• Vukpalaj Anton

• Vukpalaj Anton

Political regimes of the Balkans- a comparative analysis: Regional Dynamics and European Integration."

Semester: Spring 2024

Course Leader:

Prof. Anton Vukpalaj (anatonvukpalaj@hotmail.com)

Language: English                    

Course load: (3 ECTS) 28 teaching hours                  

Days / Time:

12.04.2024 9:15-12:30  / 13:30-17:00

13.04.2024 9:15-12:30 / 13:30-17:00

26.04.2024 9:15-12h30 / 13h30-17:00

27.04.2024 9:15-12:30 / 13:30-17:00

Description

This course makes a historical perspective of the Balkans and studies the path from the fall of communism and the dissolution of Yugoslavia to the emergence of current states. Balkan countries have undergone a double transition - from communism to post-communism and, in some cases, from war to peace. Some countries passed a successfully democratic transition and have joined the European Union, while others have struggled to democratize. This course will provide a comparative analysis of political processes of the Balkan countries and examine the major challenges facing democracy in the region. Students will gain empirical knowledge on the region’s politics and policies as well as analytical and practical understanding of political aspects involved in policy design, adoption, and implementation. It will examine the nature of the regimes in these countries and the factors that have contributed to their varied paths towards democracy. It will focus on regional dynamics and the ongoing processes of EU integration. In addition, the course will focus on how countries in the Western Balkans that were affected by conflicts in the 1990s have dealt with their past, including issues of state-building, transitional justice, and the impact of the past on current state-society relations. Overall, the course aims to deepen students’ understanding of the political processes shaping the Balkans today.

Expected outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Have a comprehensive understanding of politics of

Balkan countries over the past three decades

• Understand the political regimes of the Balkan countries
• Analyze political processes in the region using comparative analysis when studying politics
• Be able to distinguish different political actors in analysed countries
• Conduct research on the Balkans
• Compare the politics of different Balkan states using empirical evidence
• Understand the processes of political change in the region.

Methodology

The course will consist of a combination of lectures, student presentations, and interactive discussions. Each class will begin with a lecture, followed by in-class participation and discussion. The course is designed to be a mix of different teaching methods that will engage students and encourage active participation.

Course Requirements (Assessment)

The course's final grade will be determined by evaluating the quality of student participation in class discussions, in-class presentations, and a written essay. The essay can be based on the topic of the in-class presentations. The grade will be a reflection of the student's overall performance in the class.

The weighting of these three elements for the final grade is as follows:

Participation in class discussions 20%

In-class presentations 40%

Final essay (about 3000 words), due no later than four weeks after the Part II of the lecture. 40%

The grade percentages are as follows:

Grade /Percentages:

6 = 90-100 %

5.5 = 80-89%

5 = 70-79%

4.5 = 60-69%

4 = 50-59%

4 or less = less than 49%, failed

(*) In-class presentations:

In-class presentations can be completed individually or as a group of up to two students. If you choose to work in a group, it is important that every member actively participates in the preparation and presentation. Each presentation should not exceed 20 minutes per student. For your in-class presentation, please select a case study, book chapter, paper or propose a topic related to the course (see the course outline for more information). Your topic must be approved by the instructor via email before the lecture. In addition, you will need to submit a final essay (approx. 3000 words) no later than five weeks after the second part of the lecture.

Additional Information

It is expected that students will attend all scheduled classes and thoroughly read the assigned literature beforehand. Additionally, students are expected to actively participate in class discussions and presentations. If there are any questions or concerns about this course that are not addressed in the syllabus, please reach out to the instructor via email or in person. The instructor is available to assist you, but it is ultimately the responsibility of the student to ensure that they understand and fulfill all the course requirements.

Course Schedule

12 April

(09:15-10:45): The Balkans: An Introduction

• • Balkan countries: A Brief Historical Survey
  • The Dissolution of Former Yugoslavia in the 1990’s
  • The Post-Communist Transition
  • The Post War Transition

(11:00-12:30): The Western Balkans Political Regimes

• • Comparing Governments and Political Institutions in Balkan countries
  • State formation
  • Democratization and Legacies
  • Political Processes and Shift to Competitive Authoritarianism
  • Political Patronage and State Capture

(13:30-15:00): Regional Dynamics

• • Geopolitics and Democracy in the Balkans
  • The Involvement of Russia, China, and Turkey
  • NATO’s Role in the Region
  • Regional Security Dynamics
  • The Impact of the Ukrainian War

(15:15-17:00): Balkans and EU Integrations

• • Overview of EU Enlargement Policies
  • Integration at Different Speeds
  • The “Enlargement Fatigue”
  • Progress and Challenges in Accession Negotiations
  • Case Studies of Successful and Stalled EU Integration Efforts
  • EU as a Stabilizing Force

13 April

(09:15-10:45): Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Power-sharing Model of Democracy

• • Bosnia’s Status in the Former Yugoslavia
  • War in Bosnia in the 1990’s and the Dayton Peace Agreement in 1995
  • The Interplay of Ethnic and Political Factors
  • EU as a Mediator of Political Disputes

(11:00-12:30): Kosovo’s “Mixed” Model of Democracy

• • The Kosovo War in 1998-1999
  • From a De Facto State to the Independence in 2008
  • Kosovo-Serbia Disputes and Negotiations
  • The Non-recognition of Kosovo by 5 EU Member States
  • EU Missions in Kosovo

(13:30-15:00): North Macedonia’s Power-Sharing Model of Democracy

• • The North Macedonia Armed Conflict in 2001
  • The Ohrid Agreement and Constitutional Changes
  • The Power Sharing Institutions, Demography and Governance
  • North Macedonia-Greece Agreement in 2019
  • North Macedonia, NATO and EU integrations

(15h15-17h): Comparative Analysis of Case Studies

• • Comparing Bosnia, Northern Macedonia and Kosovo model of power-sharing
  • Lessons (not-) to Be Learned
  • Conclusive Remarks on Western Balkans Case Studies.

