Florian Bieber, the Director of the Centre for Southeast European Studies, has criticized the European Union for not sufficiently rewarding Kosovo for the democratic progress it has made. During a discussion on the PIKË podcast with publicist Veton Surroi, Bieber stated that Kosovo has shown the most willingness to strengthen democracy in the region.
Surroi raised an important question about the challenges Kosovo faces in advancing electoral democracy and building a functioning democracy, often seen as a “rocking boat” in the process. Bieber admitted that it is paradoxical that, over the last decade, many countries in the region have become less democratic, while Kosovo has shown positive development in this regard. He highlighted that changes in government and the functioning of elections are proof of a strong democracy, but emphasized that Kosovo has received little reward for this progress.
According to Bieber, autocrats like Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić exploit the shortcomings of democracy in the region and use them as a platform to criticize Kosovo, portraying it as a “fool” that makes compromises but gains nothing in return. He criticized the EU’s policy of investing in autocrats, pointing out that rewarding those who threaten international order while ignoring trusted allies like Kosovo is a flawed approach. Bieber concluded the discussion by emphasizing that such policies ultimately lead to greater insecurity rather than providing tangible benefits to countries committed to stability and democracy.
