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EU Enlargement and Civil Society in the Western Balkans pp 123–143Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Comparing Mobilisation Strategies and Outcomes

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Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in European Union Politics ((PSEUP))

Abstract

This chapter provides a comparative discussion of the empirical findings regarding civil society mobilisation around rule of law issues in Croatia, Montenegro, and Serbia. It suggests that top-down approaches focusing exclusively on the impact of EU civil society support tend to overlook important dynamics that influence both the shape and effectiveness of civil society engagement. Instead, strategic mobilisation and deliberate choices by civil society organisations are key to the process of differential empowerment. Besides, transnational learning between civil society actors from different enlargement rounds crucially informed the timing of mobilisation and the development of specific mobilisation formats. Despite formal gains in terms of access and some influence on policy outcomes, an overreliance upon EU leverage and a lack of responsiveness at the domestic level limit the effective and sustainable empowerment of civil society actors as an outcome of the EU accession process.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Comparative and International Studies, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Natasha Wunsch

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  1. Natasha Wunsch
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Correspondence to Natasha Wunsch .

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Wunsch, N. (2018). Comparing Mobilisation Strategies and Outcomes. In: EU Enlargement and Civil Society in the Western Balkans. Palgrave Studies in European Union Politics. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91845-7_6

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