The newly launched Civic Space Report of the European Civic Forum (ECF), presented at the European Parliament in Brussels, raises serious concerns over the continued deterioration of civic space across the Western Balkans. The chapter dedicated to the region, authored by BCSDN, documents a widening gap between formal democratic commitments and the increasingly restrictive realities faced by CSOs, activists, journalists, and independent media. The findings point to growing use of SLAPPs, surveillance, intimidation, selective inspections, police raids, and online harassment targeting critical voices, alongside declining financial sustainability following cuts in international assistance and persistent weaknesses in public funding systems. Framing these developments as a warning sign for the region’s democratic trajectory, the report argues that civic space and fundamental freedoms must become a core component of the EU accession process and calls for stronger rule of law safeguards, meaningful civil society participation, and sustainable support for independent organisations across the Western Balkans. Read more here.
Source: BCSDN / European Civic Forum (ECF)