Inequality in Southeast Europe

The event featured an expert panel discussion on the findings of the study. Mirna Jusić from the Center for Social research "Analitika" gave an overview on the methodology and the summary of the study with invited comments from Amer Kapetanović, the head of the Regional Cooperation Council's political department and Nikolina Obradović from the University of Mostar.

The general consensus between the panelists was that not only Bosnia and Herzegovina, but all the countries of Southeast Europe, mostly those with a transitional history have faced exceptionally challenging social, economic and  political transformations in the past with dire societal consequences. One of these consequences are the high levels of income inequality among the populations of the countries of Southeast Europe. Despite these issues, which are not only limited to poverty and social exclusion, the region is facing a rapid decline in economic growth with lurking social conflicts, yet still the question of inequality is not occupying a prominent position in governmental discourses in the region. The panelists and the public agreed that governments need to start adopting actionable policies towards combating inequality. 

In the context of Bosnia and Herzegovina, several policy recommendations of the study are applicable in terms of education, public taxes and population decline and more than necessary both in terms of bringing about more socio-economic justice and the country's and the region's EU integration processes.

A video of the panel discussion can be found here. The full study can be found here and the policy recommendations can be found here.