Bosnia and Herzegovina on the Western Balkan Chessboard: The EU’s Soft Power Strategy

This chapter presents a comprehensive examination of the role of soft power within the European Union’s (EU) external policy framework towards Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), a country aspiring to join the EU. Set against the backdrop of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, which rekindled concerns of potential conflict in the Union’s immediate vicinity, this study delves into the efficacy of non-military measures within the EU’s foreign policy toolbox. Specifically, it scrutinizes the extent to which the EU’s pre-accession instrument (IPA) contributes to the dissemination and adoption of core European values, encompassing human rights, freedom, democracy, equality, and the rule of law within BiH. This chapter employs a nuanced mixed-methods approach, drawing upon data derived from both EU institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Its overarching aim is to unveil potential linkages between the financial support provided by the EU to BiH and the country’s progress in embracing these founding European values. In the pursuit of this objective, the present chapter presents three hypotheses that explain the limited impact of EU efforts in the Western Balkans, encompassing the country’s post-war political structure, ethnic group reluctance to actively engage in the accession process, and external actors’ interferences driven by illiberal agendas.