The European Commission’s latest Enlargement Package evaluates the progress of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, and Türkiye on their EU accession paths. Civil society in the Western Balkans operates in diverse conditions, from largely enabling in Kosovo, Montenegro, and North Macedonia, to challenging in Albania and constrained in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where funding and consistent government cooperation are limited. Serbia remains the most restrictive, with ongoing attacks, smear campaigns, and SLAPP lawsuits targeting critical voices. In BiH’s Republika Srpska entity, the withdrawn “foreign agents” law and persistent criminal penalties for defamation threaten democratic values and freedoms. Stay tuned for BCSDN’s upcoming annual Background Analysis of the EU Enlargement Package, which will provide further insights on fundamental freedoms, CSO financial viability, and government cooperation, comparing findings to the upcoming 2023 Monitoring Matrix Regional Report. Read more here.
Source: BCSDN