Assessment of the state of the European Union’s enlargement process towards the Western Balkans; Factors conditioning the evolution of the European Union’s enlargement process towards the Western Balkans

The enlargement of the European Union towards the Western Balkans has faced significant slowdown in recent times, despite nominal support for enlargement from both the EU and the candidate countries of the region. This paper examines the factors contributing to the stagnation of the enlargement process, categorizing them into internal and external factors. Internally, the EU is facing what is dubbed “the enlargement fatigue” phenomenon, where the EU and its Member States are not fully committed and are less enthusiastic towards further EU enlargement. What further exacerbates the problem are the various internal crises the EU has faced in recent times: the 2008 financial and eurozone crisis, the migrant crisis, Brexit, and the recent COVID-19 crisis. Furthermore, the process of enlargement has become politicized in the sense that Member States use their status in the negotiation process for political leverage and gain. On the other side, externally, the region of the Western Balkans is home to foreign non-EU geopolitical influences of Russia, China, Turkey, and the Gulf states. However, more importantly, Western Balkan countries still have major problems with state capture, corruption, and the weak rule of law, which severely hamper their ascension processes. This study employs a comparative and descriptive approach, synthesizing primary EU documents and secondary academic sources to provide a comprehensive analysis of the evolving enlargement framework. The findings suggest that while EU engagement remains crucial, both the EU and Western Balkan states must undertake substantive reforms and commitments to break the current impasse and revitalize the accession process.