Western Balkans: Deep Integration with EU Relies on Internal Integration
Résumé
This chapter focuses on four stakes: (i) the huge demographic changes of the Western Balkans, and the mobility issue namely due to a re-bordering process since the end of the Yugoslavian wars ; (ii) the undeniable income rise but also rising social disparities; (iii) an economy which is just recovering with strong geographical fragmentation; (iv) in the field of environment, an early stage regulation and the necessity for a rising international cooperation with the European union. We highlight a still low international openness, an obvious core-periphery pattern in economic flows with the EU, and the various shortcomings of territorial cooperation with the EU. The strategic recommendations insist on the internal fragmentation, which hinders connection to the EU and any perspective of the Western Balkans to become one day “South-East Europe”.