Britain, 'Brexit' and the Balkans

This article assesses the ways in which a British decision to leave the European Union (Brexit) would affects the United Kingdom’s relationship with the Western Balkans. In the first instance, it shows that it would almost certainly reduce its influence over Bosnia and Herzegovina and its ability to shape the process of engagement between Serbia and Kosovo. At the same time, the UK would find that it would gain no material advantage in terms of its ability to handles other regional issues that may have a direct or indirect effect on Britain, such as illegal migration and the flow of fighters from the Balkans into Syria. Meanwhile, other forms of influence, such as the United Kingdom’s major role in NATO or its permanent membership of the UN Security Council, would be diminished as a result of a ‘Brexit’.