Paper presents the value added to the analysis of the functioning of multi-level governance in the context of EU. Furthermore, it contributes to the small state studies, as the mitigation of crisis from the perspective of small state is analysed.The aim of the research was to determine whether the multi-level governance during the large-scale crisis was successful and what factors affected the level of success.The analysis utilizes of the case study method, where the crisis responses during the peak of Western Balkan migration route and Slovenia as a small state on Schengen border serve as examples of examination and evaluation.Results show unsuccessfulness of multi-level governance during the crisis, with mostly top-down direction of decision-making, and particularly the subnational level being poorly involved into the process. In addition, also layering of policy creation and implementation can be observed.The results of the analysis also pointed out that the multi-level governance in the case of migration crisis on the Western Balkans Route can be positioned as the type 1 governance, if we follow the outline of Hooghe and Marks (2003).The results indicate that unsuccessful multi-level governance had negative impacts on managing the crisis, as well as on perceptions about EU and Schengen Zone.This study is novel in its content, as it represents the first examination and evaluation of multi-level governance during the EU migration crisis, where Western Balkan route and Slovenia as small state on the outer Schengen zone border serve as a case study for the evaluation.

This paper fits into the ex-post migration crisis of 2015-16 dialogue and offers added value through its complex transboundary perspective while bringing in the national perspective of a transboundary crisis. After the largest migration flow, lacking supranational coordination and governance, Slovenia’s coping strategy was oriented towards logistical mechanisms to keep up the pressure and move the flow forward. Given the scale of the crisis, such a setting lacked a rapid response at the local level, and the high dimensionality and nonlinear interactions caused pink noise. Using a case study method, the paper argues that crisis management moved backwards and had a decoupled structure. It also calls for a more inclusive multi-level crisis management structure and investment in existing international organizations. Indeed, if the crisis interactions had taken place globally, the crisis would be less dimensional and more linear, thus avoiding pink noise.

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The contemporary global area is under constant upheaval also due to the occurring risks and crisis oscillating from natural, economic and humanitarian issues. Within this framework, risk and crisis management require effective solutions, but the scope of the latter is questionable, when it comes to specific questions such as correlation of the crisis management research and the state size. Paper contributes to the crisis management research, with the specific aim to assess the development of small states research within the crisis management research. A literature review of the Web of Science Core Collection database will be used as a source for answering the following research questions: (1) the development of crisis management research, and (2) the correlation of crisis management studies and small states studies. The results will show how small states studies are integrated within crisis management research, and give an insight for future research endeavours.