Bridging Europe’s Divides through Regional Organizations

Amid a crisis of multilateralism on a continent rocked by war, this timely book shines light on the numerous international organizations that have brought together EU and non-EU countries in Europe since the Cold War ended and the Balkans fragmented. These regional and subregional intergovernmental organizations (IOs) – which have evolved and multiplied - provide fertile ground for the author’s examination of international organization formalization, financing, overlap, adaptation, identity-building, proliferation, and persistence.

Based on extensive new field research, including elite interviews with IO and government staff from across Central and Southeastern Europe, this study explores the interplay of IO member state interests, external actors, resources, and staff agency in the emergence and persistence of intergovernmental organizations. With dividing lines across Europe reified, it also highlights organizations working to bridge gaps between EU member states and aspirants in the context of Euro-Atlantic integration.

This book will be of key interest to scholars and students of international organizations, regional cooperation, comparative regionalism, EU enlargement, and Southeastern Europe (including the Western Balkans). It will also appeal to practitioners and policymakers with an interest in Europe and international cooperation.