In 2014, the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) first commissioned a comprehensive perception survey, the Balkan Barometer, targeting the region’s population and its business community. The primary purpose of the survey was to assess the perceptions of regional trends and processes as part of the monitoring and reporting mechanism for the SEE 2020 Strategy, an ambitious blueprint for the region in years to come. This year’s Barometer brings mixed news; while there is further evidence of economic recovery across a number of the region’s larger economies, unemployment remains the chief concern. Worryingly, the Barometer highlights ever growing anxiety over corruption; in 2015, 15% rated corruption as one of the key problems for the region. The number was up to 27% in 2016 and is now at 32%. Likewise, the perception of traditional democratic institutions, for reasons both complex and manifold, leaves much to be desired in terms of both performance and public confidence. Furthermore, despite notional support for European integration there continues to be widespread skepticism about the region’s short to medium term accession prospects. More information is available here.
Source: RCC