Institutions, Protest, and Democratic Accountability in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia: Implications for the EU Accession Proces

This thesis provides an analysis of the political institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia and the effect that they have on democratic accountability and the European Union (EU) accession process. It utilizes institutionalist theory to argue that post-war agreements created institutions in both countries that incentivized elites to take advantage of ethnic tensions and engage in illiberal practices that have immiserated citizens and stalled the EU accession process. It then compares the causes, methods, and outcomes of the mass protest movements that took place in Bosnia in 2014 and Macedonia in 2015 in response to illiberal behavior and explains why only the Macedonian protests were successful in holding elites accountable. The final section draws from the experiences of each country to discuss the future of each country's relationship with the EU and the potential for each government to enact the liberal reforms necessary to progress in the EU accession process.