Youth Participation in the EU Integration of Western Balkans: A Token or an Effective Tool for Addressing the Enlargement Fatigue?

Abstract

Over the past two decades, the prospect of European Union (EU) membership for the Western Balkans has faced numerous obstacles, leading to disillusionment among citizens. The deadlock underpinning the Western Balkans six’s EU prospect stems from both internal challenges within the EU and the region itself. This thesis identifies the elite-oriented and top-down nature of the enlargement process as a key contributing factor to the current fatigue. By focusing on citizen participation and bottom-up dynamics, the research explores the role of young people from the Western Balkans in addressing current challenges and in shaping the region's European integration trajectory. It does so by looking into existing participatory mechanisms that inspire regional youth contributions in the context of enlargement, leveraging the process from the bottom-up. The role of youth participation and agency in the European integration of the Western Balkans is therefore examined by employing a qualitative research methodology, through theoretical reflections building from Europeanisation literature, policy analysis and focus groups with Western Balkans youth. The topics engaged in this work are an often overlooked aspect of European integration, yet as this thesis shows, youth contributions have the potential to challenge existing barriers to enlargement, shape the European integration and work towards a more inclusive and democratic European future. Keywords: Western Balkans, Enlargement Fatigue, Youth Participation, European Integration, Youth Tokenism