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ACTA UNIVERSITATIS UPSALIENSIS Skrifter Utgivna Av Statsvetenskapliga Föreningen I Uppsala 194 ACTA UNIVERSITATIS UPSALIENSIS Skrifter utgivna av Statsvetenskapliga föreningen i Uppsala 194 Jessica Giandomenico Transformative Power Challenged EU Membership Conditionality in the Western Balkans Revisited Dissertation presented at Uppsala University to be publicly examined in Brusewitzsalen, Gamla Torget 6, Uppsala, Saturday, 19 December 2015 at 10:15 for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The examination will be conducted in English. Faculty examiner: Professor David Phinnemore. Abstract Giandomenico, J. 2015. Transformative Power Challenged. EU Membership Conditionality in the Western Balkans Revisited. Skrifter utgivna av Statsvetenskapliga föreningen i Uppsala 194. 237 pp. Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. ISBN 978-91-554-9403-2. The EU is assumed to have a strong top-down transformative power over the states applying for membership. But despite intensive research on the EU membership conditionality, the transformative power of the EU in itself has been left curiously understudied. This thesis seeks to change that, and suggests a model based on relational power to analyse and understand how the transformative power is seemingly weaker in the Western Balkans than in Central and Eastern Europe. This thesis shows that the transformative power of the EU is not static but changes over time, based on the relationship between the EU and the applicant states, rather than on power resources. This relationship is affected by a number of factors derived from both the EU itself and on factors in the applicant states. As the relationship changes over time, countries and even issues, the transformative power changes with it. The EU is caught in a path dependent like pattern, defined by both previous commitments and the built up foreign policy role as a normative power, and on the nature of the decision making procedures. This path dependent pattern prevents the EU from actively using its strongest tools when trying to influence and steer the applicant states regarding reforms and norm transfer, effectively weakening the transformative power. Evidence from elections in Albania and Macedonia show how the domestic electoral stakeholders actively can resist, and even prune, important norms and laws, on best electoral practice, a key feature for the democratic structures required for EU membership. It is also apparent how there are few domestic change agent strong enough to actively promote normative changes, leaving much of the work for the EU. The clientelistic structures of these countries are a key aspect in shaping interests and actions of the political elite. The result is that layers of old and new institutions are created, producing the mixed pattern of reforms observed all over the Western Balkans. By combining the findings at both the EU level and in the applicant states, this thesis makes both important empirical and theoretical contributions, challenging some core aspects of the Europeanisation literature. Keywords: European Union, Western Balkans, EU enlargement, historical institutionalism, power, elections, norm transfer, compliance Jessica Giandomenico, Department of Government, Box 514, Uppsala University, SE-75120 Uppsala, Sweden. © Jessica Giandomenico 2015 ISSN 0346-7538 ISBN 978-91-554-9403-2 urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-265548 (http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-265548) Printed in Sweden by Kph Trycksaksbolaget AB, 2015 To Sofia and Amanda Acknowledgements Writing a PhD thesis is a solitary project, yet one which needs support and assistance from others, who need to be thanked properly. This project has taken time. Quite often I have despaired, and once I almost gave up. But I am stubborn, and won’t accept defeat. However, I would never have man- aged to reach a conclusion if it weren’t for my fantastic supervisors, Li Ben- nich-Björkman and Anna Jarstad. It takes some courage to question the es- tablished thinking on a subject, and they have always encouraged me to fol- low my curiosity, my own gut feeling, to dig deeper and to believe in my conclusions. Li’s ability to put my reasoning into a broader context and An- na’s sharp eye for details have formed a constructive and creative combina- tion, helping me to extract theoretical arguments where I became confused by empirical complexity. Despite periods of anguish, they have always given me the hope that this would eventually not just result in a thesis, but a thesis with added value. Thank you, I am immensely grateful for your support, patience and guidance! But those interesting conclusions could not have been drawn if it weren’t for all my interlocutors, many of whom prefer to be anonymous, who have obligingly given me an hour or two of their time to answer my questions and help me understand patterns and procedures. At times I have been surprised by your openness and frank statements, and I have caught things on tape that I never dreamt