Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://dspace.lib.uom.gr/handle/2159/25255
Author: Kapetanovic, Aleksandra
Title: The principle of four pillars in Serbia's foreign policy. analyzing Serbia's balancing act - to what extent is it feasible?
Date Issued: 2020
Department: Πρόγραμμα Μεταπτυχιακών Σπουδών στις Πολιτικές και Οικονομικές Σπουδές Σύγχρονης Ανατολικής και Νοτιοανατολικής Ευρώπης
Supervisor: Christidis, Georgios
Abstract: In order to survive and adjust to international circumstances, small states have to lead their foreign policy prudently and establish partnerships with other powers wisely. Because of their importance in world politics, but also due to their importance for Serbia’s interests such as preserving Kosovo, and Serbia’s aim to become part of the developed West by joining the EU, the following four powers – the EU, the US, Russia and China have been proclaimed the four pillars in Serbia’s foreign policy. Even though Serbia has clearly oriented towards the EU and set EU integration as its official foreign policy goal, the lack of the EU’s interest in the region and reduced interest for enlargement, due to its own internal problems, allowed Russia and China to make inroads into the region, pursuing their own interests. For the time being, Serbia’s political elite has calculated that, in the absence of a clear EU membership perspective, balancing between these four actors is the most beneficial to Serbia. Besides the Kosovo question, and in order to show to the EU that it is not the only important actor to Serbia, balancing has been led by Serbia also because of gains in its economy and domestic politics. However, the question is until when Serbia will be able to lead this policy and how much it benefits Serbia’s interests. Therefore, the main research question is – to what extent Serbia’s balancing act is feasible? In addition, due to the democratic backsliding in Serbia’s society and the lack of room for critical opinion, if different from Serbia’s ruling elite’s point of view, one of this research’ purposes is to gather and compare the opinion of experts from Serbia’s civil society and representatives of two main political parties in Serbia’s Parliament on the main issues in Serbia’s foreign policy.
Keywords: Serbia
the balancing act
the Kosovo question
The EU
Russia
China
The US
Information: Διπλωματική εργασία--Πανεπιστήμιο Μακεδονίας, Θεσσαλονίκη, 2020.
Appears in Collections:ΠΜΣ Πολιτικές & Οικονομικές Σπουδές Σύγχρονης Ανατολικής & Νοτιοανατολικής Ευρώπης (M)

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