The Impact of covid-19 Measures on the Rule of Law in the Western Balkans and the Increase of Authoritarianism

Bibliographic Data

ID22029927
AuthorsAndi Hoxhaj (0000-0002-8005-5268, University of Warwick, corresponding author), Fabian Zhilla (0000-0001-5929-9674, Canadian Institute of Technology, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume8
Issue4
Pages271-303
Publication date2021-08-24
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueEuropean Journal of Comparative Law and Governance (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2213-4506 • E-ISSN: 2213-4514
PublisherWalter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1163/22134514-bja10024
OpenAlexW3197933308
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited2

This article offers a comparative analysis of the covid -19 legal measures and model of governance adopted in the Western Balkans countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo) and its impact on the state of the rule of law, and ability of parliament and civil society to scrutinise government decisions. The article assesses the governments’ approaches to introducing and enforcing covid -19 legal measures, and shows examples of how covid -19 has exposed more openly the weaknesses in the existing system of checks and balances in the Western Balkans. The article offers new insights into how covid -19 presented a new opportunity for leaders in the Western Balkans to implement further their authoritarian model of governance in undermining the rule of law. This article offers suggestions on how the EU could respond, through its accession conditionality instruments and civil society, to redirect this trend towards more state capture

Accession · Authoritarianism · Conditionality · Corporate governance · Democracy · Economic policy · Economics · European union · Montenegro · Parliament · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Regional science · Rule of law · Sociology · European and International Law Studies · Law · Public Administration

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