Non-Traditional Security Issues of the Western Balkan: Actors, Causes and Implications

Abstract

For the moment wars were over in the Balkans region, but insecurities caused by weak states constitute an important concern for stability of the region. Therefore, it is argued that insecurity predicament in the Western Balkans is best explained in terms of the „weak state‟. A weak state is defined not merely as one with inefficient institutions but one that is unable or unwilling to enforce rules or to implement consistent policies. Accordingly, the non-traditional security issues in the Balkans threaten the democracy, the rule of law, human rights and the stability and the economic progress within the region, even with an impact beyond the Balkans. In this process, violent non-state actors VNSA and their activities in spheres of drugs and human trafficking, terrorism, corruption, money laundering and the proliferation of small arms endanger security in its all levels - human, societal, national, regional and international. In this article, it will be aimed to examine the severity of VNSAs problems and their implications in Western Balkans with reference to the weak state concept