Besnik Tahiri: Clientelism is endangering the building of good governance in the municipality

Prishtina, 6 February 2014

(Excerpts from the speech at the Kosovo Local Government Institute’s conference on the published study)

Today, the Kosovo Local Government Institute, in cooperation with the Norwegian Embassy and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, held a conference to publish the study entitled: “Clientelism: an alternative dimension of governance in the municipality”. This study was prepared by Mr David Jackson as part of his research on clientelism, continuing the series of publications that the Kosovo Local Government Institute produces with the aim of strengthening democracy and local governance in the Republic of Kosovo.

Besnik Tahiri, Director of the Kosovo Local Government Institute, stressed in his speech: This publication was produced during 2012–2013, and as such it is a valuable contribution to the debate on good governance and the creation of a sustainable system of local government in the Republic of Kosovo. The research and publication on this topic is the first of its kind in the country, so as the Kosovo Local Government Institute we hope that this publication will encourage further research on clientelism in Kosovo.

As a phenomenon, clientelism is endangering the democratic functioning of Kosovo’s institutions in general, but since the municipality is the citizen’s first contact with institutions, at the municipal level it is stifling direct local democracy;

Clientelism risks becoming a widespread and accepted culture in governance, and particularly in local governance, thereby empowering a narrow circle of the local political elite which, instead of governing for the common good and the public interest, serves partial and personal agendas;

Combined with other negative phenomena such as nepotism and corruption, clientelism makes the functioning of the democratic system fragile and often dysfunctional – turning the political representatives of society and those who enforce the law into the main challengers to the rule of law, and, as we have grown used to, problems often reflect the spirit, aims or content of laws and policies built on a clientelist basis.

Some consider a strong decentralised system of local government a means of political stability, bringing decision-making as close as possible to citizens, but others regard it as an opportunity for abuse of power and nepotism, and for creating and fostering clientelism. The publication explains this connection, illustrating it with concrete examples. Clientelism, therefore, is damaging Kosovo’s European future, where society ought to be built on values and genuine competition, not on connections and narrow interests.

In his speech at the conference, the Norwegian Ambassador, Mr Jan Braathu, emphasised several key points relating to the weakening of the state and the erosion of the trust and support that citizens build towards the state as a result of clientelist practices, which according to him bring “the death of society by a thousand attacks”. He therefore raised the question: what kind of society and what kind of state do Kosovars want? He left this question for Kosovars themselves to answer, adding that clientelist relationships are a sure road to anarchy.

Meanwhile, the Mayor of Prishtina, Mr Shpend Ahmeti, stressed that there are incentives for certain circles that have built clientelist relationships, which, according to him, cause long-term damage to the creation of democratic governance. He added that there are three elements that cause many anomalies and consequently help clientelism: infrastructure projects, social assistance and employment. All three of these elements put citizens in an unequal position in relation to the clienteles created so far. He added that there are two quick actions that would remedy the current situation as regards clientelism as a phenomenon: implementation of the laws in force, and transparency.

Attending the conference were many mayors, representatives of the Ministry of Local Government Administration, various international missions and organisations, civil society and other local governance actors.