News and updates from BCSDN and the region
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Read more →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 →On 28 June 2025, Serbia’s national holiday Vidovdan, tens of thousands of citizens joined a mass protest in Belgrade demanding early elections, government accountability, and systemic reforms. Initiated by students and supported by teachers, farmers, and civil society actors, the protest represents the culmination of the eight-month movement sparked by the deadly Novi Sad station
Read more →In its official reaction to the European Parliament Bureau’s decision to establish a Working Group on the transparency and efficiency of EU NGO funding, BCSDN raises concerns about the potential implications for the enabling environment of civil society in Europe. The network cautions that, while transparency remains essential, existing financial controls are already extensive and
Read more →The project Together for Green Advocacy for Environmental Protection (ZZZ) was formally launched with the thematic forum “From Diversity to Justice – Equal Right to a Healthy and Sustainable Environment for All”, held at Europe House Skopje on 20 June. Led by the Center for Youth Activism KRIK, the Center for Social Initiative NADEZH, and
Read more →The recent Civic Space Hackathon, organized by BCSDN in Skopje, successfully united civic activists, tech experts, legal professionals, communicators, and web designers from across the Western Balkans to develop innovative solutions for a more resilient civil society. Addressing critical challenges like eroding public trust from smear campaigns and disinformation, and undermined independence due to restrictive
Read more →The civil society landscape in the Western Balkans is facing unprecedented challenges, a critical issue highlighted at the 13th POINT Conference held in Sarajevo on May 29-30. Toshe Zafirov, BCSDN’s Communications and Advocacy Officer, represented the network at the conference, discussing a pressing topic: “Civil Society Between a Rock and a Hard Place—How to Navigate
Read more →The European Commission has launched public consultations on the upcoming EU Civil Society Strategy, to be open for input from 13 June to 5 September 2025. The EU Civil Society Strategy will provide a comprehensive framework for action at EU and Member State level, aimed to protect, empower, and strengthen engagement with civi society. The
Read more →Europe is experiencing a dangerous rollback of civic freedoms, in a context where the promise of universal rights and democratic values, enshrined in the EU treaties, is being steadily eroded by interconnected economic, social, cultural, and political factors. The European Civic Forum, in its latest Civic Space Report, documents an “unprecedented and intensified attack” on
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