Lost in Europeanisation: The Western Balkans and Turkey

Abstract

The article analyses the EU's impact on the rule of law in the Western Balkans and Turkey. It enquires into the reasons behind the patchy record of rule-of-law reforms in Turkey, Croatia and Albania by examining judicial reforms in response to the EU accession requirements. It argues that a credible EU accession perspective and an adequate degree of state capacity are necessary but not sufficient conditions for explaining the fluctuations in the rule-of-law standards in EU accession countries. The genuine, partial or non-alignment of the ruling elites' domestic incentives with the EU incentives is a key determinant of rule-of-law trends in the Western Balkans and Turkey.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Tanja Börzel, Yaprak Gürsoy, Liesbet Hooghe, Thomas Risse, Zeki Sarıgil, Serap Yazıcı and two anonymous referees for their valuable feedback on earlier drafts of the article.

Notes

1. Interview with a European Commission official, 26 May 2011, Brussels.

2. Interview with a European Commission official, 26 May 2011, Brussels.

3. The EU has financed the European Assistance Mission to the Albanian Justice System (EURALIUS) which brings legal experts from the EU member states to help judicial reform in the country. EEAS, available at http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/albania/press_corner/all_news/news/2010/20100617_01_en.htm (accessed 29 May 2011).