Foreign Authoritarian Influence in the Western Balkans

Nearly two decades after the cessation of violent conflict in the Western Balkans and efforts by the international community to support democratic reform, analysis suggests that most countries in the region are losing ground on the rule of law, media freedoms, and democratic accountability more generally. Meanwhile, authoritarian powers such as Russia, Turkey, China, and several Persian Gulf states are exerting greater influence in the Western Balkans, with the effect in certain respects of corroding the integrity of democratic institutions. Read more in NED’s International Forum for Democratic Studies new working paper “Pushing on an Open Door: Foreign Authoritarian Influence in the Western Balkans” here.

Source: National Endowment for Democracy