"South East Europe is a diverse and interesting region, some countries of which are already part of the EU, while others are preparing for membership. In the context of this transition two things are essential for the success of the democratisation process: firstly, the rule-of-law and, secondly, the media landscape," says Christian Spahr. Media must take their public duty of controlling and explaining seriously. "We want to facilitate that process."

The German democratisation process after the Second World War also took time and was assisted by the United States and other countries. "We don’t say that there is a ‘German way’ that has to be applied in all countries of South East Europe, but we want to give impulses, for instance in regard to media law, journalistic education or media self-regulation." Besides sharing experiences, Spahr also wants to foster cooperation among the countries of South East Europe, which are often more similar than people think and face comparable challenges. "It makes sense for us as a regional programme spanning ten countries to bring together experts from the region."

Next to encouraging professional exchange, political foundations like Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung can be effective through their print and online publications. "For now people find political analyses and materials, as well as event invitations for experts in the region on the website of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung," Spahr explains. In the medium run, however, the goal is to create a platform for media experts and journalists with information about the media landscapes of the countries, an event agenda for conferences, as well as tool kits and guidelines for journalists.

The complete interview with Christian Spahr is available here (external link).