Unqualified but politically-connected candidates are still being picked for senior positions in Kosovo’s public sector.
British diplomats say Kosovo’s government has filled a number of senior public sector posts over the past two years with people of dubious qualifications, overriding advice given by the British embassy under a vetting agreement.
Of 21 recruitment processes since March 2016, 12 resulted in the appointment of the most qualified candidate, the embassy told BIRN.
“We have three cases where individuals who did not meet the criteria were appointed, contrary to the recommendations for the most meritorious candidates,” the embassy said in a reply originally written in Albanian.
Most of the other vacancies went unfilled.
The three cases suggest public sector recruitment continues to be subject to political interference in Kosovo.
