Week in Review: Breakthroughs and False Starts

Breakthrough?

In a move that surprised many, Bosnia's three most powerful political leaders - Bakir Izetbegovic, Milorad Dodik and Dragan Covic - announced a landmark deal to form a government at the central state level. The announcement comes ten months after elections were held.

While the news is certainly positive, many analysts are reserving judgement. In particular, there are questions over how real the breakthrough is and whether all sides will be able to stick to the deal and deliver on the set timelines. There are many who believe that the 12-point agreement on which the new governing coalition is to be built merely papers over serious political divisions and serves to buy time. Will the whole deal unravel?

Read more: Bosnian Deal on New Govt Leaves Key Issues Unsolved (August 8, 2019)

Debating Europeanization

Flags of Western Balkan countries. Archeive photo: EPA-EFE/MIKA SCHMIDT / POOL

A recent comment piece published on Balkan Insight seems to have stirred debate - has Europeanization worked in the Balkans? Indeed, has it happened at all? In their July 19 piece, Vladimir Djordjevic and Vladimir Vuckovic made the case for why it has been a failure.

Daniel Serwer takes issue with this idea. The crux of his argument is that, in gauging Europeanization's success or failure in the Balkans, one should not look at how far these countries are from a European ideal, but where they started out from and how much progress they have made.

Read more: Europeanization Hasn't Failed in Balkans - it Just Needs Time (August 5, 2019)

Doubts

A woman gestures during a protest on March 21,2019 holding a board with the following message: „ Dear deputies, today you determine the future for you, for our...