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The US is determined to "non grata" and punish the corrupt...
There is no end to the bad news about the corrupt. A few days ago, President Donald Trump extended the emergency for the Western Balkans, warning of "non grata" and asset freezes for the corrupt and those who violate the peace.
But in parallel with it, Senator Jeanne Shaheen has re-emerged on the scene, who in August of last year, together with Senator Roger Wicker, proposed the Western Balkans Democracy and Prosperity Act. This act has remained in Senate committees for 1 year and Senator Shaheen has brought it back.
In May, she reintroduced it in the Senate, insisting that the US take a different approach to the Balkans. But the bill did not pass, and the senator used another maneuver, proposing it as an amendment to the "GENIUS Act" (S.1582).
On June 2, 2025, Shaheen proposed that the full text of the Balkans Act (S.1909) be included as an amendment to the GENIUS Act (S.1582). This procedural move was made to avoid a committee deadlock and insert it directly into the package that would be voted on by the full Senate.
This amendment, which contains almost the same text as its own law (S.1909), was accepted and included as an integral part of the law that the Senate approved on June 17, 2025. With this step, the content of the Shaheen Act for the Balkans has been officially approved by the US Senate, and now awaits approval by the House of Representatives.
The text emphasizes that high-level corruption continues to undermine democratic reforms in the Balkans and creates favorable terrain for malign actors such as Russia, which uses corrupt practices as a tool of political influence and destabilization. The US Senate sees this as a direct threat to the strategic interests of the United States and its allies.
“ Corruption, including among key political leaders, continues to plague the Western Balkans and represents one of the biggest obstacles to further economic and political development in the region. Balkan governments must stop protecting corrupt officials. Justice and transparency are the foundation of stability ,” the document states.
The Act encourages Balkan countries to implement justice reforms and strengthen the rule of law. It supports the use of the US “Global Magnitsky Act” to sanction individuals involved in corruption and human rights abuses. It also supports regional instruments such as the Berlin Process and promotes the implementation of the Ohrid Agreement between Kosovo and Serbia. /Pamphlet
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