Administrative Development in 'Low-Intensity' Democracies: Governance, Rule-of-Law and Corruption in the Western Balkans (SWP 5)

Although the Western Balkan states achieved considerable progress in pluralist development during the post-2000 period, weakness in both state-building and democracy-building continues to trouble the region. This article explores the dimensions of the “weak state syndrome”, particularly the interaction between democratic consolidation and deficiencies in administrative capacity (including limited professionalization and the politicization of the public service, patterns of corruption, and problems of judicial development and decentralization). Afflicted as well by the global economic crisis that began in 2008, most of the Western Balkan states remain trapped in an intermediate zone; clearly no longer repressive authoritarian systems, but not yet consolidated or strong democracies. This situation will delay EU entry for most states in the region, and influence their post-accession development.