The Western Balkans: Weak performance since the crisis

Abstract

In the early and mid-2000s, the prospect of EU accession and the global boom facilitated rapid economic recovery and boosted economic and institutional reforms in the Western Balkan region. The global financial crisis of 2007–2009 and the European crisis of 2010–2013 slowed the pace of economic growth and amplified high unemployment in the region. In addition, various unresolved legacies from past conflicts slowed the pace of reform and progress towards EU accession. The European Commission’s February 2018 communication sets an indicative deadline (2025) for the two most advanced candidates – Serbia’s and Montenegro’s admission to the EU. This could incentivise all Western Balkan countries, including those candidates that have not yet started membership negotiations (Macedonia and Albania) and those waiting for candidate status (Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo), to remove domestic political obstacles to EU accession, solve conflicts with neighbours, speed up reforms and accelerate economic growth.

The changing pattern of European country groups: Economic, financial, and health indicators, 2000–2015

“…These "periphery" countries faced difficulties in economic and financial management after muddling through the global financial crisis environment. Additionally, some of them have asked for financial help from the International Monetary Fund, while others struggle to get by on their own means (Dabrowski -Myachenkova 2018). The EU actors are motivated by a surrounding of wealth, stability and peace.…”

Albania as an object and a context of research in economic sciences: bibliometric analysis

“…The first of the aforementioned categories is mostly focused on the macro level, including political and economic perspectives. Dabrowski and Myachenkova (2018) present efforts and challenges of Western Balkans countries in their way to accession to the European Union. Sokolova (2016) analyses, from the Russian perspective, the commitment and efforts of Western Balkans nations towards integration with Euro-Atlantic structures.…”

Geopolitical Implications and Challenges of the Coronavirus Crisis for Ukraine

“…Yet that is because the former Yugoslav republics and Albania are already partly members of, and surrounded by, NATO and the EU. With the partial exception of Serbia, they have thus more or less clear membership prospects (Dabrowski and Myachenkova 2018). Current and future Western integration successes of the Balkan nations may thus imply only little for Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova.…”