PERSPECTIVE Social Cohesion at the Centre A New Initiative for Stability and Prosperity in the Western Balkans SVETLANA CENIC, ARDIAN HACKAJ, AMER KAPETANOVIC, MARIA ELENI KOPPA, GAZMEND QORRAJ, DUSAN SPASOJEVIC, DRAGAN TEVDOVSKI AND DALIBORKA ULJAREVIC June 2015 n Prosperity and stability in the Western Balkans can be achieved only by a joint focus on economic and social questions within the framework of a new policy approach based on social cohesion. When revisiting its enlargement policy, the European Commission should set out intermediate steps to keep the process alive. n A new social and economic model needs to be implemented in the Western Bal­kans. The social model should promote progressive taxation and social protection programmes designed to reduce income and wealth inequalities. A new economic model focused on an added value economy should replace the current neoliberal model. n Fiscal transparency and open governance are the first steps towards building insti ­tutions that enable citizen participation in decision-making and create a level play­ing-field more conducive to economic prosperity in the Western Balkans. Fighting for meritocracy and eliminating political patronage is possible only by strengthening the mechanisms of democratic control.