Locked Doors: An Analysis of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Struggles on the Path to European Union Membership

This article explores several challenges that have impeded Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (hereinafter: Bosnia) progress in its pursuit of European Union (EU) membership. It discusses four impediments to the country’s ability to join the EU: (1) the political system (or decision-making process), (2) the country’s societal structure, (3) the quasi-protectorate status, and (4) the Muslim population issue. Due to these impediments, Bosnia is experiencing more difficulties integrating into the EU than countries from previous enlargement waves. Consequently, Bosnia is unable to become a member of the EU at present, and the country has only undergone minimal domestic changes since submitting its application to join the EU in 2016.