The overall objective of the Project was to organize a conference at which to define on comparative basis the main problems and challenges facing the internal functioning of political parties in the region.

Overview

The overall objective of the Project was to organize a conference at which to define on comparative basis the main problems and challenges facing the internal functioning of political parties in the region. The Project emphasized on internal party democracy and tried to propose practical and normative solutions enhancing transparency in the activities of political parties, better communication between them and civil society, and the improvement of organizational capacities of political parties in the region. The purpose of the Project was to create a better understanding of democracy within political parties in the Balkans, which is a major prerequisite for enhancing democratic political culture in the region. The major task of the conference organized under the project, was to set norms and standards for internal party democracy, measuring parties against these standards, and making these results public.

Implementation Period

15 May – 15 December 2006

Results
The conference on Reshaping the Broken Image of Political Parties in Southeast Europe, organized by the Bulgarian School of Politics (BSoP) in partnership with the Institute for Political and Legal Studies (IPLS) and with the kind support of the US Embassy Democracy Commission, was held in Central Park Hotel, Sofia, on 24 – 26 November 2006. The final result of the conference was the publication of a book compiling the findings and conclusions of the analysts and experts from the countries below who participated in the conference and delivered theoretical reports.
The aim of the conference was to bring together experts and politicians from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia, and Kosovo to discuss various issues concerning political parties and their performance in the political systems of their respective countries.

Participants

Prof. Georgi Karasimeonov and Svetlana Lomeva (Bulgaria), Goran ?ular (Croatia), Gordan Georgiev (Macedonia), Dusan Pavlovic (Serbia), Eno Trimçev (Albania), Davor Vuletic (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Laura Kryeziu and Labinot Salihu (Kosovo)