Why Do We Need the Priebe Report As Well? How to Reverse the Trend of State Capture in the Western Balkans
Why Do We Need the Priebe Report As Well? How to Reverse the Trend of State Capture in the Western Balkans

Author(s): Jelena Pejić, Sonja Stojanović Gajić
Subject(s): Politics, Law, Constitution, Jurisprudence, Criminal Law, Sociology, Government/Political systems, Criminology
Published by: prEUnup Coalition
Keywords: State capture; Western Balkans; Rule of law reforms; Serbia security sector
Summary/Abstract: The European Union has recently noted elements of state capture in the entire region of the Western Balkans. The term ‘state capture’ implies a state of widespread corruption in which the Government and public institutions are used, both through legal and illegal channels, to pump out public resources for private gain. The European Union has thus recognised the need to monitor more effectively the Rule of law reforms in countries that are seeking membership. This could be achieved by relying on the positive example of the so-called Priebe Report, which has already helped to overcome a serious crisis of democracy and Rule of law in Macedonia in 2015. Instead of waiting for the new crises to escalate, the EU should use this new reporting tool proactively throughout the region to contribute to a more comprehensive, clear and public understanding of the burning problems faced by democratic institutions and the Rule of law in the Western Balkan countries, and as effective pressure to resolve them before they explode into a full blown crisis or close the circle of state capture.

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