aims to define trends within these geographical studies in terms of the EU integration process and discover commonalities of themes and methods within them. Three approaches are identified (flow, cross‐border cooperation, and people), geographical studies of borders and border regions are categorized within them, and the approaches are compared to one another in an attempt to better understand the trends in geographical research on European borders and border regions.

The main focus of this article is to examine how the support for European Union (EU) integration has developed during the migration crisis and COVID-19 pandemics, considered one of the two most significant crises to have impacted EU countries in the decade before the war in Ukraine. The article aims to investigate the factors that influence public support for EU deeper integration during times of crisis while considering both individual traits and the wider social context. We have identified three groups of factors as possible predictors of attitudes towards the EU integration: identity, utilitarian, and system performance factors. For the analysis, we used data from four waves of the ESS European Social Survey (VII and VIII for the migration crisis and IX and X for the COVID-19 crisis). We analysed the data using multilevel modelling at three levels: individual, temporal, and country-level. Analyses show that all factors contribute to explaining citizens’ attitudes towards the EU, but the specificity of crises also leads to the specific weight of different factors.

This paper examines the interplay between the European Union (EU) identity and the identities of countries in the Western Balkans, focusing on shared values, lifestyles, and the role of EU conditionality. It explores how EU-promoted values and lifestyles affects political, social, and economic landscapes in the Western Balkans, especially among the Western Balkan Six (WB6) aspiring for EU membership. Through qualitative case studies of the WB6, the paper analyses the influence of EU conditionality on the adoption of EU values and lifestyles, highlighting the comparison and dynamics of identity transformation during the EU integration process. By drawing on media interviews with policymakers, EU officials, and local stakeholders, as well as policy documents and academic literature, the paper discusses how EU conditionality shapes national identities in the region. It also addresses the challenges and opportunities these countries face in aligning with EU values, presenting obstacles to integration and opportunities for deeper engagement with the EU framework. The findings contribute to understanding the complexities of the EU’s enlargement policy, emphasising the strategic importance of the Western Balkans for the future of EU integration.