The Challenges of Western Balkans towards the European Union

Integration of the Western Balkans in the European Union is one of the major challenges in the policies of this Union. There are different reasons for this situation. European countries look with distrust coexistence of peoples of the Balkan under the mantel of EU. The economic crisis that has involved the European Union has created difficulties in integration of the Western Balkans. As a result of economic crisis extremist spirit was added in some states of the Union. \nThis paper presents challenges faced by Western Balkan countries towards EU integration.The hypothesis of this paper is to analyze economic crisis in European Union and diminished initiative to expand to new countries. Paper also analyzes the impact of Balkans interior conflicts of 1990s and approaches towards integration. Additionally paper examines the steps that are following Western Balkans to become EU member. What are the challenges of Western Balkan countries towards EU integration? Why Enlargement of Union was not supported too from citizens of EU? What new brought economic crisis in EU? \nStrong economic dependence of Balkan states with European Union and national deficits has less opportunity for progress. Solving the economic crisis is seen with more priority by countries members of the EU rather than its expanding initiatives. Furthermore the paper discusses the fact that economic crisis raised the extremist spirit of some European Union member states. Countries like Netherlands and Greece have their veto for the further expansion of the Union. Methodology used is multiple case reports through qualitative method. Literature is based in different books, newspapers and various articles related with this topic. First part discusses Balkan internal problem and EU. The second part analyzes European Union economic crisis and integration of Western Balkans. \nKeywords: Western Balkans, European Union, Economic Crisis, Expanding, Integration