THE INTERNAL POLITICAL STRUGGLE FOR BOSNIA AND HERCEGOVINA’S ENTRY INTO THE EUROPEAN UNION An ideal type analysis on statements made by Bosnia and Herzegovina’s presidents

Abstract

This Master Thesis explores the internal political dialogue in Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding its candidacy for European Union membership. By examining the current research on how Bosnia is defined as a state, between consociational democracy and ethnocracy and discussing the lack of liberal tendencies, the study defines those same three theoriess to use as the basis for the analysis. Later, three ideal types are constructed based on the previous research and the three theoriess, which are consociational democracy, ethnocracy and liberal democracy. The thesis focuses on the statements made by political leaders, analysing them with the help of the pre-constructed ideal types. By examining the relationship between power-sharing amendments, ethnic interests, and EU criteria, the research aims to shed light on the challenges shaping Bosnia's path towards EU accession and answering the question of: How do the statements made by the chosen politicians in Bosnia relate to the three ideal types: consociationalism, ethnocracy and liberal democracy? The methodology is a case study design with ideal types as the unit of analysis. The results highlight support for EU membership among politicians from diverse ethnic backgrounds in Bosnia, however, it also showcases the duality of Bosnia's system, wanting EU membership without changing the current power sharing amendments. The thesis underscores the importance of understanding internal political dynamics in the context of EU integration and offers insights into Bosnia's complex journey towards European integration. However, there is a duality in the statements being analyzed in which there always seems to be ethnic prioritation before the pathway towards the EU is being taken.