The Pro-EU Party Consensus Dynamics in the Post-Yugoslav Space

The article examines the evolution of domestic political consensus around European Integration in the countries of former Yugoslavia. Being on the different stages of accession process, these countries are exposed to Brussels’ institutional influence which encourages domestic politics and policy change. Ambiguous attitude of national political actors towards the European Union at the start of negotiations did not impede reaching the agreement among almost all the political parties concerning EU accession as a priority goal. Domestic impact of European Integration described by the term Europeanization. The establishment of the pro-EU consensus is viewed as a specific case of the Europeanization of the postYugoslav political parties. Based on new institutionalism theory, the inquiry raises the question of how the interests and programmatic orientations of political parties in former Yugoslavia transform under direct or indirect influence of European institutions. European strategic orientation is formalized in unanimous parliamentary resolutions which preceded the signing of Europe / Stabilization and Association agreements. Consequently, any political alternative to European integration became radical, and therefore the Eurosceptic forces either marginalized or embraced the consensus. The paper concludes that the sustainability of the pro-EU consensus is reinforced by the ideological change of political parties towards the radical centrism which at the same time represents the EU institutional impact. The absence of political space to express the pursuit of alternative to European integration does not correctly reflect public opinion and reveals the democratic deficit issue

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