The discourse about think tanks’ development and impact is inseparable from the debate on democracy and democratic societies. As part of the civil society, think tanks operate in a policy environment that has the public good as its ultimate beneficiary. The stronger the ties of think tanks/civil society and the public, the greater the guarantees of democracy. On the other side, divided societies in many Western Balkans countries are now increasingly falling for, or are at least left without an alternative, to populist politics. The new rulers look more appealing and palatable than the openly authoritarian leaders of the 1990s. Shrinking civic space controlled media, silenced or departed intelligentsia and the rise of populism are just part of the threat to civil society in the Balkans. The real danger is that with low public support for civil society in the polarized and post-factual societies of the region, hunting down independent think tanks or other civil society groups may not even trigger any serious public reaction. More information is available here.
Source: On think thanks