The stabilization and association process in the Western Balkans: an effective instrument of post-conflict management?

This article investigates the Stabilization and Association Process as an instrument of post-conflict management in the Western Balkans. It explores the appropriateness of the fit of the modified Central and Eastern European accession template with the added stabilization component to the post-conflict countries of the region. In addition, the article raises questions about the continued efficacy of the prolonged and faulty leveraging of conditionality as the EU's primary instrument for affecting transformative change in the Western Balkans. Finally, through the case study of minorities protection, the article suggests that insufficient attention has been paid to developing a comprehensive strategy for the stabilization of post-conflict societies and thus laying the foundations for stable consolidated statehood and a viable democratic peace throughout the region.