What Happened
Social unrest in several Balkan countries is driving a number of separate protest actions against the region's governments. On Feb. 21, thousands of people took to the streets of Tirana to demand the resignation of the Albanian government. Then on Feb. 23, Serbian protesters held their 12th weekly demonstration against president Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade. Meanwhile, in neighboring Montenegro, demonstrators in Podgorica demanded the end of President Milo Dukanovic's government. The next day, thousands of Romanians marched in Bucharest to oppose government reforms to the judiciary.
Why the Protests Happened
These demonstrations were reportedly modest in size — protest organizers in Serbia, Montenegro and Romania estimate around 10,000 participants in each. While the protests appear to lack a direct connection, the grievances they highlight share common themes: perceived government corruption and opaqueness and a lack of media transparency. In Serbia, protests against Vucic have persisted every weekend since late December, with marchers often defying bitterly cold weather. Demonstrators are denying any connections with political parties or organizations and are demanding new elections, increased transparency in the Serbian state and an end to government control of the media.
The protests in Montenegro are a more recent phenomenon (they began in early February) but protesters' demands are similar: Along with seeking the resignation of Dukanovic, who has been either prime minister or president multiple times since 1991, demonstrators called for an end to corruption and an expansion of media freedom, as well as a higher standard of living. While the Montenegrin protests were first organized by civil society groups, they attracted the participation of opposition parties.
In Albania, protests against Prime Minister Edi Rama are organized primarily by opposition political parties that link the government with corruption and organized crime. Rama, for his part, says the opposition is trying to overthrow him and accuses opposition parties of trying to stir up political discontent before municipal elections in June. Some of the protests have become violent. Demonstrators attacked Rama's office with iron bars and firebombs during protests on Feb. 16, and a Feb. 21 protest resulted in clashes with police. Hours before that demonstration, all 65 opposition parliamentarians presented their resignations, a move that the European Union considered "counterproductive."
Finally, intermittent protests have sprung up in Romania over the past six months. Following a massive anti-government protest in August, in which, organizers said, some 100,000 people participated, continuing protests have been smaller. Protesters — hailing from civil society organizations and opposition political parties — have been critical of recent moves by Bucharest to increase political control over the country's judiciary. The European Union has expressed similar concerns, and recent reports by the European Commission have warned that the fight against corruption in Romania, one of the bloc's poorer members, has shown signs of slowing or even reversing.
Why It Matters
This spate of protests indicates that citizens in some of Europe's poorest countries have grown increasingly frustrated with what they perceive as weak institutions, endemic corruption, and opaque governments and media. For Albania, Serbia and Montenegro, addressing these issues will be critical for their prospects of one day joining the European Union. The European Commission and other EU institutions have repeatedly asked Balkan countries to strengthen anti-corruption efforts, fight organized crime and reduce political control of the judiciary before they join the bloc. Ironically, as these countries' chances of joining the European Union appear to wane, their governments may be discouraged from introducing favorable reforms. For Romania, questions about the rule of law could potentially lead EU institutions to sever the country's ties to the bloc's agricultural subsidies and development funds.
The wave of Balkan protests so far seems to be focusing on institutional, rather than ethnic issues. In the past, turmoil among the region's various ethnic groups has triggered violent reactions, but that element seems to be missing from the current protests. However, given the history of political violence in many of these countries, an escalation of unrest is possible.
