Corruption Why Balkans Not Entering the EU

The six Western Balkan countries -- Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania -- are “states seized” by corrupt politicians linked to organised crime. Facts of these documented by various international reports, which are raising major concerns even among EU officials about the process of further enlargement.

These countries are expected to meet social, political and human rights standards as fundamental requirements for EU integration. However, the EU is increasingly becoming concerned whether the Balkan countries can meet these standards, since their social and political lives are deeply involved in corruption.

However, efforts to root out corruption should not be stopped because Balkan membership in the EU serves the geostrategic interests of both sides
Cornelia Abel, Southeast European expert from Transparency International, has stated for Balkan Insight that the link between politicians and businesses or organised crime in Balkan states “risks, or in some cases also greatly suspends rule of law and division of power “. While the European Union's foreign policy chief, Federica Moghrini, has consistently asked the leaders of these states to do more to fight corruption, but her call has so far been unsuccessful.

Ramadan Hamidi, editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper in Kosovo “Voice”, which has publicised several investigative writings in the Balkans, says. The “Balkan countries are certainly at the top of the list of the most corrupt countries in the world”, according to him, the wealth of politicians is in full disassembled with the official revenues they have.

The Corruption Perception Index (2017) stresses that most Balkan countries have made little or no progress in fighting corruption. Journalists and activists in these corrupt countries risk their lives every day in their efforts to expose corrupt leaders. The index ranks 180 countries and territories according to perceived levels of political corruption, with 1 at least 180 most corrupt.

Of all Balkan countries, Macedonia is the most corrupt, it ranks 107th. Two months ago, former Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski sought asylum in Hungary for a wiretap scandal, which the court found guilty of.

Xhemal Ahmeti, an expert on political issues in the Balkans, says Macedonia and other Balkan countries are corrupt, as much as Nigeria or any other country, where corruption occurs behind the mask of tribal, family, clan and ethnic ties.

“Elitat” in these countries, Ahmeti says, “have always made efforts to convince people that the parliament has been wrongly charged with corruption by Westerners”. Therefore, EU monitors and international observers in Macedonia will not succeed in fighting corruption without their direct key to the process.
Kosovo is the second most corrupt country in the Balkans ranked 85th in Transparency International's latest report. “in Kosovo, where unemployment reached an alarming 30% figure, politicians are the richest class in the country. Many large businesses have been greatly expanded thanks to the support of politicians, who receive millions in exchange for their “efforts”, Hamid suggested.

On the other hand, Jeton Zulfaj, who spent the last two decades in Kosovo focusing on anti-corruption strategies, says that since declaring her independence in 2008, Kosovo has provided many opportunities for its political leaders to become extremely rich. No matter where they served, everyone seemed to be profiting far more than their salaries. Officials of the high-level parties became rich enough to have the right to employ drivers and personal bodyguards without declaring the source of funding “, Zulfaj says.

According to the corruption index, Albania fell from 83rd to 91st place. Small progress has been made in tackling corruption in the public sector, but many jobs have yet to be done, especially in terms of corruption in the judiciary. Gjergj Erebara, journalist from Albania, says that; the “judicial system, including prosecutors and courts, are under the great influence of the political elite. Politicians use unlimited state powers to blackmail voters... major private businesses are, to some extent, an extension of the political system “.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has not made progress in fighting corruption in the past decade, ranking the same as Albania. In this country, corruption at all levels of government remains a serious concern. British Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Matt Field in December has written about corruption, stating:
The ultimate cost of corruption is hard to calculate, but includes millions spent by corrupt governments, stolen funds and lost foreign investments. And that price is always to pay taxpayers, citizens who don't get the quality public services they pay for.

Transparency International Cornelia Abel official according to B The IERN called Serbia an example of a “political system seized”, citing its president's excessive influence, Aleksandar Vuciq. “Serbia ... is becoming a key example of one person in the position of power affecting all other”, she said. Serbia fell for five places in the Corruption Perceptions Index, from 72 in 2016 to 77 in 2017.

The European Union-backed Business Portal Anti-Corruption writes that “Corruption is a problem in Serbia, and bribery cuts exceed the regional average. Foreign companies should be aware of conflicts of interest within Serbia's state institutions. The prosecutorial system, the extraction of natural resources and the judiciary are especially vulnerable to fraud and embezzlement. ”

Montenegro has also made little or no progress in fighting corruption and remains 64th. Transparency International experts said the alleged “state” of 2016 attempted only “to ban anti-corruption efforts to a certain extent”. Montenegro is often criticised for not doing enough to fight organised crime and corruption from Brussels, which requires concrete results in fighting high-level political corruption as one of the key conditions for the country to join the EU.

Political corruption of the Balkan states is certainly one of the main obstacles that are dramatically slowing down the EU integration process. Given, however, that Balkan countries are eager to join the EU and that the EU is interested in attracting them into its orbit and distanced from Turkey and Russia, both sides must take specific measures to address the problem of corruption.
The EU is in a strong position to use its budget to offer investment, loan and access to the European market, to which neither Russia nor Turkey can effectively compete, however, they are stopping without anything by including in their sphere of influence. In exchange, the Balkans must be required to create political, economic and social reforms.

The EU must also insist on greater transparency and accountability, which would limit corruption spread by elected officials. To that end, the EU must resume a presence of law enforcement and justice not only in Kosovo (just finished after ten years), but in all Balkan states wishing to become EU members.

Civil societies throughout the Balkans have an important role to play by protesting and holding mass gatherings and demanding that the end of corruption that has infected all levels of government, including the judiciary and where the law should be implemented. If the governments of these Balkan countries fail to take concrete and decisive steps to fight corruption, the public should use civil disobedience, which could include worker strikes, student marches and a slowdown by government employees.
Addressing the problem of corruption in the Balkans is essential for EU geostrategic interests, as well as for the future welfare of its citizens within the EU family. Balkan entry into the EU should be seen as a marriage of necessity that will significantly boost their collective security, while significantly improving the quality of life and respect for human rights throughout the Balkans.