News and updates from BCSDN and the region
The European Commission’s 2025 Rule of Law Report acknowledges civil society as essential for EU integration but highlights persistent challenges across the Western Balkans. CSOs continue to face threats to operational space, legal uncertainty, and limited access to public funding. In Serbia, surveillance concerns are raised over the use of spyware targeting civil society. In
Read more →The Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN) issued a public statement condemning the disproportionate use of police force during the Vidovdan protest in Serbia on 28 June 2025. While demonstrators gathered peacefully to demand early elections and government accountability, law enforcement used tear gas, stun grenades, and physical force against protesters and journalists. BCSDN stressed
Read more →The Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies has released a commentary outlining how centre-right forces can respond to the growing influence of the radical right in Europe. Highlighting the erosion of liberal democracy by nationalist and populist actors, the piece argues that the centre-right must actively defend rule of law, support robust institutions, and embrace
Read more →Marking three decades since the Srebrenica genocide, civil society across the region is renewing calls for remembrance, justice, and resistance to historical revisionism. The July 1995 massacre, in which over 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were executed, remains the most severe atrocity in Europe since WWII. It has been officially recognized as genocide by both
Read more →A new BIRN analysis highlights persistent failures across the Balkans in implementing freedom of information (FOI) laws. While most countries in the region have adopted legal frameworks guaranteeing public access to information, enforcement remains weak and inconsistent. Authorities often delay responses, deny requests without justification, or impose unreasonable fees, with little risk of sanctions. Oversight
Read more →Metamorphosis Foundation’s latest shadow report finds that media freedom in North Macedonia continues to face systemic threats. Journalists report persistent harassment, self-censorship due to politically motivated editorial pressure, and a lack of transparency in media ownership. Regulatory bodies remain weakly resourced and prone to political influence, and public service media are often used to disseminate
Read more →The European Parliamentary Forum on Sexual and Reproductive Rights (EPF) unveiled its latest flagship report, The Next Wave: How Religious Extremism Is Regaining Power, during a high-profile event held on 26 June 2025 at the European Parliament in Brussels. The report analyzes the resurgence and transformation of anti-gender networks, focusing on how these groups have
Read more →In a recent blog, Accountable Now outlines how CSOs can actively respond to declining public trust and growing skepticism towards institutions. Drawing on discussions from the May 2025 Dynamic Accountability Dialogue co-hosted with Rendir Cuentas, the article identifies three core actions CSOs must take: acknowledge their own contribution to trust deficits, shift from performative transparency
Read more →Despite increasing authoritarianism and attacks on women’s rights, Türkiye’s women’s movement has remained one of the strongest social forces in the country. The article explores how women’s organizations have sustained resistance by organizing outside formal political arenas, using street protests, social media, and grassroots education to amplify feminist voices and resist shrinking civic space. Key
Read more →Across the European Union, core values like democracy and fundamental rights are under assault, directly leading to a shrinking civic space. Civil society organizations (CSOs) and human rights defenders face politically motivated attacks, making robust EU support critical. BCSDN strongly advocates for increased funding within the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the Citizens, Equality,
Read more →Global crises highlight the urgent need for donor strategies that protect civic space. Existing systems, designed for extraction, require systemic reform led by marginalized communities, not “saviourism.” Donors must support genuine people power, foster accountability, and explicitly integrate civic space protection as a core objective. This means moving beyond traditional aid to truly empower civic
Read more →Worries are mounting over the future of the EU’s Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme, the only EU funding instrument explicitly designed to support civil society. As discussions on the post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework begin, there is growing concern that CERV could face cuts, absorption into broader programmes, or be sidelined in favor of
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