In September 2018, WFD launched the three-year Western Balkans Democracy Initiative to strengthen political parties, parliamentary practice and democratic institutions in the region. In Kosovo, we are working with political parties on a series of internal reforms in line with European standards.
Our current programme of support follows on from a 2016 project, in partnership with the British Embassy in Pristina that helped political parties self identify ways to
Like many countries in the region, democratic reform in Kosovo is motivated by the European Union integration process, however the current pace of realising reforms is slow.
Support for democracy is a central focus of international assistance, but security and stability is often prioritised. This resulted in a political scene which is highly polarised with political parties having limited connection to ideology, frequent stalemates and lack of genuine democratic processes.
Political parties are central to the governance challenges countries face and their effectiveness can make-or-break reforms. In Kosovo, we are supporting political parties to meet European standards with regards to democracy, rule of law, transparency and ideology.
We will also work with the Central Election Commission to set up a new Political Party Office. This will help increase the credibility and authority of the Commission when it comes to working with political parties. Developing criteria and guidelines for new members of staff as well as coaching for office management will help improve compliance by political parties. Currently political party compliance with the Commission’s guidance is poor.
Ivan Radojevic, Programme Manager, WFD HUGEN Western Balkan project The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a wide range of responses from government institutions around the world, and parliaments are not an exception. This unprecedented crisis is causing public institutions to adapt their work in response to the new COVID-19 reality. The Western Balkans is one […]
In North Macedonia, WFD is working with persons with disabilities (PWDs), a marginalised and underrepresented group in society, to ensure their needs are at the top of the policy agenda. This work is being done as part of WFD’s Western Balkans Democracy Initiative. Through the initiative, WFD has built partnerships with PWD advocacy groups to […]
On 8th of October 2019, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy launched the HUGEN project. HUGEN stands for human rights and gender network. The project aims to support Western Balkans parliaments in reaching international standards for human rights and gender equality.
