title: Stabilocracy and the Durability of Illiberal Practices in the Western Balkans
abstract: The Western Balkans region has been hindered in its development due to a combination of factors, including a lack of democratic principles and increasing competition between Russia and the West. Despite attempts at engagement between the European Union and the Western Balkans dating back to the early 2000s, both the 2008 global economic crisis and the civil war in Syria in 2011 weakened the EU’s focus on the region. At the same time, Russian Federation’s efforts to increase its influence in the 
journal: The Eurasia Proceedings of Educational and Social Sciences