Beginning with the premise that countries in South-Eastern Europe have no prospects in the foreseeable future of participating in the European "Community integration" process, the project has the goal of evaluating possible developmental paths these states will take. The investigation will ask to what extent political goals and decision-making processes are influenced by framing conditions, such as economic networks or cultural links. Of particular importance here is the role of the Russian Federation as successor to the former hegemonic power (in Eastern Europe), and as possible pole of attraction for new integration dynamics standing in contrast to those in Western Europe.
