Abstract

Managing the social situation for Western Balkan countries is very challenging, their welfare system is poor, weak, and facing slow economic growth, political instability, prominent level of corruption, and many social problems. So far, their welfare system is not classified by Esping-Andersen typology of welfare state. Therefore, this paper uses the hierarchical cluster analysis to assess empirically whether welfare states of the Western Balkans can be classified into any models of Esping-Andersen typology. There are clear differences in welfare programs within welfare states of Western Balkans and within traditional welfare states of Western Europe. Western Balkan share the same political, economic and somewhat social welfare system structures with each other. The transition process was followed by the war in the region, hyperinflation, and international economic sanctions. Western Balkan includes a wide variety of countries ranging from the rich country of Croatia to the poorest Kosovo and Macedonia and from countries that are marking institutional development because of the significant impact on negotiations with European Commission such as Montenegro and to the countries which continue to have lack of law enforcement and lack of integration prospects as Bosnia and Herzegovina.