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Parliaments in the Western Balkans are often seen as solely legislative bodies since they mainly focus on debates and legislation adoption. Oversight is often limited to budget oversight and very little effort is put into organising effective oversight over the law implementation processes. Recently, parliaments in the Western Balkan region have been introduced to the […]

This guide for parliamentary practice outlines an approach to assessing the implementation and the impact of climate and environmental legislation at national level. Download Post-legislative scrunity of climate and environment legislation: Guide for parliamentary practice Summary of the guide Parliaments have a key role in responding to the clear, present danger posed by current rates […]

WFD in Albania aims to improve the participation of young people in the political life in the country through supporting the efforts of youth wigs of main political parties. To gain a better understanding of their position in the upcoming elections of Aril 2021, our office in Tirana supported the organization Qëndresa Qyterare (Civic Resistance) […]

The ability to speak your mind in a public or social matter should not be a privilege. We like to think that getting involved in local or even national politics is an option for those willing to contribute and help improve life in their community. Until recently, however, this was not a possibility within reach for Ljubisha Saveski, a 40-year-old father and fashion designer […]

New research from Westminster Foundation for Democracy sheds light on women’s motivations for getting into formal politics: many women emphasise a desire to make a positive difference to the world. What is more, their decisions to embark on a career in politics are also shaped by exposure to political issues, as well as their experiences. […]

On 14 February 2021, a snap election took place in Kosovo. The short timeframe for holding the elections, the political and judicial controversies that led to it, and Covid-19 meant that the electoral system was under pressure. Due to the pandemic, the presence of international observers was limited, and domestic observers were also forced to […]

Women’s political leadership is important for ensuring that women’s perspectives and experiences are included in political decision-making. Over the past 25 years, the overall percentage of women in parliaments has more than doubled, however the pace of progress has slowed in the past five years and women still make up less than a quarter of […]

The average age of candidates for MPs on the parliamentary elections in North Macedonia held in 2020 was 42,5 years. Even though young people have a relatively high number of candidates (19,17% under 29 years), they were more often on positions with lower chances to win an MP seat. These are some of the findings […]

It is often emphasized worldwide that young people are our future – but we often forget to pay enough attention to the face that young people are also our present. In Montenegro, this is evident in almost all aspects of life, politics included. Montenegin democracy needs young leaders to bring in the energy and enthusiasm […]

The right to vote is unfortunately still not completely accessible to all citizens in North Macedonia. 76 percent of voting stations have stairs and on half of them (49% percent) there are no access ramps. One third of access ramps cannot be used, due to improper inclination and width. These are some of the findings […]

Democracy calls for the participation and inclusion of all people. However, persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Kenya face systemic exclusion from mainstream governance. This is despite the requirement by the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 to have PWDs occupy at least 5% of the elective and appointive positions. For instance, only 5 out of the 349 […]