Abstract Brljavac

Examining the (Non) Influence of the European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Has a Europeanisation Process Failed?

Bedrudin Brljavac

Abstract: The European Union has proved that it is an unavoidable and important actor at the international sphere. However, many times the European Union member states have been criticized for diverse and disunited positions and views with regard to its common foreign policies. Similarly, the main objective of this article is a closer examination of the European Union strategic approach towards Bosnia and Herzegovina in terms of the Europeanisation process of BiH from the perspective of the EU’s capabilities to influence the course of domestic policy-making. Thus, the theoretical framework used in the article is Europeanisation. The central result of the thorough research is that although highly present in the Bosnian politics the EU member states are still divided, incoherent, and non-infl uential in terms of their transforming policies in BiH thus further deepening a political deadlock in this complex Balkan country. What is more, the EU is accountable for the current status quo in Bosnia holding a position of an important international player from which ordinary Bosnian citizens have quite high expectations and hopes. As a result, such a situation has produced a serious credibility gap for the EU since it could not thus far present itself as a powerful and credible actor that has the capacity to help resolving Bosnia’s long years of political and social paralysis.

Keywords: The European Union, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Europeanisation, European Criteria, Capability-expectations Gap, Credibility Crisis