Browsing by Author "Braghiroli, Stefano, juhendaja"

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Assessing Russian impact on the Western Balkan countries' EU accession: cases of Croatia and Serbia
(Tartu Ülikool, 2017) Zorić, Bojana; Braghiroli, Stefano, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituut
The matter of EU enlargement to the Western Balkans has become overshadowed by pressing issues such as Brexit, the rise of the radical right and international terrorism. Notwithstanding the pressure to address these issues accordingly, increasing tensions and ethnic outbursts across the Western Balkans are reason enough for the European Union to devote significant attention to accession talks. This thesis addresses the Western Balkan countries’ Europeanization process with consideration of Russia as an external actor. The inclinations of Western Balkan countries toward the EU incite Moscow to increase its presence in the region with the aim of diverting countries from the path to European integration. Drawing on the theory of liberal intergovernmentalism and a rational approach to European integration, the research argues that the rational and pragmatic impetus behind the Europeanization dynamic brings to the forefront long-term economic, security and geopolitical benefits for the Western Balkan countries. By assessing the candidate countries’ progress amid EU negotiations, the thesis suggests that the countries’ bilateral ties with Russia have an impact on the Europeanization process. This tendency is particularly visible in Chapter 31 Foreign, security, and defence policy of the acquis communautaire. The broader geopolitical framework comprises the multifaceted relationship between the EU and Russia that is crucial for understanding the dynamics of EU-Western Balkans-Russia triangle.
Assessing the development of Germany’s influence at the EU level in three recent crises
(Tartu Ülikool, 2016) Meresma, Kerstin; Braghiroli, Stefano, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituut
The aim of this thesis is to research the development of the projection of Germany’s influence through three crises that have fractured the project know as the European Union (EU). The crises in question are the security crisis, the refugee crisis and the Eurozone crisis. These three issues that the EU has faced have significantly influenced each state within the union and the EU as an organisation as a whole. Thus analysing Germany’s political influence on the policies made on the supranational level and comparing them with national policies is a good way to determine whether or not the policies practiced nationally and supra-nationally overlap. Firstly, liberal intergovernmentalism will be used as the theoretical framework for this thesis, it will be introduced and conceptualised. Additionally, critical discourse analysis will be used for an in depth analysis of the three cases subject to research in this thesis. Secondly, the methodology of the research will be provided and explained followed by the three case studies. The security crisis in the EU refers to Russia’s growing hostility towards the west and annexation of Crimea. Secondly, the refugee crisis refers to the Syria migrant crisis that started in the beginning of 2014. Since then, over a million people have travelled to the outer borders of the EU to seek asylum in Europe. Thirdly, The Eurozone crisis that began with the economic collapse of Greece and its inability to meet the requirements of ECB (European Central Bank) for financial aid greatly influenced the EMU (European Monetary Union) as a whole. The research will be based on official government documents available on the German Federal website and only material available in English will be used. Each case study will a have set of 5-7 indicators that will project the relationship between German and EU- level policies. The indicators are based on the articles of the Treaty of the European Union.
Assessing the Europeanisation of fight against corruption in the candidate countries and Eastern neighbours
(Tartu Ülikool, 2021) Mamedov, Gadir; Braghiroli, Stefano, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituut
Fight against corruption is an essential element of good governance that has become an inalienable part of EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy. Progress in the fight against corruption depends on many mechanisms and factors, such as effective conditionality, domestic conditions, and empowerment of civil society organisations. This thesis investigates the relationship between these factors and the progress in the fight against corruption in Western Balkan and Eastern Partnership countries bounded by post-communist legacy. Progress in fight against corruption is measured through two alternative indices: EU-assessed index based on the annual reports and World Bank’s Control of Corruption index. Mixed methods were employed for testing hypotheses and causal mechanisms. Beta regression, modified by adding fixed effects and lagged dependent variable, was used to analyse effects and strength of predictors on panel data containing 148 observations. Validation of the results of statistical model and understanding of interconnection and development of various mechanisms was conducted with help of process tracing method. The results of statistical models found relationship between policy-specific conditionality and progress in the fight against corruption. However, policy-specific conditionality loses its effect once the reward is achieved by a partner country. Another interesting finding is that civil society organisations are positively associated with the higher level of progress in the EU-assessed reports, while it has a non-significant and opposite direction in the models with Control of Corruption index. Finally, process tracing revealed strong interconnection between the preferential fit of the government and empowerment of civil society. Civil Society is necessary for ensuring local ownership of the reforms and achieving the progress, but it can be involved in policy making process only if the government allows so. Presence of policy-specific conditionality and communication of CSO with the EU do not change situation towards higher progress, unless former conditions emerge. Results and conclusions of this study suggest how the EU conditionality logic could be adjusted to better promote democracy and good governance in the EU neighbourhood without reproducing adverse effects of state capture and status-quo legitimisation for which the EU Neighbourhood Policy is criticized.
