ROMA GROUPS ARE NOT PART OF DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES AND DECISION-MAKING IN THE WESTERN BALKANS REGION

Marginalized communities appear to lack representation in the development of democracy and decision-making processes in the Western Balkans region. Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina present the same picture regarding the status of Roma groups in the societies of these countries. The dynamics of socio-economic and political development in this region has produced many problems, but also different challenges regarding the improvement of the legal framework in function of increasing the well-being of these groups and their inclusion in the decision-making processes as well. This has forced the EU to turn their issue into a necessary criterion to be fulfilled by these countries in the democratization's wake of the region and the completion of other standards, a condition for integration into the European family. The countries of the region are placing the protection of the rights of minorities as a priority issue, engaging with the European Commission to change the situation through concrete policies.