The Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI) has launched the digital platform “Integrity Watch Kosova”, enabling public monitoring of political integrity and providing citizens with detailed access to data on asset declarations, public procurement, and transparency practices within public institutions, reports Ekonomia Online.
Opening the conference, speakers emphasized that political integrity remains one of the key challenges for democratic states in the Western Balkans. The new platform aims to strengthen accountability and combat corruption in the country.
KDI’s Executive Director, Ismet Kryeziu, highlighted the regional importance of the integrity program, noting that it represents a broad-based initiative with a direct impact on the fight against corruption.
“This Integrity Program in the Western Balkans and Turkey civil society against corruption includes data on public integrity and is led by KDI regionally. This initiative, supported by the European Commission, shows that the fight against corruption knows no borders and requires coordinated action between civil society, the media, institutions, and citizens themselves. This is a concrete step toward creating more open institutions and strengthening accountability,” he said.
Kryeziu further stressed the importance of a comprehensive approach to tackling political corruption in Kosovo.
“In the Balkans, and particularly in Kosovo, political corruption remains one of the major obstacles to consolidating a democratic state. The perception of impunity, non-transparent ties between politics and business, abuses in public procurement, unclear political party financing, and incomplete asset declarations by public officials have for years damaged—and continue to damage—citizens’ trust in public institutions. The data exists, but it is dispersed and often difficult to interpret. This platform is a simple digital tool that makes technical information easy to understand for citizens,” he added.
Nicola Scaramuzzo, from the EU’s Rule of Law and Human Rights Section, underscored the harm corruption causes to democratic institutions and political processes, warning that illicit influence mechanisms are numerous and sophisticated.
“Corruption undermines the very core of public institutions, eroding trust, hindering economic development, and distorting political decision-making. Political corruption, in particular, operates through multiple mechanisms: lobbying, non-transparent or undeclared lobbying, political financing, or unregulated ‘revolving doors.’ These open countless channels for businesses and special interest groups to push laws or decisions in their favor,” he said.
Scaramuzzo emphasized the priority that the EU places on fighting corruption and noted that the new platform will serve as a key tool for both the public and experts.
“Let me stress that combating corruption remains a top priority on the EU agenda. The Integrity Watch platform will provide the public in Kosovo, as the Director mentioned, with systematic information on the implementation of laws related to asset declarations, public procurement, and more. It will serve not only ordinary citizens but also specialized entities, experts, students, and researchers, offering tools to analyze available data and gain insights into law implementation,” he said.
The Director of the Anti-Corruption Agency, Yll Buleshkaj, highlighted the platform’s technical and practical importance, explaining its functionalities and the benefits it brings to institutions and citizens.
“This mechanism interlinks three highly important databases, giving us a clear picture of how public funds are being spent in Kosovo and how these funds may circulate or influence decision-making—sometimes even affecting public policies. For us as an agency, it will greatly assist in identifying cases to investigate based on risk indicators. Every citizen of Kosovo—and beyond—can use this platform, whether for investigative journalism or for academic and semi-academic research. Along with us, two other key institutions will also benefit from this application,” he stated.
KDI researcher Diana Metushi-Krasniqi, who presented the platform, described it as a reliable resource for anyone seeking verified information on public integrity.
“If I were to think of a way to remember Integrity Watch, I would say: whenever you doubt someone’s words, there is always one source you can trust. This platform takes public data and lets it speak—we give voice and visibility to public information in the promotion of integrity,” she said.
