On September 23, 2025, the Berlin Process’s Civil Society and Think Tank Forum brought together organizations to discuss the state of civic space in the Western Balkans. BCSDN participated in the event with a speech titled “Civil Society – We’re Still Here,” highlighting the resilience and ongoing challenges faced by the sector.
The speech acknowledged the importance of the forum as a platform for cross-border exchange but stressed that dialogue is not enough without the participation of government, parliament, and EU representatives. The speaker, Anja Bosilkova-Antovska, emphasized that this engagement is crucial to turn conversations into a tangible reality. “The Berlin Process must enable that dialogue—otherwise we are speaking into a vacuum,” she stated.
According to the BCSDN Monitoring Matrix, which is based on over ten years of data, the environment for civil society is shrinking. The trend is negative across all three monitored areas: fundamental freedoms, financial viability, and state–civil society cooperation. While laws may appear EU-compliant on paper, the speaker noted that the real problem lies in their selective enforcement, with issues like obstructions, intimidation, and deliberate attempts to silence civil society. For example, anti-money laundering rules have unintentionally labeled Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) as “high risk,” making it difficult for them to access banking services.
The speech concluded by underscoring that civic space is not just shrinking due to technical gaps but is often the result of a deliberate political strategy. To be effective, recommendations from the forum need to have “teeth,” which include clear benchmarks, financing reform, and mechanisms for protecting those most at risk.
The Forum took place in Podgorica, Montenegro, on September 22-23, 2025.