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Our Mission

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.

News

Trócsányi Nomination Gives MEPs the Chance to Resist Subversion of EU’s Liberal Democratic Values

The nomination of László Trócsányi, a former Hungarian justice minister, as the European Union’s next enlargement commissioner proved to be incendiary news in the Western Balkans. Regional media and civic figures believe that the nomination of the man who was in charge of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s dismantling of Hungary’s[…]

Kurt Bassuener comments on Freedom House’s Freedom in the World 2018, House of Lords International Relations Committee Report on ‘The UK and the Future of the Western Balkans’

In his VOA interview, Kurt Bassuener connects the negative cast of the 2018 Freedom in the World report with the tone set in the White House, terming US President Donald Trump “our first Balkan president,” noting the leadership style and methods employed are reminiscent of those used in the Balkans[…]

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.