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Democracy Updates
The Western Balkans — Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia — face ethnic divisions and other political, economic and social problems that continue to challenge stability in the wake of the violent conflicts of the 1990s. But people in the region are seeking to turn the page on a troubled past and look to democratic rule as the foundation for political stability and integration into the European Union and NATO.
Robert Benjamin, NDI's regional director for Central and Eastern Europe, recently discussed political stability in the Western Balkans at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. While Benjamin points to remaining challenges, overall he believes the region is making real progress toward peace, stability and democracy.
Partner Spotlight
In Serbia, a new website called the Istinomer, or Truth-O-Meter, rates politicians' statements based on truthfulness, consistency and whether they fulfill campaign promises or policy pledges. The team behind the Truth-O-Meter, which includes a former NDI trainer and two investigative journalists, researches and analyzes statements they find or that are submitted by the public. They publish a rating of the statement on a five point scale, along with the facts supporting their judgment.
In-Country Perspectives
After years of working in Serbia on political party development and elections, NDI has shifted its focus to aiding those who hold elective office, a reflection of the country's increased political stability. Rebecca Shoot, a resident program officer in NDI's Belgrade office, discusses the Institute's work with parliamentarians in Serbia's National Assembly.
Serbia
The 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections affirmed Serbia's pro-Europe path and set a course for sustainable democratic reform that had previously been thwarted by political conflict for much of the decade. The government, led by the Democratic Party and including G-17 Plus and the Socialist Party of Serbia, is steering Serbia on a path toward European Union (EU) membership. The signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) in 2008 and the 2009 extradition of indicted war criminal Radovan Karadzic to The Hague, are evidence of Serbia's new course.
Serbia's EU integration depends on the arrest and extradition of Ratko Mladic and the completion of judicial, economic and electoral reforms enumerated in the SAA. Legislative debate on a controversial Law on Information seen to encroach on freedom of speech underlines the need for more transparent parliamentary procedure. Increasing violent acts by extremists highlight the need to strengthen political institutions and their ability to uphold the rule of law. Serbia's claim on Kosovo, which declared independence in February 2008, will be part of the political and public debate into the future.
Political Party Strengthening
Nonpartisan Domestic Election Monitoring
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