Who Speaks for the Western Balkans? Cultural Representation and the Idea of Europe in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Beginning with the genealogy of the Idea of Europe, understood as both a philosophical concept and the normative standard underpinning the European Union, this paper traces its mythical roots in ancient Greece, its philosophical elaborations, and its eventual institutional embodiment in the EU, with a primary focus on its connection to the cultural representation of the Western Balkans. Special attention is devoted to the question of center and periphery, situating the Balkans as a historically marginalized region within the European cultural imaginary. Through a case study centered on Bosnia and Herzegovina, while also incorporating examples from the wider Western Balkans, the paper analyzes cultural production as a site where European identity and associated ideological frameworks are negotiated, contested, and reimagined. The aim is not to reproduce formal discussions of EU conditionality, but to engage with the deeper layers of cultural practices and symbolic representations. By highlighting both dominant and alternative cultural trends, the paper assesses the attitude and relationship of the Balkans towards the EU and the Idea of Europe, while noting the selective and sometimes contradictory ways the EU invokes the Idea of Europe. The analysis seeks to provide a nuanced understanding of how Balkan cultural representation reflects, challenges, and potentially enriches the European project. Finally, the study emphasizes the political significance of cultural representation, offering insights and recommendations for cultural policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider region, demonstrating how cultural identity can inform both domestic and regional strategies for engagement with European norms.