EU Enlargement in the Western Balkans: The Risk of Hypernormalisation (visegradinsight.eu)

• Applies Yurchak's hypernormalisation concept to EU enlargement in the Western Balkans.
• Cites Serbian President Vučić as an example of warm EU receptions despite domestic protests.
• Argues enlargement is a European security policy issue, not charity.

"An analysis on Visegrad Insight argues that EU enlargement policy toward the Western Balkans has become a ritual of hollow gestures, echoing what Alexei Yurchak called hypernormalisation in the late Soviet era. The author, Jan Farfał, cites Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić as an example: he is warmly received by European leaders such as Emmanuel Macron while domestic protests continue against corruption and hybrid governance. The piece frames enlargement not as charity but as Europe's security policy, warning that the EU risks repeating past mistakes and facing wider instability."