3 research outputs found
EVROPEANIZIMI I SHQIPËRISË DHE MAQEDONISË SË VERIUT: NJË ANALIZË KRAHASIMORE E PERIUDHËS 2000-2019
No full textABSTRACT
The main purpose of this thesis is to contribute to the field of Europeanisation and European Integration in the Western Balkan, as the potential region to join the European Union. For this purpose, Albania and North Macedonia were used as case studies to measure the progress of Europeanisation through the policy adaptation process in these two countries, from 2000 to 2019. Following this approach, the thesis has developed the main research question: 1) Has the Europeanisation regarding the policy adaptation been reached out on same levels in Albania and North Macedonia during the period 2000-2019? Consequently, the thesis developed the following hypothesis: 1) While Albania and North Macedonia are found at the same stage of the Accession process by the year 2019, it doesn’t neccessarely make the case for the both countries to have the same results regarding policy adaptation in the whole spectrum of the Accession criteria.
The thesis employs a comparative analysis based on the “Small-N” case-based approach, aiming to find the similarities and differences in 3 (three) indicators: 1) Political System; 2) Judiciary; and 3) Good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation. These indicators are assessed on their Europeanisation progression based on the “three-degree approach” of policy adoption (verbal, legal, and substantive) based on the work of Elbasani (2013). Through this research design, the thesis provides a new approach in the application of the Europeanisation literature in the context of the candidate countries and beyond. In particular, the use Elbasani’s (2013) three-degree level of policy adoption measurement in
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the practice on measuring the Europeanisation on concrete countries through the use of a comparative analysis.
The results of the analysis indicate that the Europeanisation of the policy adaptation process in Albania and North Macedonia has been tumultuous and at approximate levels of difficulty but retaining particular differences. In the political system, the most distinctive differences are reflected by their political composition and political maturity. In the Judiciary, the most distinctive differences are reflected by the extension of reforms in this sector and the efficiency of the system. Lastly, in the Good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation, the most distinctive differences are reflected by the bilateral relations established with the neighbours.
Overall, both countries have shown to progress over the years, by addressing several issues, however, considering that North Macedonia has resulted to reach out the EU accession milstones quicker than Albania, and in parallel also the Europeanisation in two of the three variables, it may indicate that it will move at the similar pace even during the accession negotiations phase but taking into consideration that the solving of the issue with Bulgaria will play a role prior to the singing of the accession Treaty.
In conclusion, the results serve as reference points that can be useful to predict the dynamics regarding the said indicators of the Europeanisation of these two countries. However, the approach taken for the comparative analysis cannot be considered as the sole model to assess Europeanisation
The Europeanisation of Good Neighborly Relations and Regional Cooperation Criteria: A Comparison between Albania and North Macedonia
No full textGood neighbourly relations and regional cooperation demand that all the
bilateral relations of a country be stable and that all the disputes are to be resolved
before the signing of the Accession Treaty. Considering that Albania and North
Macedonia are two candidate countries which are found at the same stage of the EU
Accession, and the weight that such criteria hold for these countries, it is necessary to
provide an assessment of their preparation in this regard. The EU studies field provides
for the use of Europeanisation literature to measure the fulfilment of the Accession
criteria, one approach of which is measuring the policy adoption. For this purpose,
Albania and North Macedonia were used as case studies to measure the progress of
Europeanisation through the policy adaptation process as regarding Good neighbourly
relations and regional cooperation during the period 2000-2019
Organized Crime in Albania: A Path Dependence Perspective
No full textAlbanian organized crime has gained attention from the media and academia due to its significant role in international criminal world. Many studies have showcased Albanian criminal groups’ main characteristics and what makes them stand out. Nevertheless, such studies lack a theoretical application that binds the findings and provides an extensive panorama of Albanian organized crime development. Implying that the formation of Albanian organized crime is not a coincidence but rather an ongoing process, this study refers to path dependence theory to explain such an occurrence. Traditionally, the study of path dependence has focused on explaining how standards or rules become reinforced and determinant in a set environment by passing through three sequential stages. Consequently, the study uses a three-phase model to analyze Albanian organized crime from its inception to its latest stage
