The Impact of Geography and Ethnicity on EU Enlargement:New
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Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University Political Science Dissertations Department of Political Science Spring 5-10-2017 The mpI act of Geography and Ethnicity on EU Enlargement:New Evidence from the Accession of Eastern Europe Diana Petrova White Georgia State University Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.gsu.edu/political_science_diss Recommended Citation White, Diana Petrova, "The mpI act of Geography and Ethnicity on EU Enlargement:New Evidence from the Accession of Eastern Europe." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2017. http://scholarworks.gsu.edu/political_science_diss/43 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Political Science at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Political Science Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE IMPACT OF GEOGRAPHY AND ETHNICITY ON EU ENLARGEMENT NEW EVIDENCE FROM THE ACCESSION OF EASTERN EUROPE by DIANA WHITE Under the Direction of Jelena Subotic, PhD ABSTRACT In this dissertation I argue that established EU member states slow down accession of Eastern European members because they do not consider them suitable for a western-style liberal democracy due to the pronounced presence of specific factors related to ethnicity and geography in the region. I evaluate EU enlargement on wave-by-wave basis and conclude that the major concern with accessing Eastern Europe is Russia’s increased political influence in the region. INDEX WORDS: INDEX WORDS: Institutions, European Union, Russia, Minorities, Conflict THE IMPACT OF GEOGRAPHY AND ETHNICITY ON EU ENLARGEMENT NEW EVIDENCE FROM THE ACCESSION OF EASTERN EUROPE by DIANA WHITE A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University 2017 Copyright by Diana Petrova White 2017 THE IMPACT OF GEOGRAPHY AND ETHNICITY ON EU ENLARGEMENT NEW EVIDENCE FROM THE ACCESSION OF EASTERN EUROPE by DIANA WHITE Committee Chair: Jelena Subotic Committee: Charles Hankla Andrew Wedeman Electronic Version Approved: Office of Graduate Studies College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University May 2017 iv DEDICATION To my mother, my husband, my sons, and my brother who stood by me during this difficult journey, thank you. This would not have been possible without your help. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge the invaluable contribution of my committee chair Jelena Subotic and committee members Charles Hankla and Andrew Wedeman to this project. Also, I want to thank my close associates from the GSU Political Science PhD program who stood by me and provided their support and friendship. Finally, I extend my gratitude to all of my instructors, teachers, and mentors who helped me along the way. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................ V LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................... XIII LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................... XIV LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................................... XVI 1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Intergovernmental Cooperation versus Neo-functionalist Integration .......... 2 1.2 History of the European Union .......................................................................... 5 1.2.1 Wave 1 ............................................................................................................. 5 1.2.1.1 Division of Europe into East and West ................................................................. 5 1.2.1.2 Establishing of the European Communities - Europe of “the Six” ....................... 8 1.2.1.3 EU Enlargement Process ..................................................................................... 16 1.2.2 Wave 2 ........................................................................................................... 17 1.2.3 Wave 3 ........................................................................................................... 18 1.2.4 Wave 4 ........................................................................................................... 18 1.2.5 Wave 5 ........................................................................................................... 18 1.2.6 Wave 6 ........................................................................................................... 19 1.2.7 Pending applicants ........................................................................................ 19 1.3 This Project ........................................................................................................ 20 1.3.1 Statement of the Problem .............................................................................. 20 vii 1.3.2 Purpose .......................................................................................................... 21 2 IDEATIONAL MOTIVATIONS OF EU ACCESSION ....................................... 24 2.1 Conventional Views of Norms and Their Impact on International Institutions ............................................................................................................................. 25 2.1.1 Realism - Political Manipulation and International Institutions ............... 27 2.1.1.1 International Institutions and Structure ............................................................... 28 2.1.1.2 Key Actors Drive Institutions ............................................................................. 29 2.1.2 Constructivism - Consistent Normative Framework in Supranational Institutions ........................................................................................................................ 30 2.1.2.1 Normative Framework Structurally Embedded in the EU .................................. 30 2.1.2.2 Integration of new members with established normative perceptions in the EU - Europeanization ................................................................................................................. 32 2.1.2.3 Binding norms as a standard for behavior for all members of the EU ................ 35 2.1.2.3.1 Growing anti-immigration sentiments and intolerant attitudes in the EU ..... 38 2.1.2.3.2 EU Refugee Crisis ......................................................................................... 38 2.1.3 Proximity to Russia and EU Expansion East .............................................. 40 2.1.3.1 Economic Interests of the EU and Proximity to Russia ...................................... 43 2.1.3.2 Political Interests of the EU and Proximity to Russia ......................................... 45 3 RELEVANCE OF PRO-DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT FOR EU ACCESSION ............................................................................................................................... 47 3.1 Ongoing Economic Crisis in Europe ............................................................... 48 viii 3.2 Slower Economic Development in the Eastern Block and its Impact on EU Accession ............................................................................................................................. 52 3.2.1 Conventional Wisdom about EU Accession of Eastern Europe ................. 52 3.2.1.1 Pro-democratic Attitudes in Candidate States Determine EU Membership Timeframe .......................................................................................................................... 53 3.2.1.2 Tensions between Established and New Members Change the Rules of Accession ........................................................................................................................... 55 3.2.1.3 Asymmetry in Economic and Political Aspects of Integration Slows Accession 56 3.3 Economic Migrants from Eastern Europe ...................................................... 58 3.3.1 GDP-per Capita and Migration .................................................................... 59 4 STRUCTURAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR EU EXPANSION EAST ............... 64 4.1 Concerns of Established Member States that the Balkan Region is Weak and Volatile ............................................................................................................................. 65 4.1.1 Balkanization ................................................................................................ 66 4.1.2 Eastern Orthodox Christianity ..................................................................... 67 4.1.3 Conflicts in the Balkans ................................................................................ 69 4.2 EU Institutions’ Ability to Influence Eastern Europe ................................... 70 4.2.1 EU Institutions and Pro-Democratic Political Changes in Eastern Europe .. ........................................................................................................................ 71 4.2.1.1 EU and Security of Eastern Europe..................................................................... 71 4.2.1.2 EU Conditionality and Disagreement Resolution ............................................... 72 ix 4.2.2 EU Institutions and Economic Changes in Eastern