26 April

(09:15-10:45): Serbia’s Majority Model of Democracy  

• • Serbian Nationalism in the 1990s
  • The Post-Milosevic Transition
  • Institutions and Governance
  • The Electoral System and Political Parties
  •  Serbia Between Russia and the West
  • Current Situation

(11:00-12:30): Croatian Majority Model of Democracy

• • Croatian Post-Yugoslav Transition
  • Croatia’s War for Independence
  • Croatia’s Political Structure
  • Democracy and Governance in Croatia
  • Croatia’s EU Integration
  • Conclusive Remarks on Majority Models of Western Balkans Democracies

(13:30-15:00): In-Class Presentations and Discussion

(15:15-17:00): Final Comparison

27 April

(09:15-10:45): State building and democratisation in WB

• • An Overview of Post-Conflict State Building
  • Security and Stabilisation
  • Reflections from Bosnia-Herzegovina
  • Reflections from Kosovo
  • Structural Limitations and Shortcomings

(11:00-12:30): Dealing with the Past and Transitional Justice

• An Overview of Transitional Justice Mechanisms in the Balkans
• Promotion of Justice in Practice
• TJ as a Peacebuilding Mechanism in the Aftermath of Violent Conflict
• TJ as a Transition Facilitator

(13:30-15:00): In class presentations and discussion

(15:15-17:00): Final comparison

• • Discussion of the Main Arguments of the Course
  • Critical Analysis with Specific Comments
  • Discussion

* Compulsory reading: Bieber, F. (2018). Patterns of competitive authoritarianism in the Western Balkans. East European Politics, Vol. 34 (3), pp. 337-354.

Texts:

• Anderson, C.J., & Guillory, C. A. (1997). Political institutions and satisfaction with democracy: A cross-national analysis of consensus and majoritarian systems. The American Political Science Review, 91(1), 66.
• Bieber, F. (2011). Building Impossible States? State-Building Strategies and EU Membership in the Western Balkans. Europe-Asia Studies, 63(10), 1783-1802.
• Cohen, J. L., & Lampe, R. J. (2011). Embracing Democracy in the Western Balkans: From Postconflict Struggles toward European Integration. Journal of Democracy, 22(4), 18-32. doi:10.1353/jod.2011.0066
• Hajrullahu, A., & Vukpalaj, A. (2021). Forging Kosovo: Between Dependence, Independence, and Interdependence. Bern: Peter Lang.
• Hayoz, N., Leszek J., & Koleva, D. (2011).20 Years after the Collapse of Communism, Expectations, achievements and disillusions of 1989. Bern: Peter Lang.
• Kasapovic, M. (2005). Bosnia and Herzegovina: Consociational or Liberal Democracy? Croatian Journal of Political Science, XLII, 3-30.
• Levitsky, S., & Way, L. A. (2010). Competitive Authoritarianism: Hybrid Regimes after the Cold War. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Levitsky, S., & Ziblatt, D. (2018). How Democracies Die. New York: Crown.
• Marko, J. (2014). Ethnic Parties and Power Sharing: A Case Study from Bosnia and Herzegovina. IPSA Montreal.
• O’Neil, P. H. (2010). Essentials of Comparative Politics (3rd ed.). New York: Norton.
• Pridham G. (2003). Democratisation in Central and Eastern Europe: A Comparative Perspective. In S. White, J. Batt, & P. Lewis (Eds.), Developments in Central and East European Politics 3 (pp. 269-290). London: Palgrave.
• Ramet, S.P. (2010). Central and Southeast European Politics since 1989. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Stojarova V., & Emerson P. (2010). Party Politics in the Western Balkans. London: Routledge.
• Vukpalaj, A. (2010). Ex-Yougoslavie, de la guerre a la justice. Paris: Michel Houdiard Editeur.
• Zaum, D. (2007). The Sovereignty Paradox: The Norms and Politics of International Statebuilding. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Ker-Lindsay, J. (2011). The EU and the Kosovo Conflict. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Bianchini, S. (2013). The European Union and the Secession of Kosovo: A Blueprint. Routledge.
• Šelo Šabić, S. (2016). The European Union’s Foreign Policy towards the Western Balkans: Democracy Promotion, Security, and Integration. Palgrave Macmillan.

Die Einschreibung und Absolvierung der Prüfung im selben Semester ist aufgrund des externen Dozierenden Voraussetzung für die Einschreibung in den Kurs.

MITTEILUNG:

AM 12.UND AM 13. APRIL FÄLLT DER UNTERRICHT WEGEN EINES NOTFALLS IN DER FAMILIE DES LEHRBEAUFTRAGTEN AUS, DIESE TAGE WERDEN AM 17. UND 18. MAI NACHGEHOLT.

Wir entschuldigen uns für die Umstände und bedanken uns für Ihr Verständnis.

Alle anderen Daten bleiben unverändert.