The Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Transformation Index (BTI), which analyzes transformation processes toward democracy and a market economy in international comparison and identifies successful strategies for peaceful change, presents its 2024 results for Eastern European countries. Despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine causing anxiety, the report presents fostered cooperation and a shift towards Western alignment. Progress in democratization, economic, and governance transformation has been observed, with some countries improving while others remain stable. However, challenges like political polarization, economic issues, and EU integration complexities persist. In the Western Balkans, EU membership prospects have fluctuated. Recent positive steps include the start of accession negotiations for North Macedonia and Albania. However, progress has stalled for Montenegro and Serbia. BiH and Kosovo face challenges due to statehood issues, despite BiH receiving candidate status in December 2022. Read more here.
Source: BTI Transformation Index