Assessing the political factors behind the progress in Turkey’s accession process into the European Union
(Tartu Ülikool, 2016) Mandre, Maris; Braghiroli, Stefano, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituut
objective of this thesis was to explore the extent to which political factors have influenced Turkey’s accession process into the European Union. The thesis first discussed the Europeanization literature to frame Turkey’s integration with the EU. The theoretical basis for the role of the EU member states was then framed through the two-level game and the theory of liberal intergovernmentalism. The theoretical framework implied that the member states are central actors in the EU, as they forward their rational interests between the domestic and international levels. Furthermore, member states’ central role in the enlargement process is also apparent, as the condition of unanimity of all of the EU decisions reflects. The negotiation process between the EU and Turkey as the main part of the accession was the central subject of the present analysis. The first, essential part of the analysis sought to track Turkey’s progress based on the European Commission’s annual progress reports on Turkey in the years 2005-2015. Turkey’s progress in alignment with the EU acquis in the 33 chapters was measured using quali-quantitative methods; and the cases used for further analysis were selected following the logic of most similar system design. The resulting selection of chapters were found to share a similar pattern in their progression as they were all well advanced. However, the chapters differed in the status that they had achieved by 2015. Continuing with the analysis, it appeared that the negotiations have essentially reached a deadlock. Namely, three of the analyzed chapters were subject to a blockage from a member state or suspended by the EU Council, thus could not be opened to negotiations for political reasons. Somewhat surprisingly, political factors also affected chapters that were open and technically advanced enough to be provisionally closed. The stalling of negotiations based on the chapters assessed in the present work, in one way or another, stems from the ‘Cyprus question’. The key finding in this work was that the capabilities of the member states to influence the process may be essential in the EU enlargement, as is the case with Turkey’s membership application. Therefore, even with Turkey’s continuing progress in the negotiation areas, it is clear that there is a presence of strong political factors which determine the limited rate of the accession process.
Attitude towards environmental issues: Dutch, Italian, Estonian and Bulgarian example
(Tartu Ülikool, 2018) Grigorjev, Maria; Braghiroli, Stefano, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituut
Environmental issues and climate change affect all areas of life on earth, and all the environmental issues are being affected by many aspects of human activity. This paper studies the attitudes different countries from the European Union have towards environmental issues. The countries addressed are the Netherlands, Italy, Estonia and Bulgaria, out of which the first two joined the European Union in it’s earlier days and the latter two more recently. To understand the attitudes towards environmental and climate issues, each states’ individual environmental actions are studied in addition to research about their Representatives votes in the European Parliament. As a result, it is safe to say all countries mentioned in this paper work towards improving the environment and climate problems, although facing different obstacles. The actions taken by the countries vary in size and frequency due to each states’ economical prospects, abilities and necessities.
Beyond similarities: a comparative study of the European Union’s merit-based assessment on Georgia and Moldova
(Tartu Ülikool, 2024) Potapenkova, Jelizaveta; Braghiroli, Stefano, juhendaja; Urmann, Helen, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituut
This research critically examines the claimed normativity in the European Union's decision-making process by scrutinizing the cases of Georgia and Moldova through the methodology of Most Similar Systems Design and the Logic of Process Tracing. The work seeks to discern the unexpected disparate outcomes during the membership application in June of 2022, focusing on tracing the consistency of the European Union’s assessment of Georgia and Moldova through the lens of Normative Power Europe theory. The central hypothesis proposes that despite the similarities of the candidates, Georgia has been normatively assessed as underperforming compared to Moldova over the span of the past five years, which could offer an explanation for the contrasting decisions in June of 2022. The results of the analysis unraveled that Georgia had not been assessed as underperforming in comparison to Moldova and, therefore, the hypothesis and the claims of the European Union do not hold.
