Clientelism is a Trap for Both Citizens and Democracy

The exchange of services for votes knows no boundaries. Not those of states, nor of laws. At the panel “Political Web Hosting: Mechanisms and consequences of political clientelism in the Western Balkans and Beyond”, participants highlighted that the consequences of clientelist practices are borne by both citizens and institutions.

“Clientelism persists because it is more efficient for parties to mobilize their supporters”, said Tsveta Petrova, a professor at Columbia University, adding that this phenomenon is present “in both underdeveloped and developed democracies”. It is, however, most pronounced in poorer countries.

And it is visible daily – when, for example, social aid, employment or a job promotion is conditioned by party support.

“In the Balkans, if you need something, you don’t rely on institutions but on those around you”, emphasized Dragan Stanojević, a sociology professor at the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade.

This bypassing of institutions, functioning on the principle of service for service, creates informal, parallel systems of accountability. Accountability for laws and procedures is replaced by accountability for the party.

This was especially highlighted by Marija Stefanović, a qualitative research manager at CRTA, who pointed out how clientelism operates in social welfare centers. Stefanovic stated that these institutions, through local sheriffs, have become a powerful tool for political parties, which exploit the most vulnerable segments of the population to secure their hold on power.

Social welfare centers and other public administration institutions lead to a captive society, as discussed by Predrag Cvetičanin, a professor of cultural sociology at the Faculty of Arts, University of Niš.

Clientelism places the most vulnerable citizens in a trap – if they do not accept the exchanges offered by political parties, they will either not receive or will lose the assistance they desperately need.