Regional Transformation: Why Does Local Government matters more than we think?

The phrase “anti-corruption reform” often brings to mind national institutions, new laws, special agencies, or high-profile political debates. Yet, the reality is different.  Citizens rarely experience quality of governance reforms in ministries or parliaments, but in their localities. This is where public goods, services and resources are governed, and decisions that affect people’s lives are made.

Therefore, to ensure that anti-corruption leads to substantial change in the Western Balkans, the ongoing reform should address the needs of the communities more than relying on high political dynamics that happen in central government.

We have strategies. Why are results still elusive?

The Western Balkans have spent the last decade adopting anti-corruption strategies, strengthening institutions, and aligning reforms with European standards. Yet public trust remains stubbornly low, and corruption continues to be perceived as a major obstacle to development.

The latest Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index 2024 paints a sobering picture. Montenegro leads the region with a score of 46 out of 100, followed by Kosovo (43), Albania (42), North Macedonia (40), Serbia (35), and Bosnia and Herzegovina (33). None of these scores suggest that citizens have sufficient confidence in the integrity of public institutions. That means, the challenge no longer rests in policymaking, but in policy implementation.

Why Local Government matters more than we think?

Citizens rarely assess governments’ performance through policies, strategies or action plans. They assess them through the concrete implementation of their policies and what effect those policies have on people’s lives. Is the process for obtaining a permit transparent? Are public funds spent fairly? Can citizens access information when they need it? Do local authorities respond to concerns?

For many people, local government is the most visible face of the state. If integrity is absent or poorly implemented at that level, even the best national reforms will struggle to gain credibility. This is why local integrity matters. It transforms accountability from an abstract principle into something citizens can actually see and experience.

Through the Bashki Të Forta project, Helvetas has strengthened the municipal performance system to ensure that municipalities meet citizens' expectations for quality service delivery and resource management. In that project, corruption is addressed not only as a cross-cutting issue for municipal performance but also as a public good that municipalities must provide with quality and sustainability.

A new chapter in the Berlin Process

This local dimension is increasingly relevant to the future of the Berlin Process.

When the Berlin Process was launched in 2014, the focus was largely on regional connectivity, economic cooperation, reconciliation, and bringing the Western Balkans closer to the European Union. The conversation centered on roads, railways, energy networks, mobility, and trade. The objective was to improve connectivity between the countries through better infrastructure, thereby stimulating economic development and regional cooperation.

Over time, the Berlin Process organizers learned that regional initiatives may be relevant, but they yield results only when they are supported by trustworthy institutions, and when they serve the communities affected by corruption. Infrastructure projects, investment plans, and regional markets all depend on transparent decision-making and accountable governance. Transparent and accountable institutions create an environment in which entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainable development can flourish.

Weak governance discourages investment, increases uncertainty, and limits growth. Communities affected by poor transparency often struggle to attract businesses, create jobs, and retain talented young people.

This recognition became particularly evident in 2025, when anti-corruption and good governance were elevated as explicit priorities through the first dedicated high-level Berlin Process event. This consideration of anti-corruption conveyed an important message: corruption is not simply a rule-of-law issue. It is a development issue. It affects economic growth, investor confidence, democratic resilience, and the region's European future. The success of major regional initiatives, including the Common Regional Market, will depend not only on agreements signed by governments but also on the ability of institutions to implement them effectively and transparently.

Building an integrity ecosystem through long-lasting alliances

One of the most important lessons drawn from the Berlin process was that corruption does not survive because of repressive and preventive legal mechanisms. Corruption persists because, in many cases, it becomes the norm and shapes individual and collective behaviors. For instance, citizens, businesses, and public officials are increasingly normalizing the corrupt practices both in private and professional relationships. Accepting shortcuts and kickbacks, or engaging in informal arrangements, has become a normal way of getting things done.

Designing and implementing policy reforms remain important to drive systemic change in the fight against corruption. Institutions that reward merit, transparency, public services, and that address multi-level and multi-sectoral corruption remain relevant. However, it is even more crucial to change citizens’ behavior and address the incentives behind corruption. A bottom-up approach to fight corruption is therefore essential for upward and horizontal accountability, citizen participation, and oversight in public finance and investment.

To achieve lasting change, we need to build long-lasting alliances. An alliance among institutions willing to be more transparent. Between local governments willing to engage citizens. Between civil society organizations, media, businesses, academia, and communities willing to champion integrity as a shared value. Helvetas' overall governance and economic portfolio in Eastern Europe is putting this collective action approach into practice. Projects with CSOs, SMEs, and municipalities, along with Helvetas’ engagement with academia and regional and multilateral organizations, are a strategic way to build long-lasting alliances and fight corruption on different fronts in innovative ways.

Looking Ahead

The Western Balkans already have many of the institutional mechanisms needed to combat corruption (many of which have been tested through our Helvetas projects). It is urgent to translate these mechanisms into concrete action. To do so, local and national authorities need to engage in dialogues with citizens to understand their needs and transform anti-corruption policies into practical tools that can change their lives. To facilitate these dialogues, we need to expand the space in the region and continue supporting municipalities to enable an environment where CSOs and citizens can add value by promoting transparency, integrity, participation, and efficiency at the different layers of government.

This blog builds on the discussions and reflections generated during the “From Regional Cooperation to Collective Action: Strengthening Integrity and Anti-Corruption in South-East Europe” side event of the Berlin Process 2026, held in Tirana on 14-15 October 2026. The event was organised by the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) in partnership with Helvetas, bringing together policymakers, local government representatives, civil society actors, business leaders, anti-corruption practitioners, and international partners from across South-East Europe to explore pathways.