Furkan Çako / Gazi University
March 2011
The dilemma, on the other hand, is not simple: it is neither for EU nor for the WB states.
Because, for the first part –meaning the EU- it is a matter of attest that it may achieve in solving of some issues. However, for the second part –meaning the states from the Western Balkans- it is matter of endure/existence. A crucial matter, which in Balkans, for most of the states and nations has a vital importance!
Thus, considering all those developments which has taken part, and the ones which are recently ongoing in the Balkans, it constitutes me a reason which is driving me to tackle and to write for many times in a year about the phenomenon of increasing weariness among the people from the WB states regarding the EU`s diplomacy in that region.
“How can EU help in finding a compromise regarding the name issue between Greece and Macedonia”; ”What is going on with and within Bosnia and what is EU`s role there” or ”When will EU start the negotiations with Turkey” and ”What kind of new challenges there may occur in Serbia, Croatia or Kosovo in their EU approximations” are only some of the examples which we are gossiping out among our daily discussions with my fellow countryman/woman from Macedonia and with my friends from other (Western) Balkan states.
A gossips, which in fact, are proves that something it not going on well on the ground!
What is dilemma about?
Unresolved name issue between Greece and the Republic of Macedonia; Croatian full membership to the EU and som uncertainities on this regard; Reforms and the future status of High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina; Recognition of the Republic of Kosovo from all the EU members and its consequences; Current political and most probably future economical crisis in Albania, or Serbia`s future steps in becoming the EU member are, only, some of the issues which they constitue crucial problem for the EU`s diplomacy: the problems, by which, EU has to overcome its dilemmatic aproach and have more transparent and constructive approach in solving of those issues.
In addition, the dilemma, of course, is not only regarding the EU`s regional policy. However, many would agree that, it is actually about EU`s role at the global scale.
Therefore, in some extend, it is not whether the EU wants to sustain peace and stability in the Balkans, but it is more about whether EU, with its diplomacy, wants to be and act as a global actor at a global scale or not!
EU`s diplomacy in Western Balkans: is it stuck?
According to most of the scholars and career diplomats, the Diplomacy, generally, is considered that is an art which, among other characteristics, is needed to be consisted of Credibility, Sustainability, the Knowledge and the Effectiveness of an arrangement and/or solution of issues with in a perfect manner at the perfect time and place.
However, the lack of credibility and sustainability combined with the lack of knowledge and the reaction to certain issues at very time and perfect place, in many cases, results with an ineffective diplomatic step(s) towards solving the most of the crucial issues in the Balkans, which are obviously, affecting the European Union as well.
Thus, the failure in achieving those tasks, are dragging European Union to a dead-end. And they result with a stuck in EU`s diplomacy towards WB region.
Therefore, one of the most frequently heard comments on EU`s working mechanism is that the EU has not yet achieved the consensus to act along in major regional and global crisis in order to overcome problems and settle the peace and sustain the stability as a single acting body. By which, it is not only putting its diplomacy into stuck, but it is also a reason for not having, in many cases, the legitimacy and credibility of its diplomacy.
In this context, we have witnessed that, something strange has been going on in the course of events that have been unfolding more than a decade in EU`s foreign and security policy, be it regional or at a global scale, and its position in crisis regions, mainly in the Balkans, and Caucasus or Middle East as well.
Although, over the past decade, the EU has been trying to formulate a systematic and cohesive methodological approach to world affairs, we have witnessed that on the ground there has not been achieved yet a real political and diplomatically results.
Considering the fact that, EU is a very special case and that the constituents of its diplomacy is consisted not only by one actor, but by 27 –only by now- one should always agree on the fact that the diplomacy of the EU, as a subject itself, has a various dimensions and interests, be it historical, political, economical or socio-cultural.
But, we must not forget that, the history of European diplomacy is not consisted only of dilemmas and failures. There are, of course, achieved some very crucial tasks and solved some important problems.
However, I still stand by my pessimistic view of the possibility that by these dilemmatic steps, which we are facing nowadays, the diplomacy of European Union might put and end to the political and diplomatic deadlocks in the Balkans and that it may help for promotion of more prosperous and peaceful Balkans in Europe.
As I am coming from the Balkans/Macedonia, a region which has been a kind of laboratory for almost all of the European Union`s foreign policy and NATO`s military actions, my prediction that there could hardly be a significant change in the disposition of European Unions diplomacy is more realistic approach than a sentimental one.
http://www.eaq.sk/komentar/diplomacy-eu-towards-western-balkans-it-stuck
Posted on 05 Eylül 2011
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