The end of a fairytale, the start of a new era? : the EU and China in the Western Balkans

Abstract

The Western Balkans have been transformed into authoritarian regimes in the last decade, despite the EU’s engagement with the region through its enlargement policy. However, prioritizing stability over democracy, the EU lost its chance to transform the Western Balkan countries into democratic entities. In the end, the EU opened a way in for the external actors to the Western Balkan countries and China has entered the scene by increasing engagement with the region. The leaders of the authoritarian regimes in the Western Balkans adopted a pragmatic approach in their relations with China. They used the Chinese card to proceed with their relations with the EU and to gather financial means to legitimize and consolidate their regimes.