Freedom House: Serbia progresses

In 2009 Serbia significantly improved conditions in civil society, local governance and national democratic governance, Freedom House NGO says. In its annual report on the countries in transit, Freedom House states that Serbia has slightly improved its score from last year’s 3.79 to 3.71. Freedom House: Serbia progresses Despite these welcome trends, concerns persist over whether Serbia can maintain full cooperation with the the Hague Tribunal in apprehending the two remaining fugitives - Ratko Mladic, former military chief of Serbs in Bosnia, and Goran Hadzic, a former Serb leader in Croatia. The ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 7, with 1 representing the highest level of democratic progress and 7 the lowest. The Democracy Score is an average of ratings for electoral process, civil society, independent media, national democratic governance, local democratic governance, judicial framework and independence and corruption tracked in a given year. Among positive changes in Serbia in 2009 the NGO points out passing of several long-awaited laws, removal of visa requirements for citizens of Serbia traveling to EU member countries, unblocking of the Interim Trade Agreement with the EU following the Hague Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz’s positive report on Belgrade’s cooperation with The Hague. In 2010 the government "will need to balance international obligations while undertaking major economic and political structural changes in the country", the report stresses. Freedom House explains that the number of countries recognizing Kosovo rose to 64 during the year, "with the pace slowing due to proceedings on the issue at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which began in December". Kosovo’s "greatest achievement" in 2009 were the implementation of decentralization and the process of building and strengthening Kosovo’s "state institutions" continued, said the report, noting however that this was happening "without considerable success". Negative trends were noted with respect to restrictions on freedom of speech and rising corruption. When it comes to democratic development in the countries of the former Yugoslavia, Montenegro and Croatia have kept their last year’s ratings – 3.79 and 3.71, while Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia scored slightly worse than last year. Overall, 14 of the 29 countries examined in Nations in Transit worsened on their democracy scores in 2009 compared with the previous year and the biggest drop was recorded in Russia. The biggest reason for concern are declines in the independent media category which were most numerous in 2009 and appeared in every subregion covered. As many as 10 countries, half of which are new EU member states, declined in this category.

Freedom House: Serbia progresses

Despite these welcome trends, concerns persist over whether Serbia can maintain full cooperation with the the Hague Tribunal in apprehending the two remaining fugitives - Ratko Mladić, former military chief of Serbs in Bosnia, and Goran Hadžić, a former Serb leader in Croatia.

The ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 7, with 1 representing the highest level of democratic progress and 7 the lowest. The Democracy Score is an average of ratings for electoral process, civil society, independent media, national democratic governance, local democratic governance, judicial framework and independence and corruption tracked in a given year.

Among positive changes in Serbia in 2009 the NGO points out passing of several long-awaited laws, removal of visa requirements for citizens of Serbia traveling to EU member countries, unblocking of the Interim Trade Agreement with the EU following the Hague Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz’s positive report on Belgrade’s cooperation with The Hague.

In 2010 the government "will need to balance international obligations while undertaking major economic and political structural changes in the country", the report stresses.

Freedom House explains that the number of countries recognizing Kosovo rose to 64 during the year, "with the pace slowing due to proceedings on the issue at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which began in December".

Kosovo’s "greatest achievement" in 2009 were the implementation of decentralization and the process of building and strengthening Kosovo’s "state institutions" continued, said the report, noting however that this was happening "without considerable success". Negative trends were noted with respect to restrictions on freedom of speech and rising corruption.

When it comes to democratic development in the countries of the former Yugoslavia, Montenegro and Croatia have kept their last year’s ratings – 3.79 and 3.71, while Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia scored slightly worse than last year.

Overall, 14 of the 29 countries examined in Nations in Transit worsened on their democracy scores in 2009 compared with the previous year and the biggest drop was recorded in Russia.

The biggest reason for concern are declines in the independent media category which were most numerous in 2009 and appeared in every subregion covered. As many as 10 countries, half of which are new EU member states, declined in this category.