Politics of the European Union in Bosnia-Herzegovina: Between Conflict and Democracy

Twenty years on from the outbreak of war in the former Yugoslavia, and with the EU intent on strengthening its common foreign and security policy, this is a timely look at the EU’s capacity for managing and transforming conflict on its very own doorstep. Eralp’s crisp analysis, crticial eye and clear conclusions highlight many of the deficiencies of the EU’s approach to peace-building; making this book an indispensable contribution to the on-going debate about whether or not the EU can become an effective global actor. — Ian Bancroft, Co-founder and executive director of TransConflict

Eralp (consultant, World Bank Group) has published articles and book chapters on the Western Balkans, Cyprus, the EU, and Turkey, and has been a consultant to international organizations and think tanks in various countries. This book evaluates the EU’s effectiveness in executing its responsibility for peace building in Bosnia-Herzegovina against the backdrop of the bloody 1992-95 war there, which was officially ended with the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement in late 1995. Since then, Bosnia-Herzegovina’s political system and economy have remained stagnant. All the while, Bosnia-Herzegovina has strained to build a viable constitutional democracy in the face of persistent internecine conflict among its Muslim, Catholic Croatian, and Orthodox Serbian communities. Examined closely by the author are the historical and institutional constraints associated with the EU’s peace-building role. Well written and readable, the book will appeal mostly to academics and professional scholars keyed to Balkan affairs, supranational organizations, conflictive nationalisms, and the challenge of conflict resolution. This case study could have been strengthened, had it drawn from the substantial social science literature on conflict theory and conflict resolution. Summing Up: Recommended. ― CHOICE