ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the engagement of the EU with Serbia. By focusing on the identity-dimension in the Europeanization, in which candidate countries are supposed to adopt and converge their own values systems with European norms and values, it is argued that norm conversion has been very limited in the case of Serbia. At the center of the contribution is the conflict between the wish of Serbian elites to join the EU and the continued dominance of Serb nationalism, which counter-balances the influence of European norms and values on Serbian policies, including its relations with its neighbouring countries. While the EU’s incentive structure has resulted in some policy changes in Serbia, in particular in relation to Kosovo, there is no evidence so far that this has resulted in the adoption of European norms and values and the transformation of the Serbian discourse on nationalism and the role of Serbia in the region. This conflict between two different sets of norms and values, which are mutually exclusive, remains a key issue in Serbia’s progress towards membership in the EU.
