Western Balkans
For three decades (1992), the Friedrich Naumann Foundation has been active for freedom in the Western Balkans and supports the countries on their way to a united Europe. From her project office in Belgrade she coordinates her political education work and advice in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Kosovo. Together with her partners from politics, science and civil society, she works primarily on the topics of human and civil rights, digital and open society, democracy and the rule of law as well as communicating political strategies and market-economy structures.
News
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Long road to new government – Liberals in it for the first time
On 2 October 2022, Bosnia and Herzegovina held its ninth regular parliamentary and presidential elections amidst brewing crises, both domestic and international. The liberal party “Naša stranka” is poised to be the part of the new governing coalition. Despite some successes of progressive parties, the ethnic nationalist and conservative parties continue to dominate. All of this will make for a challenging environment in which liberals will have to manoeuvre, seeking to affirm the principles and values around which the party was built.
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Final Report on Media Monitoring Serbia - Study confirms Serbian media bias in favour of President Vučić
The project focusses on a detailed analysis and assessment of election-related media coverage and the (equal) representation of election candidates in the media, including the identification of possible cases of political bias and violations of standards of truthful objective reporting. One of the main results of this project is that a brief flicker of supposed *media pluralism” was rather artificial and due to the awareness of international observation. I
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EuroPride 2022 - the complicated birth of the first EuroPride in South Eastern Europe
Belgrade hosted EuroPride this weekend, an international event dedicated to the rights of the LGBTIQ+ community. Despite strong opposition from the ultra-right, but also from the Serbian Orthodox Church and parts of the government, the final rally took place in the centre of the Serbian capital on Saturday.
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Regular Economic Report for the first half of 2022
The economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina entered the year 2022 with a series of uncertainties, but also with optimistic expectations that the COVID-19 pandemic has finally passed and that the normalization of economic activities will continue. "There is no more time to lose: 2022 must be the year of social and economic recovery in Bosnia and Herzegovina" is the author's text of the resident coordinator of the United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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Serbia: Gays and lesbians “temporarily” declared personae non-gratae
Europride begins today in Serbia. Although thousands of protesters have once again taken to the streets in Belgrade against the large-scale event and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić had previously announced the cancellation of the Pride event, the international pressure was too great. In the conservative world view of the Serbian president, same-sex partnerships and alternative life plans have no place. LGBTIQ activist Stefan Šparavalo talks about equal rights and social participation in Europe.
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Rainbow Families in Croatia
Two years ago, political scientist Nikolina Herceg Kolman presented an exciting and interesting analysis of how respect for LGBT* rights became a “key issue” and even a “litmus test for being European” in Croatia, which began accession negotiations with the EU in the early 2000s.
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New Head for the Foundation in the Western Balkans
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom in Belgrade has a new director for its activities in the Western Balkans. In mid-August, Markus Kaiser took over from his predecessor Michael Roick, who is leaving the region after three years. The 42-year-old, who is now in charge of the Foundation’s work in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Kosovo, previously worked as Head of Unit for Europe at the Foundation's headquarters in Potsdam.
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Reading recommendations from the Western Balkans
Vacation time is often also reading time. In recent years, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation Western Balkans has produced a wealth of publications on the region as well as on developments in individual countries.
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The Inner Courtyard of the European Union
The Western Balkans are again increasingly in the focus of European politics.
In particular, Russia's brutal war of aggression against Ukraine has increased fears that this could also have an impact on the still unstable Western Balkan region. -
The Vučić System
Following the analysis of the protest movements in Serbia in recent years, another analysis of political developments in Serbia is now available from Serbia's former ambassador to Indonesia, Jovan Jovanović.
The focus is on the development of democracy and the rule of law. What the author presents in detail about the "Vučić System" and backs up with numerous sources is as illuminating as it is sobering. -
With whose head do you think, if not with your own?
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Serbia after the elections
The visit to Serbia, which took place from 3 – 6 May under the title ‘Serbia after the 2022 elections, was organised by the Southeast Europe Society (SOG) in cooperation with six German political foundations. Approximately 20 staff members for German MPs of different political persuasions had the opportunity to inform themselves comprehensively about the current political and social situation in talks with representatives from politics, culture and non-governmental
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„The future of the Western Balkans lies in the European Union"
At the joint press conference last Wednesday, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz underlined that the future of all countries in the Western Balkans lies in the European Union and that this also includes Kosovo, whose international recognition Germany supports.
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Regular Economic Report - Q4
The fourth quarter of 2021 marks the beginning of one of the most challenging periods of Bosnia and Herzegovina's post-war economy. Citizens and businessmen directly feel all the negative effects of the current crisis, but also the lack of adequate economic policy among domestic decision-makers.
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Media Strategy - follow up 2020-2025
In its most recent progress report, the European Commission has certified only "limited progress" by Serbia in the area of freedom of expression. But Serbia's journalistic professional associations are not even able to recognize this.
Social Media
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We are pleased to have had Helmut Brandstätter, an 🇦🇹 Austrian liberal from NEOS, visit 🇽🇰 #kosovo. Only with joint efforts will liberals succeed in making European society more open, tolerant and inclusive. Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit and NEOS stand side by side for this and on the side of all peoples of the Balkans! #Europe #Austria #Kosovo NEOS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">#NEOS #Freedom #EU
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On 2 October 2022, 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina held its ninth regular parliamentary and presidential elections amidst brewing crises, both domestic and international. The liberal party Naša stranka is poised to be part of the new governing coalition. Despite some successes of progressive parties, the ethnic nationalist and conservative parties continue to dominate. All of this will make for a challenging environment in which liberals will function, seeking to affirm the principles and values around which the party was built. The newly appointed Prime minister on the state level is Mrs Borjana Krišto from HDZ, former Federation of BiH president and an MP and the names of her cabinet ministers became known only a few days ago, and shortly before the deadline for submitting names expired. Mr Edin Forto, Naša stranka President and the current PM of the Canton of Sarajevo will be the new Minister of Traffic and Communication, overseeing the stalled processes of digitalization and the sluggish and often ridiculed construction of north-south highway Corridor VC in BiH. Government formation talks and processes on the level of the Federation of BiH are proving more challenging. How functional and stable new governments will be and to what extent will Naša stranka be able to transform historically negative political dynamics on the state and Federation of BiH level are questions everybody is asking. The same doubts were voiced when the new governing coalition with Naša stranka emerged in Canton Sarajevo after the elections in 2018, yet their governing record won them a lot of sympathy and the status of an unwavering socially progressive party. Picture: Borjana Krišto © picture alliance / AA | Samir Jordamovic
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