Bosnien‐Hercegovinas vej mod EU

Abstract

This thesis enters the debate on Bosnia and the European Union and focuses on Bosnian path towards the EU. The thesis asks the following questions: What kind of complications dose Bosnia meet on its way to the EU, and in what way would an EU membership solve the problems in the country? Furthermore, following working questions have are developed as a guide to the analysis: In what way, has the increasing nationalism and religious consciousness, affected the way towards the EU and to what extent does the country fulfill the Copenhagen criteria? Since the end of the civil war in 1995, Bosnia has received enormous sums in aid from the European Union aimed at democratic, economic, social and political rebuilding with the end-goal of accession. However, the results have not been as expected and there has been little real success in reforming the country to fit the Copenhagen criteria for accession. As a theoretical basis the thesis draws on nationalism theories, democracy theories and the thesis about Clash of Civilization. Furthermore, the theoretical material is used to analyze the empirical data, and in this way try’s to find answers to the research question. The nationalism theories and the Clash of Civilization are used to discuss the complicated historical background of the country, and to analyze the role of nationalism and religion. Whereas, democracy theories are used to discuss and analyze the postwar period in order to find out, in what way the country lives up to EU criteria’s. Furthermore, the thesis discusses the conditions for liberal democracy in Bosnia by looking into a number of variables, formulated by the democracy scholars. The thesis finds out that Bosnian history has played a huge role in the development of its people’s identity, where religion and ethnicity have been the most important factors in this process. Furthermore, the thesis finds out that different international actors have also influenced the country, and are in many ways responsible for the negative development, which the EU in the modern time has tried to solve. The thesis concludes that the EU is the only solution to the Bosnian problems, because if the EU turns its’ back on Bosnia, the country will not survive.