The Growing Euroscepticism of the Western Balkans: Proceedings of The Tenth ECPD International Conference on Reconciliation, Tolerance and Human Security in the Balkans

Over the last two decades or so, most citizens in western Balkan states have held the belief that increasing integration into the European Union (EU) would bring about considerable benefits. Such a belief has contributed substantially to sustain difficult post-socialist and, even, post-war transitions. In many cases the “European perspective” gave meaning, sense and direction to both political elites and ordinary citizens in their attempt to take control of and shape the new and challenging post-Cold War environment. Since the beginning of the global economic and financial crisis in 2008, however, this perception has begun to change, opening the way to a diffuse sense of euro-fatalism or even euroscepticism.