EU DEMOCRACY PROMOTION IN SERBIA: BETWEEN REALPOLITIK AND IDEALISM

In recent years, both the EU and its member states have paid allegiance to the goal of democracy and good governance in Serbia. Like elsewhere in Western Balkans, this pursuit has met some difficulties that derive from the legacies of the past and a latte beginning transition process for democracy. This study assesses how European democracy promotion has played out in Serbia since 2000. In practice, to what extent has democracy been important for EU-Serbia relations? How have EU countries and institutions worked on the ground to promote good governance? How are European democracy promotion policies perceived in Serbia? After the recognition of Kosovo as an independent state, in which the EU has a great responsibility, where do EU-Serbia relations stand? Serbia has applied for EU membership in December 2009, but, although some progress towards meeting the EU political and economic criteria has been achieved, Serbia still has a long way to go until it is able to join the EU. The EU can hence hope to make an impact, with their conditionality policy. However, the balancing act between Realpolitik and idealism is a risky one, and prospects for democracy promotion can quickly weaken.