THE WESTERN BALKANS AND THE EU: REVERSE PERSPECTIVE

Jovanović Miloš (Dr Miloš Jovanović, docent na Pravnom fakultetu Univerziteta u Beogradu), milosjovanovic@ius.bg.ac.rs

Prior to the question of the existing relations between the countries of the Western Balkans and the European Union, is the question of the future of the EU itself. The economic crisis set aside, the absence of any true sense of belonging and genuine European identity are seen as main obstacles that the EU is facing at the moment. The existing tensions and problems that several EU countries are encountering as regard to their unity, as Spain or Belgium, illustrates that it appears quite difficult to generate a collective sense of belonging within a culturally heterogeneous political community. As the EU needs an emergence of a true European identity, in order to legitimize the deepening of its political integration which is necessary to overcome the crisis of the euro-zone, the solution well might be found in the differentiation of the level of integration of its member states.

Keywords: United in diversity, Scotland, Catalonia, Belgium, EU, Neofunctionalism, collective identity, Constitutional patriotism, differentiation