Brain drain in an authoritarian regime on the example of Belarus
(Tartu Ülikool, 2023) Tulf, Mariana; Braghiroli, Stefano, juhendaja; Hagelin, Sandra Charlota, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituut
Brain drain and the competition to attract top talent have become increasingly relevant in recent years. However, there has been a lack of in-depth research on brain drain in authoritarian regimes. The political situation in Belarus has experienced significant turmoil, particularly after the falsified official presidential election results in 2020, which sparked widespread protests. As a result of the unstable political climate, many talented Belarusians have chosen to emigrate from the country. This thesis aims to identify the factors that influence highly skilled individuals' decision to emigrate from an authoritarian regime on the example of Belaurs. The hypothesis is that the decision-making process for highly skilled individuals in authoritarian countries, such as Belarus, is complex and influenced by a combination of push and pull factors. Process-tracing methodology is employed in this thesis to trace the relationship between the 2020 presidential election and the progressive process of autocratization and repression in Belarus. Ten in-depth expert interviews were conducted with both Estonian and Belarusian experts to gather data. The findings reveal that since 2020, the primary push and pull factors influencing the decision to emigrate have become more politically oriented, whereas prior to 2020, they were predominantly economic. The impact of intervening obstacles, such as COVID-19 restrictions and sanctions, remains uncertain due to varying expert opinions. In addition to presenting the results, this thesis also offers a brief overview of potential policy implications that could help address brain drain in an authoritarian context.
The capacity of the European Commission to protect the fundamental values of the European Union: The issue of rule of law in Poland 2015-2018
(Tartu Ülikool, 2018) Saar, Kristin; Braghiroli, Stefano, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituut
Although European Union has been described as a union based on values, recent years have seen the principles of democracy and rule of law being challenged in some of the member states. For the first time, the European Commission has proposed to declare a risk of a breach of the fundamental values of the European Union in a member state, addressing rule of law in Poland. If the value based union is to be maintained, the issue of how to ensure respect for the common values post-accession, has to be addressed. The aim of this research is to study the capacity of the European Commission to ensure the respect of the fundamental values of the European Union in its member states. A qualitative case study on the issue of rule of law in Poland between 2015 and 2018, is carried out since it has created a precedent. The author uses document analysis to look at the steps taken by the Commission to protect the principle of rule of law and the impact on Poland. The approach of Europeanisation is applied to analyse the strategy and obstacles in ensuring compliance. The results confirm the hypothesis as the relative power of the Commission decreases post-accession. The Commission has attempted to engage in dialogue and has applied negative conditionality on Poland but the situation has deteriorated. The persuasion power of the Commission is decreased by low sense of identity, legitimacy and credibility. Poland has argued the Commission has no right to intervene and the process is politically motivated. There are no benefits to be gained from compliance and the costs on Poland are not high enough because the credibility of sanctions is low. Based on the analysis, budgetary measures could be a way to increase the influence of the Commission. However, capacity building has to consider maintaining the unity of the European Union and preventing potential backlashes.
Casting votes digitally: examining the Latvian national position on Internet voting
(Tartu Ülikool, 2016) Beitane, Anna; Braghiroli, Stefano, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituut
Comparative analysis of the discourse on Brexit in the context of Estonian and Russian language media
(Tartu Ülikool, 2017) Panov, Artur; Braghiroli, Stefano, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituut
Countering Lukashenka’s authoritarian regime: the strategies of the Belarusian diaspora
(Tartu Ülikool, 2023) Potsepp, Kristel Birgit; Makarychev, Andrey, juhendaja; Braghiroli, Stefano, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituut
This Master’s thesis intends to research the ways in which the Belarusian diaspora is countering Lukashenka’s authoritarian regime. After the fraudulent presidential elections and protests in 2020, the majority of the country’s civil society has fled the country and the events of 2020 led to a new wave of politicised diaspora. To study the case, this research uses qualitative methods and process tracing. The sample consists of nine interviews: seven interviews with members of the Belarusian diaspora, one interview with a foreign affairs expert/diplomat and one interview with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. The analysis is based on five main themes that emerged from the theoretical framework and literature review. The results of this study show that the diaspora is using three main strategies in countering the authoritarian regime: a) raising awareness and bringing attention to the cause; b) policy-making and lobbying; and c) supporting the Belarusians and political prisoners. Furthermore, the role of utilising the ICTs is crucial in supporting the activities of the diaspora and they are used as a ‘liberation tool’. The main functions of the ICTs are a) communication tool amongst the diaspora and people living in Belarus; b) source of news and media awareness; and c) mobilisation tool. As a practical outcome, I have developed policy recommendations for Estonia and the EU based on the empirical findings of the thesis.
