Bucharest/Munich/Gütersloh, 29 April 2010
Democracy and Good Governance in the Black Sea Region
For decades the existence of the east-west conflict meant that the Black Sea was a systemic watershed. It was perfectly clear which of the riparian states took its bearings from which political philosophy and thus from which socio-economic and socio-political model. As a result the region was divided into two distinct parts. This did not apply only to security policy, but to the political and societal character of the states involved in the conflict. The tectonic shifts which occurred after the demise of the Iron Curtain created new opportunities and the possibility of democratic reform in the region, but also new dangers and a multiplicity of developments which were more confusing than anything that had been seen for decades.
In contrast to central Europe, where the countries dealt with the transition to democracy and a market economy in a fast and historically unique manner, the Black Sea Region (BSR) is still diverse and heterogeneous in political terms and dependent on the legacies of the past.
This is the background of the fourth report which has been written for the Commission on the Black Sea. The authors are Franz-Lothar Altmann from the Bucharest State University, Johanna Deimel who is Deputy Director of the German Southeast Europe Association and Armando García Schmidt from the Bertelsmann Stiftung.
The policy report assesses the quality of the existing democratic institutions and identifies common structures in the political and societal development of the Black Sea region by comparing ten countries: Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Greece (the consolidated west and south of the region); Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova (the conflict-ridden states); and Russia and Ukraine. This cross-national comparison shows that in recent years persistent weaknesses in the legal system and popular distrust of democratic institutions in most of the countries have been accompanied by an increase in executive authority. By and large successfully managed (though as yet incomplete) democratization processes in Bulgaria and Romania contrast with authoritarian tendencies in Russia and other countries in the region. In many parts of the region there is still a very real threat of internal and cross-border conflicts. Sizeable and growing socio-economic inequalities not only limit the capacity of societies to cope with the economic crisis, but may also weaken support for liberal, pro-Western political groups.
In seeking to enhance democratic transformation, civil society groups should be given broad practical support. Aid to states should be linked to democratic reforms, and combined with substantial assistance for institutional and administrative capacity building. Judicial reforms and a stronger rule of law will be critical in stabilising the region’s political and economic systems. The EU in particular needs to develop a coherent regional policy, which must include cooperation with Russia and Turkey.
The Commission on the Black Sea
The Black Sea region is increasingly becoming a priority on the international agenda. More and more, actors understand that common problems need to be addressed jointly. However, cooperation efforts are hampered by a number of factors such as uneven economic and political development within and among countries, nationalist forces, and longstanding animosities between regional players.
In this context, it is imperative to foster sound policies aimed at strengthening dialogue and cooperation so as to contain and ultimately resolve conflicts with peaceful means. However, little policy oriented research exists on the challenges and opportunities for cooperation in the Black Sea region. The Commission on the Black Sea aims to redress this imbalance by presenting a series of policy-oriented reports which reassess the economic, social, regional political and military developments in the region.
The Commission on the Black Sea is a civil society initiative, jointly developed and launched in 2009 by the German Bertelsmann Stiftung, Gütersloh; the Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation (BST - GMFUS), Bucharest; the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV), Ankara; and the International Centre for Black Sea Studies (ICBSS), Athens. Among members of the Commission on the Black Sea are a former vice prime minister, former ministers, current and former parliamentarians, public intellectuals and scholars from the whole Black Sea region, the European Union and the United States.
About the authors
Franz-Lothar Altmann is Associate Professor for Intercultural Relations, Bucharest State University. Among many other engagements he served as deputy director of the Southeast Institute in Munich and head of the research unit Western Balkans at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP).
Johanna Deimel is Deputy Director of the German Southeast Europe Association (SOG) in Munich. At the SOG she organises high level and policy oriented international conferences on Balkan issues and on the Black Sea region. She is specialised in European Union politics and strategies towards Southeastern Europe and the Black Sea region. In 2008 she served as Executive Officer and Chief of Staff at the International Civilian Office in Kosovo.
Armando García Schmidt is project manager at the German Bertelsmann Stiftung. He works on the relationship between the Western Balkans and the European Union. Another field of interest is the Black Sea region and its future.
