Assessing Global Democracy A Decade After The Communist Collapse
Assessing Global Democratization A Decade After The Communist Collapse

Summary/Abstract: The latest wave of democratization has been a fertile ground for disputes among transitologists. The criteria for a "consolidated democracy", one decade after the collapse of the communist regimes, are still those that define the liberal democracies: free elections, rule of law, constitutional dealing with ethnic and religious conflicts. The South-East European states, such as Bulgaria and Romania, are dealing with problems that may, in the short term, transform these countries into illiberal or pseudo-democracies. One measure of good democratic performance is the public support for public institutions; sadly, the Balkan countries score poorly on this indicator. Tackling endemic corruption, improving governance and bridging the gap between the state and the civil society are key solutions for acceding to the category of consolidated democracies. Issues such as horizontal accountability, transparentization and dealing with the conflict of interests should be top on the agenda for Balkan decision-makers.

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