Description
Joining the EU is a multi-faceted process for the candidate states which directly influences their domestic politics and therefore this process has been exposed to the influences of populist politics in these countries. Along with Turkey, Western Balkan countries are currently on the agenda EU not only because they are the candidate and potential candidate countries to the EU, but also, they confront multiple challenges that directly affect the EU as well. Ranging from the economic peculiarities of the region to hard and soft security considerations, these challenges lay a proper ground for the prevalence of populist domestic discourse in these countries. Drawing on the media content analysis, this paper aims to elaborate the impact of the EU in Western Balkan countries and Serbia will be the focal point of the study due to its close relations with Russia, which exacerbates the circumstances for populist rhetoric and practices. Main questions to be considered are; does the EU have a role in populist politics and to what extent do the populist leaders use the EU as a leverage in domestic politics in case of candidate countries?
