West Balkan satellite states of the soft empire of the EU

• Main Authors: Csaba Máté Sarnyai, Tibor Pap, Péter Bózsó
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Faculty of Philosophy, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje 2017-12-01
• Series: Bezbednosni Dijalozi
• Subjects: eu; western balkans; accession process; periphery
• Online Access: http://periodica.fzf.ukim.edu.mk/sd/SD%2008.sp%20(2017)/SD%2008.sp.03%20M%C3%A1t%C3%A9%20Sarnyai,%20C.&%20Pap,%20T.%20&%20B%C3%B3zs%C3%B3,%20P.%20-%20West%20Balkan%20satellite%20states%20of%20the.pdf

We elaborate on the relationship of Beck’s ‘soft empire’ and peripheral states, considering the EU as a non-homogeneous and non-hegemonic empire. We also work on the socio-theoretical “critique” of the so-called ‘methodological nationalism’. The starting point of a new approach is that the main problem is not any nation-building program. In our view, the reasons for the recurring, persistent problems with the issues of a nation its state, and neighbors are the majority-principled decision-making and regional segmentation, and the fixed nature of borders. The emerging Balkan phenomenon of “association with a delayed or canceled accession process” requires a new approach.