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Dynamics of Regionalism in the Post-Cold War Era: the Case of Southeastern Europe

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Dynamics of Regionalism in the Post-Cold War Era: the Case of Southeastern Europe Dynamics of Regionalism in the Post-Cold War Era: The Case of Southeastern Europe Daphne Papahadjopoulos Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy European Institute, The London School of Economics and Political Science 2004 UMI Number: U194851 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Disscrrlation Publishing UMI U194851 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 LiOf-tiy British üorwy ui rOHucat and Economic Science TH cS c S F To my uncle Demetrios Papahadjopoulos Who would have been so pleased Abstract The thesis seeks to understand why in the post-Cold War era regionalism in Southeastern Europe has been largely ineffective. First, it examines the theoretical preconditions for the emergence of the phenomenon. It finds that two separate levels of analysis exist for explaining its sources, namely the international - divided between rationalist and reflectivist schools - and the domestic. Rationalist schools of thought are arranged along a continuum between those focusing on sources of regionalism external (systemic) and internal to regions. Subsequently, the research project provides a historical perspective of cooperation in Southeastern Europe. It finds that in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, regional schemes did not succeed because of the fragmentory role of external factors - namely the intervention in descending order of the Great Powers, Germany and the Superpowers - as well as Balkan nationalisms. The thesis argues that in the post-Cold War era regional cooperation initiatives, such as the SEECP, the Royaumont Procès, SECI and the SPSEE, have also been ineffective due to external and domestic reasons. On the one hand, while promoting regional cooperation initiatives in Southeastern Europe, the EU has at the same time pursued differentiated integration and bilateral policies with Balkan states which further contribute to the region's heterogeneity and generate centrifugal dynamics. On the other hand, intra-national prerequisites for the emergence of regionalism are absent. These include the retarded state and nation-building process of Yugoslav successor states and entities as well as domestic economic conditions related to the delayed transition in the 1990s. The methodology of the study places the thesis within the literature of International Relations. Systemic theories and domestic political and economic reasons are used to explain the failure of regional cooperation in Southeastern Europe. The research project introduces the concept of 'stateness' - generally referred to in the démocratisation literature as state and nation-building or 'third transition'- to the domestic explanations for the lack of regionalism as well as a neo-liberal aspect to the traditional state-centric external approach to regional cooperation. 1 Table of Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................................1 Acknowledgements ..............................................................................................................4 List of Tables ........................................................................................................................5 List of Abbreviations ............................................................................................................6 Chapter 1 Introduction.................................................................................................... 9 1.1 Background ...................................................................................................9 1.2 Research Question and Structure of the Thesis ..........................................12 1.3 Methodology .............................................................................................. 21 Chapter 2 The Concept of Regionalism..................................................................... 24 2.1 Introduction.................................................................................................24 2.2 Historical Overview of Study and Praxis of Regionalism ......................... 24 2.3 Definition of a Region and Regionalism................................................... 27 2.4 International Theories of Regionalism.......................................................32 2.4.1 Rationalist Continuum ............................................................................... 32 2.4.2 Reflectivism.......................... 48 2.5 Domestic Theories of Regionalism............................................................50 2.6 Conclusions .................................................................................................55 Chapter 3 Historical Overview of Balkan Regional Cooperation..........................61 3.1 Introduction.................................................................................................61 3.2 Balkan Leagues and Confederal Plans .......................................................61 3.3 Balkan Conferences and Balkan Entente ...................................................66 3.4 Balkan Federation ...................................................................................71 3.5 Balkan Triangle ...........................................................................................74 3.6 Balkan Arms Limitation Talks (BALTs) ....................................................80 3.7 Balkan Conferences .................................................................................... 82 3.8 Conclusions................................................................................................86 Chapter 4 Regional Initiatives in the Post-Cold War Era......................................89 4.1 Introduction .............................................................................................. 89 4.2 Royaumont Process for Stability and Good Neighbourliness ...................90 4.3 Southeast European Cooperation Process (SEECP).................................. 93 4.4 Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI)................................... 96 4.5 Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe (SPSEE) ..................................... 99 4.6 Multinational Peace Force South-East Europe (MPFSEE) ..................... 107 4.7 South East Europe Initiative (SEEI) ..........................................................109 4.8 Conclusions............................................................................................... I ll Chapter 5 Differentiated Integration.....................................................................115 5.1 Introduction...............................................................................................115 5.2 Bulgaria and Romania............................................................................. 116 5.2.1 Central Europe Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA)................................... 120 5.3 Western Balkans ...................................................................................... 124 5.4 Turkey ......................................................................................................130 5.5 Conclusions..................................... 134 Chapter 6 Stateness in the Yugoslav Successor States and Entities ...................137 6.1 Introduction ...............................................................................................137 6.2 Bosnia-Herzegovina ................................................................................. 141 6.3 Croatia .......................................................................................................144 6.4 Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY)/Serbia-Montenegro ...................148 6.4.1 Kosovo ......................................................................................................152 6.5 FYR Macedonia ....................................................................................... 158 6.6 Conclusions ...............................................................................................163 Chapter 7 Delayed EconomicTransition ...............................................................168 7.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................168 7.2 Albania .....................................................................................................169 7.3 Bosnia-Herzegovina .................................................................................172 7.4 Bulgaria ....................................................................................................176 7.5 Croatia ...................................................................................................... 177 7.6 FRY /S erb ia-Montenegro ........................................................................ 180 7.6.1 Kosovo .....................................................................................................183 7.7 FYR Macedonia .......................................................................................185
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