What's New

News and updates from BCSDN and the region

EU Media Platforms: Further Protections for Journalists and Media Freedom Needed in Democracy Shield

The International Press Institute (IPI) and Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) have welcomed the EU Democracy Shield initiative and the European Parliament’s Special Committee’s Rapporteur’s draft report published on 21 January, and call for concrete implementation plans. They acknowledge the initiative’s strong focus on media freedom, journalist safety, and Anti-SLAPP measures, while stressing that political

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CASE Coalition 2025 SLAPPs Report: Democracy in the Dock

Abusive lawsuits aimed at silencing journalists, activists, and other public watchdogs continue to rise across Europe, according to the 2025 Annual SLAPPs Report by the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) and the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, despite the EU’s new Anti-SLAPP Directive entering into force in May 2024. The report records 167 new SLAPP

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The Cost of Non-Enlargement Would Exceed the Cost of Accession

In a report adopted on 28 January, the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) frames EU enlargement as a strategic investment in the Union’s security and stability, warning that delaying enlargement risks creating geopolitical grey zones vulnerable to malign influence. The cost of non-enlargement would exceed the cost of accession. The report reaffirms that

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BCSDN Conversations: The Consequences and Impact of EU’s Democracy Instruments and Policies on the WBTCivic Space (21 Jan, 14h, online)

New EU initiatives, including the EU Civil Society Strategy, the European Democracy Shield, and preparations for the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework, signal a shift toward making civic space, participation, and civil society protection central conditions for accession rather than peripheral concerns. These developments are unfolding amid growing political pressure on civil society within the EU

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Our Collective Achievements: BCSDN Research and Policy Work in 2025

For BCSDN, 2025 marked a period of consolidation and increased influence within the regional advocacy landscape. We have released several key pieces of research and tools aimed at strengthening democratic participation. We have concluded a new Monitoring Matrix cycle, with an annual regional report on the civil society environment, and launch of an interactive Monitoring

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European Civic Forum: Civic Mobilisation and Rising Constraints on Civic Freedoms

Throughout Europe’s history, moments of mass mobilisation have marked demands for democratic change. In 2025, renewed civic mobilisation has re-emerged across the continent, including through large-scale student-led protests in Serbia against systemic corruption and governance failures. This mobilisation is unfolding alongside mounting restrictions on civic freedoms. The European Civic Forum’s latest Civic Space Report documents

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SPEAK Platform Highlights Rising Digital Rights Violations Across Southeast Europe

Managed by BIRN, the SPEAK platform provides a secure and anonymous channel for reporting digital rights violations across the Western Balkans and neighbouring countries, enabling citizens, journalists, and activists to document illegal surveillance, data misuse, online harassment, and disinformation. Using BIRN’s ECR tool, the platform ensures anonymity while exposing how digital abuses increasingly shape civic

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Aspen Institute New Publication: Structural Change in the Western Balkans

The Aspen Institute has released its new study, capturing key insights and policy recommendations from its October 2025 Tirana conference. The publication analyzes how rapid technological shifts, demographic changes, climate pressures, and geopolitical tensions are reshaping the region’s labor markets and social cohesion. It highlights civil society as a key actor in managing structural change

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BCSDN News: New Research Highlights Threats to Gender Equality Civic Space in the Western Balkans

BCSDN has published its 2025 Research in Focus report, “The Missing Lens: Rethinking the Enabling Environment for Gender Equality and Civil Society in the Western Balkans,” which analyzes the civic space for gender equality and feminist organizations in the Western Balkans. The research reveals a concerning trend, highlighting the growing influence of coordinated anti-gender movements.

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People Power Under Attack 2025: Global Civic Space in Crisis

The CIVICUS Monitor’s 2025 People Power Under Attack report signals a significant global decline in civic space, with fundamental freedoms under severe attack. The report reveals that only 7.2% of the world’s population now lives in countries with “Open” or “Narrowed” civic space, while 83 countries are rated “Repressed” or “Closed.” The most frequent violations are the detention of protesters, journalists, and human rights defenders;

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Serbia’s Civic Space Downgraded to ‘Repressed’ Amid Escalating Crackdown

The CIVICUS Monitor downgraded Serbia’s civic space from “Obstructed” to “Repressed” in its 2025 annual report, citing escalating attacks on fundamental freedoms. Authorities have clamped down on protests, leading to violence and mass detentions, while freedom of expression is under sustained attack. Civil society warns that a proposed Criminal Code amendment threatens to criminalize peaceful

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