The scientific goal of this proposed paper is to analyse and compare foreign policy activities of the European Union (EU) and Turkey in Western Balkan states (i.e. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia). Since the early 2000s both the EU and government of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) have sought to increase their presence in the region, using a variety of measures (e.g. political, socio-economic, cultural). While awaiting the EU accession process to be concluded, AKP had pursued its foreign policy towards Western Balkans in line with expectations of its European partners, but after the negotiations stalled, Turkey’s international actions have become assertive and unilateral. From the 2010s onwards, the EU has been therefore recognised by AKP more as a threat to Turkish political initiatives rather than as a reliable ally. Western Balkans is one of regions currently experiencing a complicated period in EU-Turkey relationship.

By adopting image theory as a theoretical framework, this research seeks to examine the formation of relations between Turkey and the EU in Western Balkans, and to determine the methods by which both sides attempt to influence countries of the region. In this context, special attention has been given to public diplomacy initiatives that are being implemented in Western Balkans by the EU and Turkey.

In order to identify the key areas of EU and Turkey’s involvement in the region, a broad range of original sources (official documents, public reports) as well as literature on the subject (academic publications, policy briefs) have been studied. An in-depth analysis of semi-structured expert interviews with relevant stakeholders from Western Balkan countries (including think tank researchers, NGO activists, academics), conducted as part of fieldwork, was also fundamental for this research By employing qualitative research methods (e.g. content analysis, political discourse analysis, process tracing method) this paper attempts to assess effectiveness of EU and Turkey’s public diplomacy activities in Western Balkans.

Compared to other countries of the Eastern bloc aspiring for EU membership, the Western Balkan countries have the clearest European integration perspective. Research has focused mainly on EU conditionality to explain the accession process. However, the process remains challenging. Compared to the Council and the Commission, little attention has been paid to the influence of the European Parliament on the integration process of the (potential) candidate countries of the Western Balkan region. I argue that the European Parliament can influence the decision-making process related to accession negotiations in the context of parliamentary empowerment and as a result of relations with political parties in Western Balkan countries. This study focuses on the cases of Albania and North Macedonia, which have recently started accession negotiations, to investigate the European Parliament's influence on the decision-making process and outcome. Albania and North Macedonia were denied the start of negotiations in 2019 by France's veto and then in 2020 by Bulgaria. However, in July 2022, the Council authorized the opening of accession negotiations. This paper aims to understand better and contextualise the role of the EP by looking at the debates surrounding the accession negotiations of Albania and North Macedonia during this time. The theoretical argument builds on the literature on the increased potential of the EP to influence decision-making processes by using certain tools and actions. It draws especially from symbolic functions, control, and accountability mechanisms that influence agenda-setting and decision-making. Using the qualitative content analysis method, I analyze changes in EP committee discourse and debates on the enlargement that indicate increasing importance and support for accession negotiations with candidate countries. By looking at the debates surrounding the accession negotiations for Albania and North Macedonia, the paper adds to the academic understanding of the EP's role in EU enlargement decision-making. It highlights the EU's shift from a technical process to a politically charged one and investigates EP's role in shaping and influencing accession negotiations. At the same time, the paper discusses the limits of the EP's influence in enlargement and the need to contextualise its potential. To trace the causal mechanism, this study draws on data on the membership of Albanian and North Macedonian parties in the European Parliament's political groups as well as data from semi-structured interviews with MEPs to explain the influence of transnational relations.