The democracy of European fiscal consolidation: reform governments in Greece, Ireland and Italy
(Tartu Ülikooli Euroopa kolledž, 2015) Pipal, Christian; Pettai, Vello, juhendaja; Braghiroli, Stefano, juhendaja
Are technocratic governments the reformers of last resort? And why are they appointed? Facing the ongoing European debt crisis, some countries choose to put technocrats into reform government offices, while others are able to reform their markets and fiscal structure within regularly elected governments. What differentiates these technocratic from non-technocratic governments in terms of origins and reform efforts? And are technocratic government compositions more able to implement complex market and fiscal reforms in a short period of time when facing difficult institutional settings? In order to answer these questions, this research follows an institutional approach along rational choice theory and the concept of varieties of capitalism. A comparative study of the political economy of Greece, Ireland and Italy examines the different underpinnings that build-up to these reform governments and shows how reform efforts and forms of reform governments, understood as being either partisan or non-partisan composed, vary between different varieties of capitalism. The findings provides evidence that the varieties of capitalism configuration, and the embedded features of economic and political institutions, influence the incentives for counties to appoint technocratic governments when facing an economic crisis, thus advancing an existing model that describes the likelihood of
The economic and geopolitical weight in the balance of international relations: the case of German-Russian relations
(Tartu Ülikool, 2017) Ceconi, Elisa; Braghiroli, Stefano, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituut
Germany’s relationship with Russia has long been regarded as ‘special’ and ‘strategic’, and the evolution of Ostpolitik throughout the years has never lost sight of the original purpose: to increase ties between East and West. The annexation of Crimea marked a turning point in their relations, accounting for a major change in Germany’s Russia policy and opened the debate among scholars about continuity and change in German foreign policy. Drawing upon the theoretical framework of foreign policy change and continuity and based on the liberal and constructivist approaches, the study focuses on economic and geopolitical factors as main forces driving government’s decisions in interstate relations, and it seeks to evaluate their balance in determining Germany’s approaches towards Russia. With the purpose of assessing the nature of Germany’s Russia policy, this dissertation adopts the method of process tracing to investigate the causal mechanism behind Berlin’s responses in three different cases: the signing of Nord Stream deal, the Georgian conflict and the Ukraine crisis. Through the analysis of three focal events, the collection of economic data and the examination of Federal Government’s official statements, the following research argues that the geopolitical factor alone cannot account for the observed change; while the economic dimension plays a major role in determining Germany’s foreign policy outcomes vis-à-vis Russia.
Economic growth and foreign policy of regional powers - a case study of Turkey in the Middle East
(Tartu Ülikool, 2016) Viisimaa, Heiki; Braghiroli, Stefano, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituut
The aim of this thesis is to explore the relationship between economic growth and the foreign policy of regional powers. It is a single case study of Turkey in the Middle East region. This thesis uses the regional level of analysis and explores different conceptualizations of regions in international relations. Mainly it focuses on the regional security complex theory formulated by Barry Buzan and Ole Waever. Hypothesis for the analysis is that economic growth experienced by regional powers enables them to spend more resources to increase their capability of power projection. Increased amount of resources together with the desire to strive for regional hegemony, pushes regional powers to adopt a more active and asserting foreign policy in their own region. The conducted analysis about Turkey reveals that economic growth correlates strongly to the amount of available resources Turkey has for conducting foreign policy. To analyze Turkish foreign political engagement and activity in the region, press releases from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs were used. The analyze based on them indicated that during the years following a fast economic growth Turkish officials undertake more trips to countries in the Middle East and the number of mentioning of Middle East countries in press releases increase. That indicates that economic growth correlates positively with regional foreign political activity. Qualitative analysis of the press releases reveals that Turkey has adopted a more assertive and critical foreign policy towards Iraq, Syria and Egypt compared to 10 years ago. Therefore, the hypothesis of this thesis is considered to be true.
