On December 9, the world marks International Anti-Corruption Day, a vital moment supported by SELDI to emphasize the urgency of tackling corruption in the Western Balkans due to the widespread negative effects on state integrity and good governance.
Addressing state capture and corruption in the Western Balkans is critical for democratic governance and regional stability. Corruption undermines institutional integrity, erodes public trust, and fosters impunity, while weak rule-of-law mechanisms and foreign influence exacerbate these issues. Diverting resources from essential services, corruption deepens inequality and hinders socio-economic development, creating a cycle of governance failures that fuels public skepticism and entrenches systemic deficits, threatening progress and stability.
The 2023 Corruption Monitoring System highlights persistent concerns about corruption across the Western Balkans, with perceptions of high corruption pressure prevailing in most countries. Public optimism about reducing corruption is generally low, reflecting widespread skepticism about the effectiveness of anti-corruption efforts. These findings emphasize the urgent need for stronger and more effective reforms to address systemic corruption in the region.
To break the cycle, reforms must target the root causes of corruption, with a focus on political empowerment, civic engagement, and stringent rule-of-law conditionalities to foster transparency and accountability in governance. SELDI calls for urgent action on anti-state capture safeguards and recognizes the importance of empowering reformist stakeholders and civil society as catalysts for transparency.
On this International Anti-Corruption Day, SELDI stands united in the fight against corruption, a systemic challenge that undermines democracy, justice, and prosperity in the Western Balkans and beyond. We call for dismantling state capture networks, transparency and restoring public trust in governance. SELDI reaffirms its commitment to creating accountable, inclusive, and resilient societies where integrity prevails, and more importantly building a future free from the shadow of corruption.
