Europe and the post-yugoslav space: From intervention to integration

This chapter examines the causes and consequences of the pronounced Eurosceptic sentiments among Serbian political elites. Suspicion and scepticism towards Europe and the West in general has been a constant feature of a considerable part of Serbian society and politics over the last two decades. The chapter focuses on the Hard Eurosceptic Serbian Radical Party and the Soft Democratic Party of Serbia, and a group of Soft Euroenthusiastic parties - the Serbian Progressive Party, the Socialist Party of Serbia and the New Serbia. The Serbian Radical Party may be termed as Hard Eurosceptic party, given its principled and ideologically driven objection to both the EU and Serbian EU membership. Attitudes toward the EU were largely absent from the party documents and public rhetoric. The Democratic Party of Serbia belongs to the Soft Eurosceptic category. This party had key characteristics identified by Szczerbiak and Taggart’s initial concept of Soft Euroscepticism.