Countering Malign Foreign Influence in Southeast Europe

The state of democracy and freedom has been backsliding or stagnating in the countries of the Western Balkans over the past decade, while “illiberal democracy” or “competitive authoritarianism” are on the rise, according to a recent report.

The rise of illiberal tendencies in several EU member states has called into question the transformative power of the EU’s enlargement policy, say the authors of “The Crisis of Democracy in the Western Balkans. An Anatomy of Stabilitocracy and the Limits of EU Democracy Promotion.”

The EU is failing to live up to its promise to deliver democracy to those countries engaged in the process of joining the Union and needs to sharpen its focus on monitoring the aspiring members on their paths to stable and prosperous democracies governed by the rule of law.

These challenges will be addressed this week at a hearing on Capitol Hill:

Southeast Europe: Strengthening Democracy and Countering Malign Foreign Influence

Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation

Panel One

Mr. Damon Wilson, Executive Vice President, Atlantic Council, Washington , D.C.

Dr. Majda Ruge, Fellow, Foreign Policy Institute; School Of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Washington , D.C.

Ms. Ivana Cvetkovic Bajrovic, Associate Director For Europe, National Endowment for Democracy, Washington , D.C.