When a pandemic hits a region in long transition; – (Understanding Western Balkans’s perplexities and aspirations in times of COVID-19.)
Author: Dr. Elira Luli, Albania
Abstract:The region of Western Balkans is part of the immense shock that the world is undergoing because of COVID-19. After the lock-down phase -similar to a standstill mode – the countries of the region are dealing with pejorative trends of this Pandemic, where Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia, and Herzegovina and Kosovo are experiencing a tremendous resurgence of COVID-19 cases, higher than in the time of the quarantine. Western Balkans has been in a long transition for three decades. Transition turned as an identifying feature for this region where old political leadership classes and attitudes carry the heaviest culprits for this pitfall. The Pandemic left devastating footprints in some crucial aspects of life. Given the region’s already fragile situation before this crisis, Western Balkans struggle to grapple with old and new hardships at the moment. The diverse landscape poses stagnations and dire progress relating to political reforms; high political polarization in some countries; endeavors to cope with EU commitments and aspiration; nationalist and populist narratives and discourses laden with past recollections; and external influences luring the region away from EU perspective. On top of that, implications stemming from COVID-19 have impacted vital sectors such as economy, health, tourism, and social realm. In such an unpredicted and sluggish region, resilience seems to be more a cliché than a path to determination and flexibility. The paper provides a general overview and analysis of the current situation through a qualitative methodology. It aims to highlight the causes that lie in the core of this prolonged transition where the added recession impact caused by COVID-19 in the region and other strains and constraints underlie. Simultaneously, elaborates on the EU path, Western Balkans countries are following and the EU’s role in the whole picture. The conclusion draws a short overview of observations given the pressures and the dragging risks at present and some recommendations relating to some perspectives and key-interventions about the complex challenges these countries face at an early stage and some quite past and old.