Externa aktörer och transitionsstater En studie om EU som en inflytelserik aktör och transitionsstater på Västra Balkan

Sammanfattning: In this thesis I discuss about economical and political transition in countries that is consecutively being induced by influential external actors. Looking closer on the role of the EU as a dynamic transitional force, with the intention of examining to what extent the EU can pursuit its interest and modify the economical as well as the political structures of transition countries. With relations to four transition states on the Western Balkans, more precise Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia-Montenegro and Macedonia (FYROM), I have examined the influential position of the EU. Another feature that is discussed is the approach of the EU and the cause of it in respect to the Western Balkans. Since the end of the crises in Kosovo the EU was given the leading roll in stabilizing and reconstructing the Western Balkans. Even so, the enlargement 2004 of the EU meant that the Union would border to this instable zone, alarmed by the potential consequences this could lead to, the EU decided to take strong measures and an active participation in the development and reconstruction. By developing a range of stabilizing economical programs for the region, which are linked to individual criteria for each transitional country, the EU has managed to achieve stabilizing influences. However the countries being discussed in this thesis still suffer from great structural weaknesses and ethnic-tension, at present only Croatia can be considered as a true success story.