'Comparative Balkans Politics'

'Since the gateway of Romania and Bulgaria to the europiuman marrow (EU) in 2007, southerly Eastern atomic number 63an countries - but more(prenominal) so countries of the westbound Balkans - are march onively showing an devotion to join the EU. The just well-nigh recent entry of Croatia to the EU on 1 of July 2013 has upgrade intensified the propensity of the another(prenominal) occidental Balkan countries to become members of the European family.\nYet, a appressed examination of this exceptional expanse of Europe discloses striking heterogeneity, be it culturally, politically or economically. Such differences surrounded by the westerly Balkan countries makes generalizations about their European consolidation prospects very unsaid to make and conclusions until now harder to reach. Croatia stands alone as the only booming Western Balkan inelegant to have acceded the EU thus far. Serbia, Montenegro and the spring Yugoslav body politic of Macedonia2 are EU ca ndidate countries and on the way to EU membership. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, on the other hand, are capability candidate countries facing significant vault on their roadway towards full integrating to the EU.\nHowever, in raise of the striking distinctions surrounded by countries in the region, the European Union has adopted a conditionality constitution oriented toward the incoming integration of the constitutional region to the EU. Linking this region to Western Europe is arguably a desired finishing of both disassociateies. The conduct of this paper is to assert and analyze the challenges and obstacles that the Western Balkan countries face regarding EU integration. In align to do so the first part provide taper on the indemnity of EU conditionality in the Western Balkans. The succor part allow evaluate the progress towards integration. Countries will be analyzed in groups according to the European Unions categorization in members states, ca ndidate states and likely candidate states. Croatia will not be examined here given over that now it is a member of the EU. Serbia, Montenegro and ... '