The Rule of Law in the Region Is Undermined by Corruption, Unfree Media and Political Control of the Security Services

There is a solid legal framework for the rule of law in the region, but the implementation is still lagging behind, which is why citizens do not see the benefits of the European integration – it was pointed out at the panel discussion “The Rule of Law or the Law of Unrulable: The View from the Western Balkans”.

At the panel discussion organized by the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, with the participation of the civil society organizations from Macedonia, Croatia and Montenegro, it was argued that all the countries of the region have common problems.

The BCSP Director pointed out that the countries of the region should learn from each other, and that the civil society organizations should act on three levels, at home, regionally and in Europe. Stojanovic Gajic also said that continuous negotiation and association are necessary in order to establish and maintain the rule of law.

“Croatia in the European Union is like a new student in the class. Everyone already have their internal rules, they know the code of conduct and they know what is going on. We are still disoriented – nor institutions neither the citizens are ready”, pointed out Saša Šegrt from the organization GONG and Platform 112 from Zagreb, adding that the citizens have not felt positive changes after accession, or the promised reforms and the increase in employment.

Jovana Marovic from the Institute Alternativa from Podgorica, assessed that the greatest challenges to the rule of law in Montenegro are politicization of the state administration, favoring the party cadre in employment, and the omnipresent corruption. She said that the government declared all these issues as problematic, but in the process of European integration they only seek to meet technical criteria.

Aleksandar Jovanovski from the European Policy Institute from Skopje said that the state must not be captured by one political party, and that executive branch must not be allowed to make decisions in all areas. Instead, as he pointed out, it is necessary to involve the parliament and the judiciary and to ensure functional separation of powers.