An analysis of party orientations towards European Union in Serbia: Political competition, ideology and identity politics

This dissertation examines Serbia - European Union (EU) relations from the windows of political parties as the critical actors and gate-keepers, based on the assumption that the domestic context matters for Europeanization. Firstly, the research employs a quantitative expert survey to identify party positions and inter-party variances towards the EU, EU membership, and Europeanization. Secondly a qualitative thematic content analysis of party documents is conducted to explore any underlying causes and legitimation strategies. With the help of expert survey, political parties are categorized into three groups: Pro-European, Soft, and Hard Eurosceptic. Next, the dissertation addresses causal explanations by drawing on eight altered comparative hypotheses from the following models: ideology, political competition, and identity politics. To understand their legitimizing strategies, party documents are thematically analysed in a deductive method by the following codes: normativity, identity, rationality, Kosovo, and the Russian alternative. The current political conjecture in Belgrade continues over altered orientations in between old/new and identity/rationality, creating schisms in the political arena. Empirical data reveals that party orientations in Serbia remain under the identity politics. Pro-Europeanism is instrumentalized as a strategic-rational foreign policy orientation, excluding any normative perspective; whereas Euroscepticism is laid down under the shadow of history. In line with the rational actor model, pro-European parties frame the EU agenda as the path for the construction of a new Serbia by focusing on promises and the gains. Euroscepticism still marginalises the West/EU by referring to the recent past, Kosovo problem and the Russian alternative.