I would be told openly. I am indebted to you all, and this thesis would not have been written without your generosity. In Brussels I need to thank Lars Schmidt at the Swedish Permanent Rep- resentation to the EU and Stefan Simosas at the DG Enlargement for helping me to learn how to navigate the Brussels machinery, and to establish first contacts with member state representatives and relevant people at the Com- mission and other EU institutions. Maria Fihl helped me to get key contacts inside the EEAS. In Skopje I searched for an interpreter and found a dear friend and door opener in Laura Saliu. The Swedish Embassy in Skopje, including the ambassador Lars Wahlund himself, has been very supportive, as have various people at the EU Delegation and the OSCE. In Tirana I have relied on the generosity and hospitality of my Albanian friends Arian Braha and Ilir Marleka who have also been my interpreters. The staff at the OSCE have been most helpful and forthcoming on a number of occasions. Anna Maria Lundins Stipendiefond at Smålands Nation and Borbos Erik Hansson’s Scholarship have generously provided funds for my field studies. Living abroad means distance from intellectual discussions and exchange with colleagues. My fellow PhD candidates and other colleagues at both the Department of Government, the Department of Eurasian Studies, and Uppsa- la Centre for Russian and Eurasian Studies and have been great sources of inspiration and help, despite my long term absences from the environment. Johan Engvall and Wendy Maycraft Kall started this journey together with me, and I am very grateful for their constant presence despite geographical distance. Luckily social media has greatly improved communications, information and the possibility to participate in social interaction. I am happy to have a great network of (former) PhD candidates and colleagues to interact with, and to keep me in the loop, including the occasional conference lunch in my garden. These encounters and chats have very much helped me to feel less isolated and made me feel at home during my increasingly briefer and short- er visits in Uppsala. Sofia Knöchel Ledberg, Emma Björnehed and Dominika Borg have read and commented on early drafts. Åsa Lundgren, Anna Michalski and Ludvig Norman have helped me to clear my thoughts through careful reading of parts of the manuscript. Johanna Söderström and Katarina Wolczuk have read an early version of the full manuscript and contributed substantially with their comments. Sten Widmalm and Sverker Gustavsson have also giv- en valuable comments and advice. The participants at the workshop EU En- largement and Institutional Reforms in Southeast Europe in Berlin in July 2009 gave me both valuable comments and inspiration. Charlotta Friedner Parrat has helped to keep momentum going during the final stages of writing. She, Moa Mårtensson and Hanna Linderstål have helped me with some practical issues at the last stages. Sofie Bedford has been a good friend and lent an ear when needed. Thank you all very much! Per-Ola Öberg came up with the brilliant idea of writing a Li- cenciatavhandling when I had got firmly stuck. Thank you, I needed that! Evert Vedung was extremely kind to provide me with a book that I need- ed very much. Thank you, it proved to be a small, but essential contribution! Living abroad has also complicated many practical aspects when it comes to teaching and administrative matters. I have had great help and support throughout the years from Claes Levinsson, Lena Wallin, AnnaLotta Barres- tam and Eva Dreimanis to sort out teaching, paper work and all those little details that make such a big difference. Thank you so much, you have made my life much easier. Jarmila Durmanová has been a search engine wizard and given much appreciated and essential help in an era before electronic access to the library. What would I have done without you? In addition, Jevgenija Gehsbarga, Lena Lubenow, Åsa Viksten Strömbom and Annika Kollstedt have always greeted me and my requirements with a smile, friendliness and efficiency. Thank you lovely ladies for everything! Sara Sjödin Scolari (sarasjodin.com) lent me her competence and drew the figures in a clear, readable design. Grazie mille! Last, but not least, I want to thank my family for patience and support. My parents, and in particular my father, have provided much needed help with child care and family logistics whenever and wherever needed. My beloved husband has been very patient throughout my introvert periods of late night writing, intellectual frustration and at times very short memory and distractedness. I will be more present from now on, I promise! I dedicate this thesis to my lovely, clever, curious and beautiful daughters, who know that their mother was “writing a book” but very much want to know what she was actually doing all that time in front of the computer when she wasn’t playing with them. Bracciano, November 2015 Contents Acknowledgements ........................................................................................
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