The effect of SME management’s international experience on internationalization: the Tallinn case
(Tartu Ülikool, 2019) Rosenbloom, Thomas G.; Groenendijk, Nico, juhendaja; Braghiroli, Stefano, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituut
This thesis explores the relationship between the international experiences of the management team and small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) ability to develop and employ internationalization strategies. In doing so, it develops a central hypothesis that an internationally experienced management team increases the capabilities of the firm to engage in a multitude of foreign activities. Furthermore, it explains the relationship through intermediary variables including communication skills, cultural awareness, knowledge, experience, attitudes (willingness to change, openness, tolerance of risk), awareness of opportunities, networking, and resource development. To analyze the interactions between variables a four-armed comprehensive theoretical framework is developed which synthesizes major theoretical approaches in the field. These approaches include the Uppsala model, the Network model, the Resource Based View (RBV), and the OLI framework (Ownership, Location, and Internalization-specific advantages). The independent and dependent variables are conceptualized based on the relevant literature and the case selection is justified. Using the conceptualization and theoretical framework each variable is then operationalized. To collect and analyze the data a mixed-method case study of Tallinn’s SMEs is constructed which utilizes surveys and semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Confirming evidence is found both for the usefulness of the framework and the hypotheses proposed.
EU influence on environmental politics in the post-Soviet space: a comparison of Armenia and Georgia
(Tartu Ülikool, 2021) Worsch, Laura; Braghiroli, Stefano, juhendaja; Hoppe, Sebastian, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituut
Although environmental governance has long been one of the EU’s priorities in the Eastern Neighbourhood Programme, the amounts of EU funding that were invested in Armenia and Georgia seem to only weakly correlate with their environmental performances. This master thesis hence deals with the question, why EU mechanisms aiming at environmental politics in post-Soviet countries are in some cases more effective than in others. The focus lies on the processes of EU cooperation and communication on the theoretical basis of external governance, comparing the two cases Georgia and Armenia. The hypothesis states that it is more likely for the EU to have a sustainable impact on a country’s environmental politics when it has a strong hierarchical governance. The research consists of the qualitative assessment of expert interviews with environmental actors in Georgia and Armenia. Major findings include that the EU’s cooperation patterns differ towards different national actors, to the general detriment of environmental NGOs. This creates the request for more institutional and reliable support by the EU.
EU’s regional integration strategies and its implication for civil society participation in Eastern partnership countries: comparing Georgia and Armenia
(Tartu Ülikool, 2020) Tlashadze, Mariam; Braghiroli, Stefano, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituut
Institutional framework within the EaP introduced a tailor-made policy approach towards six Eastern Partnership countries. Meanwhile, another regional integration project, the Eurasian Economic Union, was created by Russia which challenged the EU’s position in the region. This thesis tries to identify how different paths of regional integration affect the direction and the intensity of the process of Europeanization of civil society in Georgia and Armenia. The theoretical expectations are drawn from Neighborhood Europeanization through spreading ‘external governance’ by Lavenex and Schimmelfennig. According to them, the modes and effects of ‘external governance’ increases with three different factors: international legitimacy, the EU’s power, also alternative poles of governance and the domestic structure of the third countries. As civil society is the least studied field under the EaP, the thesis applied a semi-structured in-depth interview method to gather more data from experts in the field. Official agreements and documents produced by the EU, as well as in-depth interviews, are analyzed through qualitative content analysis. Overall, the study finds that Georgia’s regional strategy choice resulted in higher intensity and degree of the Europeanization of civil society in comparison with Armenia. However, it also identified that the selective will of domestic authorities largely influences civil society’s participation in the reform process and in monitoring implementation. In addition to this, the thesis demonstrates that the conditionality offered from the EU is effective until it meets the certain expectations of the partnership countries. The study confirms the expectations of the theory.
