Regional Essays: ProgWeB 2022 IV Generation
Regional Essays: ProgWeB 2022 IV Generation

Author(s): Fjona Kurteshi, Lamija Džomba, Ahmed Kosovac, Fjolla Mucaj, Marija Čvorović, Filip Talevski, Aleksandra Božić, Dardan Bujupi, Mihailo Kolović, Lidija Simjanovska, Stefanija Kuzmanovska, Ljuben Avramovski, Ajdin Džomba
Contributor(s): Adi Škaljić (Editor), Aleksandar Spasov (Editor)
Subject(s): Politics, Political Theory, Political Sciences, Government/Political systems, Politics and society
Published by: Fondacija Boris Divković
Keywords: Political Involvement; Youth; Western Balkans; political parties;
Summary/Abstract: This paper analyses the political representation of youth in the Western Balkans and their participation in political parties, elections, intra-party quota systems, and whether the political parties find quotas as a best solution for increasing political participation of youth and their political credibility. The literature review of other countries that use youth quotas as inclusion-instruments to ensure a wider perspective on how youth political representation should look and where should it derive from is also presented Balkan countries did not institutionalize quota systems in their public institutions or introduced it as a criterion for the creation of election lists. However, most parties voluntarily include representatives of their youth wing organizations in their election lists. Nevertheless, there are very few successful outcomes of such practice where young candidates got elected and represented youth interests in high level institutions such as the Parliament. This comparative report shows that countries that used youth quotas faced similar problems, as the young candidates who got elected as the result of the implemented quota system often did not have proper political influence and they were influenced by their more experienced fellow party members. Aside from quotas, one of the final recommendations of this research is that political parties should introduce mechanisms of informal education that will provide knowledge and experience to young candidates so that they can handle better the situations that are likely to occur within the party and during election campaigns.

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