Minority rights, integration and education in the Western Balkans

Using the lenses of minority rights and developments in education in the Western Balkans, this article analyses the adaptability of the European minority protection framework and identifies ongoing challenges in relation to its implementation. It focuses in particular on the balance between the accommodation of minority education rights and integration, arguing that there is an inherent flexibility within the European minority protection framework that has been used to good effect. It claims that a shift towards a more integrated approach to education in the Western Balkans was a necessity and one that strengthens rather than weakens the European minority protection framework. The argument is developed through consideration of the case studies of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, where ongoing challenges remain.