If it wasn’t political/ideological, the Western establishment would occasionally admit to something good/decent coming from the East. Unfortunately, they are not allowed to do so.
A loyal British subject/citizen once asked Gandhi what he thought of Western Civilization, and Gandhi supposedly replied: “I think it would be a good idea!”
In order to succeed in the Balkans, one has to fight with things that either do not exist in the West, or are arranged so that they do not represent an obstacle. This is why it is much more difficult to “succeed” in the Balkans than in the West.
They say: When our people go to the West, they are great workers, how come they are not at home? It’s a matter of procedure/method: in the West, there is a method, while in the Balkans there is none. As long as this is the case, people will live better in the West.
Eastern European countries were lured in by the “splendor” of the West, having to pay for it through the loss of natural resources, people, sovereignty, territory … They did not realize that the “splendor” is deceptive and that it is designed just for that purpose.