Stagnation and Drift in the Western Balkans

Claire Gordon is a Teaching Fellow in East European Politics at the European Institute of the London School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom)Marko Kmezic is a Senior Researcher at the Centre for South East European Studies at the University of Graz (Austria).Jasmina Opardija is the Programme Manager of the Regional Research Promotion Programme (RRPP) in the Western Balkans at the Interfaculty Institute for Central and Eastern Europe, University of Fribourg. She holds an MA in East European Studies from the Free University of Berlin.

• Contents: Claire Gordon/Marko Kmezic/Jasmina Opardija: Introduction: The Challenges of Political, Social and Economic Change in the Western Balkans – Jasmina Opardija: Building Social Science Research Capacities in the Western Balkans: RRPP Experiences and Perspectives in the Light of EU Integration – Ana Stojanova: Defective Democracies: Challenges to Democratic Consolidation in the Western Balkans – Snjezana Milivojevic: High Tech Low Pay: Journalism and Journalists in Serbia – Mina Petrovic/Jelisaveta Vukelic: The Transformation of the Governance Regime in Serbia: Public Participation in Environmental Decision Making – Predrag Cvetičanin/Jasmina Nedeljković/Nemanja Krstić: Social Space in Serbia – Marius Calu: What Makes Kosovo A ‘Weak’ State? – Aisling Lyon: Municipal Decentralization: Between the Integration and Accommodation of Ethnic Difference in the Republic of Macedonia – Simonida Kacarska: The Framework Convention for Protection of National Minorities in the EU Accession Process - the Case of the Republic of Macedonia – Vladimir Turjačani/Danijela Majstorović: Construction of Ethnic and State Identity among Youth in Postwar Bosnia-Herzegovina – Dragan Stanojević/Smiljka Tomanović: Getting on their Feet? Changes in Economic Status of Young People in Serbia between 2003 and 2011 – Jana Korunovska Srbijanko/Neda Korunovska Avramovska/Tanja Maleska: The ‘Getting Nowhere’ Generation: The Transitions of Unemployed Youth in Transitional Macedonia – Neda Milevska–Kostova: Equity in Health in Macedonia: Socio-Economic and Financial Aspects and Effects of Policy Changes on Access to Prescription Medicines in Primary Healthcare.