Patterns and management of ethnic relations in the Western Balkans and the Baltic States

ended

‘Patterns and management of ethnic relations in the Western Balkans and the Baltic States’ This study will compare the management of ethnic relations in two Western Balkan states (Serbia and Croatia) with the management of ethnic relations in two Baltic republics (Latvia and Estonia). It will concentrate on: (a) the legal and institutional infrastructures on minority rights; (b) the impact of domestic and external actors on the management of ethnic relations. This research is placed inside the framework of the EU’s enlargement. Latvia and Estonia have been EU member-states since 2004. Croatia joined the EU in 2013 whereas accession negotiations with Serbia commenced in October 2011. By conducting research on two different post-Communist settings (two post-Yugoslav and two post-Soviet states) this comparative project will provide new insights in conflict resolution and the management of ethnic relations in the new and the aspiring EU member-states. Research questions: (a) How do the Western Balkan and Baltic models for managing ethnic relations compare to each other and to European standards? (b) How does the intersection between domestic and external actors impact on the management of ethnic relations in the Western Balkans and the Baltic States?