Small states and EU and NATO integration: Experiences of Slovenia and Challenges for Montenegro 12 pages, pdf  Download Back

Small states and EU and NATO integration: Experiences of Slovenia and Challenges for Montenegro

Publisher: Gordana Djurovic, Bostjan Udovic

Volume: 12 pages, pdf

Description:

This paper is focused on a comparative analysis of two small states experiences on their path from SFRY to the EU in the context of economic development model and strategic foreign policy priorities. What was experience for Slovenia on its transition from independence towards full fledged membership in the EU and NATO is challenge for Montenegro today. When it comes to model of economic development and analysis of main pillars of economic competitiveness in time of crisis – challenges remain for both small states, being today a new member or just a candidate country for the EU membership. Slovenia and Montenegro are two countries, geographically positioned on the “intersection” of the Central and South-Eastern Europe, which were members of the same state, i. e. Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918–1941) and Socialist Yugoslavia (1945–1991). The independence of Slovenia (and Croatia) in 1991 resulted in geopolitical changes in the region, where Montenegro and Serbia constituted the Federative Republic of Yugoslavia (1992-2002) and then State Union Serbia and Montenegro (2003-2006). After referendum on May 21, 2006, Montenegro declared its independence. After the 1991 Slovenia and Montenegro followed a different path of economic transition. Whether Slovenia in the 90s accelerated its pace towards the European and the Euro-Atlantic integrations and market-economy (focused on export oriented development model, Montenegro opted for a stronger interventionist approach in national economy during the transition recession and introduced intensive economic reforms after 2000. Having being in the three different state frameworks before regaining independence, Montenegro experienced very turbulent period of economic development, from de-agrarised and state-driven industrialised exYugoslav Republic dependant on local market, via transition recession, stagnation, slow recovery based on gradual expansion of services, de-industrialisation and FDI driven model of development.