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16 Romanian J. Eur. Aff. 56 (2016)
EU-Russia Rivalry in the Balkans: Linkage, Leverage and Competition (the Case of Serbia)

handle is hein.journals/rojaeuf16 and id is 242 raw text is: ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF EUROPEAN AFFAIRS Vol. 16, No. 3, September 2016 EU-Russia Rivalry in the Balkans: Linkage, Leverage and Competition (The Case of Serbia) Galina A. Nelaeva, Andrey V. Semenov' Abstract. The article seeks to examine Serbia's EU integration process in the context of EU-Russia relations in the Western Balkans. Serbia's path to the EU has been long and problematic, with Serbia recovering from economic turmoil, difficulties in post- conflict reconstruction, the destructive floods of 2014, the refugee crisis of 2015, and strained relations with its Balkan neighbours. By applying Levitsky and Way's theoretical framework that stresses the importance of an external actor in the democratization process (the importance of leverage and linkage vis-a-vis the democratizing state) and the analysis of linkages/leverage with counter hegemonic states, we argue that in examining competing linkages/leverages, we must acknowledge the importance of the interplay between powerful actors as well. The events of 2014, which have led to a dramatic rift in EU-Russia relations, offered Serbia an opportunity to exit the grey zone, as defined by Thomas Carothers, as well as gave the EU the chance to deepen its influence in the Western Balkans. Keywords: Serbia, transition, leverage, linkages, EU integration Introduction On 10 November 2015, the EU Commission issued a report declaring that Serbia had completed comprehensive action plans required for the opening of rule of law chapters 23 and 24 and has reached key agreements with Kosovo as part of the normalization process, dealt with under chapter 35.2 Serbia started EU accession negotiations in December 2015.3 Following Vladimir Putin's visit to Belgrade in October 2014, a regional conference was held for ministers of foreign affairs and finance from the Western Balkan countries ' Galina A. Nelaeva, PhD, Associate Professor, Modern History and International Relations Department, Tyumen State University, Tyumen, Russia; Office 403, Lenina str., 23, Tyumen 625000, Institute of History and Political Science, Tyumen State University, Russia, E-mail: gnelaeva@mail.ru. Andrey V. Semenov, PhD, Associate Professor, Center for Comparative History and Politics Studies, Perm State National Research University; Office 301, Bukireva 15, Perm 614990, Faculty of History and Politics, Perm State National Research University, Russia, E-mail: andre.semenoff@gmail.com. Funding: The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. 2 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, (10 November 2015), available at: http://ec.europa.eu/enlargenient/pdf/ key documents/2015/20151110 report serbia.pdf accessed 6 Feb. 2016. 'Serbia readies to open first EU chapters', Balkan Insight, (14 December 2015), available at: http-//www.balkaninsight. com/en/article/serbia-starts-eu-talks-challenges-lie-ahead-1 2-11-2015, accessed 5 Feb. 2016. 56

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