Kosovo marked a decrease in its democracy score according the Freedom House Nations in Transit report 2021.
Out of 1 to 7 (with 1 being the lowest) the overview of democracy score changes show Kosovo has 3.14 points comparing to 3.18 it had in the previous year.
The report shows that the democracy percentage in the country is 36, while it is categorized as transitional government or hybrid regime.
“While important transfers of power took place in Montenegro in 2020 and Kosovo in 2021, it is still unclear whether they will lead to an improvement in democratic institutions. And without such institutional transformation, any political opening is extremely difficult to sustain,” report reads.
It points out the stance of Vetevendosje’s leader and Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti, who said that in case a referendum would be held he would vote in favor for a unification with Albania.
“While the victorious Vetëvendosje party in Kosovo represents a genuine break from the status quo, its qualified support for unification with Albania could unsettle the wider region,” report says.
Vetevendosje had more than 50% of votes in the last Kosovo parliamentary elections on February 14.
“Nevertheless, it is always the case that when corrupt or repressive incumbents lose power through elections, there is at least an opportunity for change in a more democratic direction,” Freedom House’s report reads.
The report also points out that alongside Montenegro, Moldova, and Slovakia, Kosovo perform far worse on Nations in Transit’s corruption ratings than on any other indicator.
