Coming from civil society myself, its development is always a priority to me. Civil society is the salt of any democracy—without it democracy becomes stale. Every time they offer inputs, it is for the sake of

change, rather than for the sake of just another political cycle. This is why I have always found it very important to connect to civil society organizations in my work. But finding good partners doesn’t come easily. In order to have genuine cooperation with civil society organizations, it is essential that our relationship is based on trust. Even if we share different opinions on how things are seen or why they are happening, I need to know that I have a reliable partner who makes sound judgments, which was and is the case with KCSF. They have been very important for my work. The lobbying that KCSF and other organizations have been doing has really made an impact in EU institutions understanding what Kosovo needs, but also how it functions. On the other hand, they have also found a way to help people in Kosovo understand what the EU is and why it’s important for Kosovo. This is why I insist that we must really listen to them carefully—their unique value and strength is that they are building the bridges that the country needs to move forward