The Western Balkan region stands at a critical juncture as several states grapple with the threat of autocracy that imperils their democratic institutions and legal frameworks. This study provides an in-depth overview of parliamentary oversight in seven Western Balkan states: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. The focus is on the mechanisms for overseeing the security sector, examining legislation and constitutional mandates, political environments, and the roles of parliamentary committees.

While legal frameworks pertaining to security sector governance have been established, with the dual aim of safeguarding both the state and individuals, challenges persist. Historically, security efforts were largely state-centered, but there is now growing recognition of the need to protect individual rights. However, increasingly authoritarian political environments threaten the effectiveness of oversight institutions, as these mechanisms risk being undermined and becoming politicised. Additionally, oversight committees often lack diversity and adequate representation, particularly of women, and are further weakened by the frequent exclusion of opposition members from chairing roles. The security clearance process frequently also lacks independence, creating potential conflicts of interest. Finally, executive dominance, limited resources, and political pressures constrain the effectiveness of parliamentary committees tasked with security sector oversight.

To address these challenges, the study proposes a series of actionable policy recommendations for the Western Balkan states, the European Union (EU), and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). These recommendations build upon the foundational work already achieved in the region. Liberal democracy is not a static state; it is a dynamic system that demands continuous effort, vigilance, and nurturing to uphold its principles amid evolving political challenges. Therefore, reinforcing and expanding upon previous initiatives is crucial for sustaining progress.

Recommendations for Western Balkan States:

• Enhance institutional integrity and independence: strengthen legislative frameworks and implement measures to protect the autonomy of oversight committees to build on existing governance structures.
• Increase transparency and accountability: develop robust checks and balances to counter authoritarianism and politicisation. By enhancing transparency and public access to information, the accountability mechanisms that are already in place are strengthened.
• Enhance capacity and expertise: continue to invest in training and resources to develop expert staff within parliaments in order to sustain effective oversight. This should include mentorship programs and knowledge-sharing initiatives that leverage existing expertise.
• Promote inclusivity and representation: ensure diverse representation in oversight committees, with a focus on increasing female participation and including opposition leaders as chairpersons. This will strengthen democratic oversight and reflect the region’s commitment to inclusivity.
• Establish independent vetting mechanisms: develop independent vetting processes to ensure accountability and help avoid conflicts of interest
• Facilitate regular collaboration: encourage joint sessions between committees focused on security and EU integration to enhance oversight mechanisms, drawing from successful collaborative models previously implemented in the region.

Recommendations for the EU and NATO:

• Support institutional capacity building: the importance of collaborating with organisations that promote security sector governance, such as the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), cannot be overstated. Providing robust technical assistance will help further institutionalise good governance practices.
• Enhance parliamentary expertise: allocate resources to develop expert parliamentary staff and organise targeted training workshops for a robust oversight framework. This applies especially to parliamentarians on oversight committees who must be prepared to address evolving security sector challenges, including non-traditional issues such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, hybrid threats, and energy security.
• Encourage oversight reforms: advocate for oversight reforms and devise a comprehensive regional strategy tailored to the Balkans to enhance transparency and accountability, building on prior reform efforts.
• Enhance EU progress reports: strengthen EU progress reports by explicitly focusing on security sector oversight will be essential in ensuring that democratic standards are upheld and continuously improved upon.
• Strengthen civil society engagement: channeling funds and support to organisations monitoring parliamentary oversight is crucial for enhancing public and civil society engagement, drawing from successful civil society initiatives already in place.
• Counter autocratic tendencies: support efforts to counter autocratic inclinations and ensure adherence to international treaties to solidify democratic governance in the region, reinforcing existing commitments to democratic principles.

By implementing these recommendations, parliamentary oversight of the security sector in the Western Balkans can be significantly strengthened, further reinforcing democratic governance, and countering the encroachment of autocracy. Recognising that these proposals build upon existing frameworks allows for a more resilient approach to governance, acknowledging that the path to sustained democracy requires continuous commitment and adaptation to new challenges.

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The Balkans Parliamentary Project, led by the ELN, aims to strengthen parliamentary oversight of security policy across the Balkans by providing networking, research, and resources to empower parliamentarians throughout the region. The project addresses both traditional and non-traditional security threats in the region, such as energy insecurity, hybrid threats, and geopolitical instability, by enhancing the expertise and capacity of parliamentarians to oversee security governance effectively. Through activities such as conferences and the creation of a Steering Board consisting of parliamentarians throughout the region, the project fostered cross-border collaboration, shared best practices, and prioritised gender and geographical balance to ensure inclusive, informed decision-making in the governance of security.

The European Leadership Network itself as an institution holds no formal policy positions. The opinions articulated above represent the views of the authors rather than the European Leadership Network or its members. The ELN aims to encourage debates that will help develop Europe’s capacity to address the pressing foreign, defence, and security policy challenges of our time, to further its charitable purposes.

Image credit: Wikimedia, Olahus