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DPC’s mission is to press established and emerging democracies and transnational and international institutions to pursue policies based on liberal democratic values and principles within the scope of their international engagements and commitments. Through its research, analysis, advocacy and public engagement, DPC seeks to draw the attention of policymakers, legislators and civil society to encroachments on freedoms within the democratic framework.

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Burying the Lede: The Priebe Report’s Surprisingly Clear Recommendation

The long-awaited “Experts’ Report on Rule of Law issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina” – in short, the so-called Priebe Report on BiH – dropped on December 5. In light of continued human suffering in Syria; impeachment news from the US; the ongoing self-inflicted wound of Brexit politics; migrants freezing in Bihac and[…]

The EU Must Shift Out of Neutral in Its Enlargement Strategy: Championing Liberal Values Means Choosing Sides

On October 17, 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron once again pre-empted the launch of European Union accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania, forestalling them until further notice. His move was only tenuously linked to the individual merits of either country. Its real rationale was evident at the time and came into…

They shouldn’t have to be heroes

A few days ago, on November 20, we were each sitting in the large main assembly hall in the Parliament building in Sarajevo. The EU had convened a meeting to discuss the rule of law and the judiciary in BiH. However, an observer who hadn’t seen the agenda would have been excused for thinking the topic of the event was corruption, as that was the topic on the minds of the participants for the bulk of the 5-hour event.

Tweets by @DPC_global

Valery Perry writes that year’s Budapest Balkan Forum provided a clear view of Hungary’s interests in the Western Balkans, as well as its role as a connector of illiberal agendas.

http://www.democratizationpolicy.org/thoughts-from-the-budapest-balkan-forum-connecting-illiberalism/

1/ After months of hesitation on an announced imposition of a so-called integrity package, @OHR_BiH Schmidt yesterday finally decided to amend Bosnia and Herzegovina’s election law.

https://www.ohr.int/election-integrity-package-general-information/

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Study: State Capture in the Western Balkans

The Democratization Policy Council and Eurothink are pleased to share our report, Sell Out, Tune Out, Get Out, or Freak Out? Understanding Corruption, State Capture, Radicalization, Pacification, Resilience, and Emigration in Bosnia and Herzegovina and North MacedoniaThe full volume is available, and also a stand-alone Executive Summary and Recommendations.

This report was based on field work in 2020 with over 200 people, beginning just before the pandemic, and in the summer after the strict lockdowns lifted.  Extensive media reviews were conducted for each country, and an online poll. In light of the difficulty in doing field work during COVID-19, this report provides an important overview of the situation in the two countries, from the ground up.

This report is a hybrid: Grounded in academic questions and literature, it strongly reflects the voices of ordinary people in localities that are often ignored in political discussions.   In addition to the presentation of data, a set of 18 community snapshots is included to provide a deeper look at the lived impact of a generation of upheaval and stagnation. It also seeks to contribute to  theory-building and in turn policy-making, as the issues of polarization, corruption, migration, opportunity, dignity, solidarity and vision were themes encountered and synthesized.

The DPC and Eurothink teams hope that this work will contribute to discussions on all of the themes explored. Most importantly, the report is a reminder of the impact on communities and on people of the radical social changes of the past three decades – changes to which consolidated democracies are themselves not immune.