Re-examining international development assistance to Southeast Europe: time for a post-functionalist approach?

In the last decade, a wide literature has critically analysed individual aspects related to the role and the impact of international aid to Southeast Europe (SEE), bringing to light both its successes and failures. However, 22 years after the communist collapse and the Yugoslav dismemberment, a broad re-examination of the aid policies pursued in SEE and of the rationale behind these policies is becoming increasingly necessary, in light of (a) the global financial and economic crisis, (b) the sharp decline of support from external bodies and (c) the persistence of controversial and unresolved conflicts and rivalries at the macro-regional level, particularly where reconciliation remains to be reached. Therefore, this article aims to discuss whether, under these new conditions, the support so far offered to SEE requires the most relevant donors to change their strategy and methods in order to achieve the proclaimed goals of stability, development and integration into the Euro-Atlantic framework, which appears to be still fragile in the region under scrutiny.