The European Parliament’s framing of the Russian invasions in the shared neighbourhood in 2008, 2014 and 2022
(Tartu Ülikool, 2024) Chachanidze, Soso; Zubek, Marcin, juhendaja; Braghiroli, Stefano, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituut
This thesis discusses the evolution of the European Parliament’s framing of the Russian military aggressions in the shared neighbourhood – in Georgia in 2008 and in Ukraine in 2014 and 2022. The research analyses the similarities and changes in the way the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) framed Russia’s role in the military conflicts in these three occasions. Additionally, the thesis aims to understand how the European Union’s (EU) role and its policies towards Russia were perceived by the MEPs in the light of these invasions. The dissertation employs framing theory, specifically from the scope of agenda setting, to address the European Parliament’s (EP) role in the EU foreign policy creation and better understand the process and reasons of frame formation. As primary sources of data, the thesis investigates the first plenary debates that preceded the EP’s motions for resolution for each of these three conflicts. The research finds that during the analysed debates, the processes of framing Russia and the EU’s policies were taking place simultaneously. Framing process involved both, rational and value-based arguments. Framing of Russia in a certain way generally resulted in proposing specific policy options for the EU. The research concludes that while Moscow was framed as an aggressor in each case, the degree to which it was pictured as a sole initiator of the conflict was different. On the other hand, the thesis argues that the EP had more clarity on its policy preferences towards Kremlin in 2014 than in 2008 and 2022. In these two cases, more effort was directed towards discussing the development of adequate policies than using existing tools. The thesis contributes to the discussion on framing of Russia in the EU and specifically in the EP, as well as the EP’s role in the EU foreign policy making.
European Union’s stance on the Belarus-European Union border migrant crisis compared to the 2015-16 migrant crisis
(Tartu Ülikool, 2022) Kerge, Tanel; Braghiroli, Stefano, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituut
European Union has recently faced two migrant crises, 2015-16 migrant crisis in which estimated 1,4 million migrants made their way into Europe and the European Union-Belarus border crisis in which at least 40 000 migrants had tried tried crossing into EU by the late November of 2021. The objective of this thesis is to analyse both migrant crises in a comparative manner to find out if European Union has been able to learn from its past mistakes and used its know-how in dealing with the European Union-Belarus crisis. Author compares his finding with three theories: Normative Power Europe, Europeanization and Institutional Learning, to better understand European Union’s actions. The findings of this research were supported by statements and press releases from European Commissions and Councils websites in which different officials talked about both crises. The analysis concluded that European Union has been able to learn from its past mistakes, as the Union was quicker to act and more unified when dealing with the European Union-Belarus crisis. Author also concluded that the general plan of action for European Union when dealing with crisis is ”out of sight, out of mind.”
Europeanisation of foreign policy in the Western Balkans: explaining the change in North Macedonia’s alignment with the EU sanctions against Russia (2014-2022)
(Tartu Ülikool, 2024) Bobrovnikova, Ekaterina; Linsenmaier, Thomas, juhendaja; Braghiroli, Stefano, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituut
This thesis investigates the puzzling change in North Macedonia’s alignment with the EU’s restrictive measures against Russia between 2014 and 2022, which diverged from the stable positions of other countries in the Western Balkan region. Drawing on the Europeanisation literature, the thesis tests three alternative causal mechanisms to explain North Macedonia’s change in alignment: external incentives model, role-playing, and thick socialisation. By applying the process-tracing method, the thesis reaches a conclusion that role-playing was the most likely mechanism behind North Macedonia’s change in alignment. North Macedonia demonstrated partial ambiguity of alignment process, meaning that no tangible reward was provided by the EU in exchange for sanctions alignment and also no full match in norms and identities was present to support such action. Moreover, the automatic nature of CFSP alignment was found due to previous high rates of alignment, together with political actors’ references to North Macedonia’s social role as a candidate country in justifying alignment with EU sanctions against Russia. In light of the empirical evidence, this thesis concludes that the role-playing mechanism is the most likely explanation. The findings demonstrate that in the context of foreign policy Europeanisation, role-playing, in a characteristic instrumental form, can drive alignment of candidate countries.