The next few years will be decisive for the democratic and European future of the Western Balkans.
In addition to a credible enlargement perspective and a positive enlargement narrative, which needs to be reinvented and reinvigorated, it is vital to support rule of law, civil dialogue, pluralism and the fight against corruption as well as the social dimension. It is crucial to invest more in social inclusion, to support the broad vision of just and democratic societies, which needs to include various bottom-up initiatives and actors.
Our “WB2EU Network” will activate / connect / research / disseminate and create joint output on the defined topics by bringing together academia, civil society and relevant stakeholders on national, regional and EU level.
Key points:
- reform, consolidate and reenergise EU enlargement until 2025 and beyond
- mobilise, support and engage with progressive and emancipatory forces from below (movements, citizens, local initiatives) that are truly European and pro-democratic
- enhance youth and alternative voices and forces in the society
- strengthen social dimension, rule of law and justice in the region
- connect young and senior researchers, scholars, representatives of civil society, national and EU institutions, stakeholders, policy-makers, and citizens engaged in pro-democratic initiatives (local/regional/national)
PROJECT PARTNERS / WB2EU NETWORK
PROJECT INITIATORS
Austria
Austria
Austrian Society for European Politics (ÖGfE), Vienna (Coordinator & Project Leader)
Austrian Institute for International Affairs (oiip), Vienna
WESTERN BALKAN COUNTRIES
Albania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Kosovo
Montenegro
North Macedonia
Serbia
EU MEMBER COUNTRIES
Bulgaria
Croatia
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Italy
Romania
Slovenia
New Bulgarian University, Centre for European Refugees, Migration and Ethnic Studies (CERMES), Sofia
Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO), Zagreb
EuropaNova, Paris
Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP), Berlin
Department for Political Science & International Relations, University of the Peloponnese, Corinth
Andrássy University, Budapest
International Affairs Institute (IAI), Rome
GlobalFocus Center, Bucharest
Centre of International Relations (CIR) – University of Ljubljana
This project is co-funded by the European Commission under its Erasmus+ Jean Monnet programme.
Contact
Is there hope for Kosovo’s rule of law system? Three immediate actions needed
Starting just after the war and for more than 20 years now, Kosovo has had international community as the strongest provider of support to strengthen the rule of law. Even though many reforms were undertaken, the country still faces persistent problems. As stated in many international reports, especially in the Kosovo Country Reports delivered by the European Commission over years, the current state of rule of law in Kosovo affects the country’s democratic and economic development, the approximation with the European Union and overall consolidation of the state. Thus, robust actions that are targeted to amend Kosovo’s fragile judiciary system are needed immediately argues the author of this Policy Brief and provides policy recommendations that are some of the many needed measures to be implemented for strengthening the rule of law sector by reforming its functioning and administration.
Building a constituency for rule of law. Lessons from the Romanian anti-corruption drive
Romania’s experience is that of the most intensive push for rule of law and anti-corruption among new European Union (EU) members, given that the country joined in 2007 before it had met EU conditionality. The outcome has been a mixed bag of short-term successes and long-term frustration. Alongside Bulgaria, Romania is one of only two countries to have become EU members and still be subjected to an ongoing monitoring mechanism on justice and the rule of law. The author of this Policy Brief argues that a few important principles of action can be extracted which have universal applicability and also discusses lessons that can be taken for the Western Balkans and the EU based on the Romanian experience.
Considering EU enlargement through the prism of security cooperation
For the next six months France holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. One of the top priorities on its agenda will be to strive towards a more sovereign Europe. A Europe which is ready to act in the field of security and defence, to reform the Schengen area and to engage with its neighbours, particularly in the Western Balkans and with Africa. The French Presidency will organise a conference on the Western Balkans in June and supports cooperation projects to guarantee stability and security in the region. The authors of this Policy Brief analyse already existing relationships with the Western Balkan countries in the area of security and formulate policy recommendations.
Lessons learned from the justice reform in Albania
Judiciary and rule of law, more specifically, is a core element for the EU accession negotiations . In the case of Albania, the enlargement instruments have been primarily focused on the justice reform, therefore, it gives the opportunity to go beyond the simply adoption of the acquis communautaire and of the capacity building approach (i.e. the formal establishment of new structures and institutions). This Policy Brief aims to draw some lessons from the implementation of the justice reform in Albania, which also allows to build a coherent body of knowledge that will assist to better plan, implement, monitor and maintain a sustainable institutional reform dynamic all over the Western Balkans region.
The rule of law in Montenegro between deep polarisation and an unstable majority – how to get back on track?
Although Montenegro has been negotiating membership in the EU for more than nine years and thus carrying out certain activities to strengthen the rule of law under the umbrella of EU conditionality, it is unclear to what extent the new government is able to deal with burning issues. This is predominantly due to the composition of parties/coalitions that are now part of the parliamentary majority, which cannot reach the necessary consensus on important subjects to strengthen the rule of law. In this context, this Policy Brief analyses the situation in the judiciary, the new parliamentary majority, the growing nationalism and deep polarisation in society and formulates policy recommendations.
State Capture versus Contestatory Citizenship in Bulgaria
After three parliamentary elections in Bulgaria in only one year the party system has been in constant change. A transition which is accompanied by heated political debates regarding the rule of law and justice. The last few years have also seen the formation of an active civic ethos and contestatory citizenship which demand a reform of the judiciary and rule of law. In this context, the author of this Policy Brief articulates three different transformations in Bulgaria’s post-communist development, each one of them defining in a different way the rule of law and justice as well as the Europeanisation of the country. Furthermore, the author analyses civic mobilisations for rule of law, examines the state capture and formulates policy recommendations.
Rule of Law and Justice in Croatia after the EU accession
Every accession into political alliance is a matter of political negotiations. During the EU accession process Croatia advanced but did not completely execute a judicial reform that met the European Union rule of law standards. After Croatia’s accession, the Croatian judiciary even regressed significantly towards the path of semi-liberal or illiberal democracies in the aspect of judiciary practice. The author of this Policy Brief discusses recent and major court cases demonstrating that Croatia has structural and fundamental obstacles in implementing the rule of law and formulates policy recommendations.
The Conditionality Regulation: A true European means to face a rule of law crisis in wider Europe and foster media freedom
The lack of guarantees for media freedom and independence is a clear symptom of problems with the rule of law, as it perpetuates an uncontrolled circulation of disinformation with negative effects on democratic political systems. When it comes to EU member states but also Western Balkan countries, it is important for the EU to set the bar high and make governments comply with its fundamental values. The Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation is a first step towards a more credible Union, and will certainly allow to tackle different violations of citizens’ rights such as the limitation of media freedom in many European countries. The authors of this Policy Brief analyse the rule of law crisis in wider Europe and its influence on media freedom and formulate policy recommendations.