Ethnicity based democratic constitutional structures: the cases of Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Kosovo

• Main Author: Smajljaj, Avdi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Mehmet HACISALİHOĞLU 2020
• Subjects: JA Political science (General); JF Political institutions (General); JN Political institutions (Europe); JS Local government Municipal government
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/86794/1/Ethnicity%20Based%20Democratic%20Constitutional%20Structures_%20%20the%20Cases%20of%20Bosnia%20and%20Herzegovina%2C%20North%20Macedonia%20and%20Kosovo%5B%23659604%5D-1140165.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/86794/; https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/1140165

Though always ethnic in nature, the Western Balkans has never been so divided into ethnic cleavages as it is today. The three post Yugoslav countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Kosovo have opted for a sort of consociational and centripetal constitutional systems, pertaining to provide enough say and representation to ethnicities, as primarily driven by a democratization process and post-conflict ethnic reconciliation motives. The experience so far has led to stalemate in central government capacities, no progress in inter-ethnic reconciliation, and has necessitated post-democratic practices, as short term solutions. This paper will address the issue of inter-ethnic post-conflict structural settlements and their reflections into democratic politics, governability, and inter-ethnic reconciliation. It compares the three cases by addressing the research question of what are their current constitutional and structural settings based on ethnicity, and their influence on governability, interethnic reconciliation and on democraticness.