CURRENT CHALLENGES OF STATE ADMINISTRATION REFORM IN THE WESTERN BALKAN

Abstract

The subject of this paper is the current challenges of state administration reform in the Western Balkans. The paper starts from the assumption that the countries of the Western Balkans: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and Northern Macedonia face very similar challenges when it comes to state administration reform in the context of European integration, which they strive for. In addition to the challenges posed to these countries because of the European integration, reform is inevitable given the demands of citizens, the business community, global financial institutions, the development of digitalization, sustainable development goals and many other external and internal factors. For more than three decades, these countries have been trying to move away from authoritarian administrative regimes, rather corrupt administrative structures, weak democratic traditions, and low perceptions of citizens’ trust in open, transparent, and user-oriented administration. All the above is being carried out under the strong monitoring of the European Union. The paper will focus on the following common challenges of state administration reform in these countries: functional organization, (de)politicization of civil service systems, digitalization, policy making and accountability.