“They do not take into account our suggestions” was one of the statements of a Kosovo Serb citizen, when asked about the contribution of the ideas of the participants during public meetings.

Insufficient information, low interest of citizens in relation to the municipality, nepotism and unequal opportunities for women are just some of the challenges faced by citizens identified by the findings of the “Citizen Satisfaction Survey“.

A sustainable system of local self-government remains stable when maintained by several basic pillars that focus on the principle of transparency and active participation of citizens in government decision-making processes.

In order to reach the attitude and perception of the citizens of Kosovo regarding their local government, the DEMOS Project researched a number of areas related to access to information, citizen participation, the role of the Municipal Assembly, municipal management, service delivery and overall citizen satisfaction with municipalities.

Citizens often direct their questions towards their municipalities, and they have every right to seek answers and information from their elected officials. Their questions have different character such as: “What is the municipality planning for my neighborhood? How much budget has it allocated? Is there a job vacancy? Can I be a beneficiary of a subsidy?” etc.

Although according to a survey conducted by the Kosovo Agency of Statistics (KAS) it turns out that 96.1% of households in Kosovo have access to the Internet, still half of the respondents – part of the aforementioned survey – are informed about municipal decisions through oral communication.

The rapid development of technology has created the need for municipalities to replace traditional practices with more effective tools such as various online mass communication platforms and social networks. Despite this opportunity, according to the citizens, the municipal authorities continue to keep the citizens in the dark regarding their decisions. According to the participants of the focus groups, this happens because it pays the way for informality, especially in recruitment processes. “It often happens that municipal decisions or announcements of job vacancies are not published at the right time, and as a result, nepotism and partiality occurs.” This practice does not give everyone an equal access to information, thus, excluding some to prepare for the recruitment process.

Informality in the recruitment process has taken different shapes as well.

Finding a job in the municipality is seen to be closely linked to political affiliation.

One participant in the focus group discussions was asked for 5 thousand euros for a job in the tax administration, while another was rejected 7 times even though according to him he was the most prepared candidate in the respective field.

Citizens with a majority of 64% believe that political affiliation is the most important factor when municipalities recruit employees. This is followed by family ties (54%).

The participants of this study did not blame only the government but held citizens responsible for the ongoing involvement of this phenomenon.

The instability of the municipal-citizen binomial also appears to be worrying, as 74% of respondents have not had any interaction with their municipality during the last 12 months and only 16% of them state that they have participated in public meetings.

Citizens believe that municipality should prioritize basic things like drinking water, green spaces, infrastructure, and urban planning, although a majority or 77% have no idea how their municipal budget is allocated.

In terms of gender, stereotypes and prejudices about the role of women seem to continue to be ingrained in Kosovo society.

The presence of women at high levels of decision-making is a tool that enhances the quality of the contribution of half of society in the design of useful and comprehensive policies for the community.

But despite this, it generally seems that women are not seen as competent to perform leadership and decision-making roles, and even those who are already in leadership positions do not take full responsibility in making important decisions independent of the influence of men.

The quota obligation for participants seems to be the reason why municipalities recruit more women, rather than their expertise. At least so it was said in a focus group organized in the service of the survey. A simple majority of 54% believe that their municipality offers somewhat equal opportunities for leadership positions for women while 24% of respondents believe that women are offered very few equal opportunities.

Despite the ongoing challenges and problems that were highlighted, optimism among citizens continues to remain high.

About 73% of respondents expressed optimism that their municipality is on track to be a better place after half a decade. Whereas 27% of the citizens declared themselves pessimistic about the direction taken by their municipality. Participants in the Serb focus group discussion, on the contrary, believed that the situation would only worsen in the future.

Dissatisfied citizens stressed that with proper coordination and cooperation between the local and central levels of government, their leaders are given the authority to create employment opportunities, which according to them is the only step towards a dignified living.

“Citizen Satisfaction Survey” was prepared by UBO Consulting for the DEMOS project which is implemented by HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation. The findings and conclusions expressed in this report do not necessarily represent the position of the donors of the project: the EU Office in Kosovo, the embassies of Switzerland, Sweden and Norway.