Conclusion

Abstract

This chapter argues that the Europeanisation process in the field of memory politics has been more performative than fundamentally progressive. Summarising the findings of the ten empirical studies, this chapter suggests that the EU memory framework can be manipulated by elites and political parties in their endeavour to co-opt those aspects of Europeanisation process that fit their needs. In the Western Balkans, Europeanisation in the field of memory politics is an ongoing process enacted by state and non-state actors, political parties, institutions as well as like-minded individuals and groups. What characterizes these developments is not only the level of engagement these memory actors and entrepreneurs vest in the process, but also the multiplicity of interests they assign to Europeanisation—as way to challenge, reframe, reinterpret, support, oppose or rehabilitate certain views, narratives, values and meanings projected onto the past. The application of European memorial norms in the Western Balkans suggests that the past can serve as a useful commodity and effective tool to attain symbolic capital, political advantages and benefits on both national and transnational level. However, on the ground, historical narratives about the past remain fundamentally unchallenged by the process of Europeanisation.