News and updates from BCSDN and the region
The Liberties Rule of Law Report 2026 highlights a deepening rule of law crisis across the EU, marked by persistent democratic decline and a widening gap between recommendations and implementation. Drawing on input from nearly 40 organisations, the report finds that 93% of previous recommendations remain unimplemented, with many countries stagnating or backsliding, and some
Read more →A new discussion paper by International IDEA warns that democracy in the Western Balkans is entering a period of deep uncertainty, shaped by shifting global dynamics and internal structural challenges. The report explores how the region’s democratic future could evolve by 2040 through four alternative scenarios, ranging from successful EU-driven consolidation to authoritarian decline. The
Read more →The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) 2026 Civic Space Update highlights a continued deterioration of conditions for civil society across the EU, with 75% of organisations reporting barriers to their work and over 70% noting worsening conditions at EU or national level . CSOs face persistent threats, including online attacks (67%), smear campaigns (60%),
Read more →Freedom House’s Freedom in the World 2026 report confirms a continued global decline in political rights and civil liberties for the 20th consecutive year, with 54 countries deteriorating and only 35 improving, while just 21% of the world’s population lives in “Free” countries. The decline is driven by armed conflict, attacks on democratic institutions, and
Read more →From 3–6 March, BCSDN carried out its annual advocacy mission to Brussels at a pivotal moment for EU democracy initiatives and enlargement policy. As the EU moves to operationalize the Civil Society Strategy and the European Democracy Shield, while preparing the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2034), BCSDN engaged with European Commission representatives, Members of the
Read more →CIVICUS has released its 2026 State of Civil Society Report, the 15th edition of its annual analysis examining global civil society trends in 2025 and early 2026. Drawing on the CIVICUS Lens initiative, the report is based on more than 250 interviews and articles covering around 100 countries and territories. It highlights growing challenges to
Read more →Seven new reports examine civic space developments in 2025 across Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland and Romania. Produced under the Monitoring Action for Civic Space (MACS) project, they apply a new civil society methodology to track both progress and decline in civic freedoms. The findings point to growing concerns, including restrictions on protest
Read more →A newly adopted European Parliament report on EU enlargement argues that the cost of non-enlargement would exceed that of accepting new members, warning that delays could create geopolitical grey zones vulnerable to foreign influence. Adopted with 385 votes in favour, the report frames enlargement as a strategic investment in EU security and stability, while reaffirming
Read more →Geopolitical tensions are reshaping EU enlargement in the Western Balkans, increasingly framing it as a strategic security instrument rather than a purely technical process. The war following the Russian invasion of Ukraine has accelerated debates inside the European Union about enlargement as part of broader European security planning. Experts argue that candidate countries in the
Read more →Europe’s media freedom landscape remained under pressure in 2025, with continued attacks, legal intimidation, and political interference affecting journalists and media organisations. The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) annual monitoring report, produced by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, the European Federation of Journalists, and the International Press Institute, documents 1,481 press freedom
Read more →BCSDN will conduct a targeted advocacy visit to Brussels from 3–6 March to engage EU institutions at a pivotal moment for the Union’s emerging democracy and funding frameworks. As the EU develops the Civil Society Strategy, the European Democracy Shield, and the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), these initiatives will shape civic space and support
Read more →On 12 March, the European Economic and Social Committee’s Western Balkans Follow-up Committee will host a conference at Europe House Skopje, gathering organised civil society and social partners from North Macedonia, including BCSDN, together with EU representatives and national authorities to exchange views on key developments and priorities related to the country’s EU accession process.
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