Between Europeanization and Democratization: To What Extent is the EU a Democracy Promoter in the Western Balkans?

The paper discusses the relationship between Europeanization and democratization in the context of the Western Balkans. The effects of the accession on governance pluralization are addressed to challenge the view that Europeanization is de facto democratization. The analysis is strengthened by a rationale on the institutional and discursive pluralization of governance as essential elements of modern democracy. The system of political representation is studied to establish the institutional aspect of pluralist governance. Domestic political and public debates are studied to establish the element of discursive pluralism in the governance process. The paper makes two central observations. First, provided that horizontal and vertical governance pluralization are defined as key to democratization, the EU is neither the sole nor the strongest democratization force in the region. Second, the EU is articulated to reinforce dominant political discourses. This results in further marginalization of antagonistic positions and therefore challenges discursive pluralism of democratic deliberation.