Although most countries in the Western Balkans are consolidated democracies, in the sense that periodic and free elections take place and there is a smooth transfer of government power, they also suffer from deficits in the functioning of democracy. As different international organizations monitoring democracies have assessed deficits primarily concern the rule of law, participation of citizens in decision making and accountability, and the control of corruption. Even though the quality of democracy cannot be fully assessed on the basis of quantitative terms, estimations of international observers offer a starting basis for further comparative political research.
Working Paper 51/2014: Democracy in the Western Balkans: An Overview
Authors: Dimitri A. Sotiropoulos, Akis Sakellariou