Central and Eastern Europe’s young democracies are maturing in how they address political conflicts, advance citizen rights, and serve the public interest. Nearly every country can boast of fair elections, constitutional government, multi-party systems, active civil society and independent media, and a foundation for the rule of law. Their democratic transitions are aided by integration into the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), both of which require stable, democratic political systems for membership.
The region nevertheless faces challenges in consolidating, or in some cases advancing, democratic transitions. Political conflict in the western Balkans continues, notably over Kosovo, where independence has occasioned Serbia’s staunch opposition and an uncertain future for the new state. Serbia’s EU integration prospects, reinvigorated by the extradition of Radovan Karadzic, could be made complicated by its Kosovo policy. Bosnia’s political stability is increasingly questioned as Bosniak, Croatian, and Serb leaders pursue incompatible agendas on the country’s constitutional framework. NATO’s rejection of Macedonia’s membership bid due to Macedonia’s name dispute with Greece exacerbates regional tension even as Albania and Croatia are welcomed into the alliance.
There is in addition an insufficient degree of political accountability and government transparency, the absence of which can breed corruption, stymie advancement in the rule of law and human rights, and steer political discourse away from the public interest. Toxic government-opposition relations, parliamentary boycotts, controversial elections, and sidelined civil society voices are symptomatic of the problem.
The solution is broad-based political inclusion. This means developing intermediary institutions—parliament, political parties, and civic groups—to enable representation of diverse constituencies and foster the moderation and compromise needed to address ethnic conflict, weak governing capacity, unsteady economies, and corruption. NDI is focusing on these bodies that connect government to citizens. Through in-country programs and regional initiatives that encompass trainings, cross-border exchanges, and comparative and public opinion research, NDI supports parliaments on public hearings, legislative research, and constituency relations, political parties on policy development and political orientations corresponding to mainstream Europe, politically active women, youth, Roma and other groups seeking a place at the table, and civic groups in their roles as advocates and watchdogs.
NDI programs in the region are generously funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the National Endowment for Democracy, the Open Society Institute, the U.S. State Department, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Czech and Swiss governments. The Institute also partners with EU and OSCE country missions, European party foundations, and embassies of EU member states.
