East & Southeast Europe

Thirty years after the Srebrenica genocide, the questions regarding what happened and who did it have largely been resolved. What remains unclear is how the past will shape the future, our author argues.

Serbia (claims it) did not take part in the war in Bosnia. Yet it provided military assistance, handed refugees back into the hands of those they were fleeing, and took part in the killing of civilians. Responsibility did not stop at the border.

How can survivors of conflict-related sexualized violence be supported in the midst of war and beyond? Three leading experts: Lina Kushch, Ukraine, Dr. Feride Rushiti, Kosovo, and Ajna Mahmić Ćatić, Bosnia and Herzegovina share their experiences from region to region on justice, reparations, and survivor-centered care. 

Armenia is often seen as a role model in the South Caucasus, especially when it comes to democratization. But this development is accompanied by a increasing personalization of power, weakened institutional autonomy, and a deeply polarized political landscape.

Georgian politics were rocked by sustained protests led by Gen Z from 2023 and 2024. Diaries kept by young people reveal the complex emotional arc many experienced as the protests unfolded, moulded by fear, anger, pride, and hope but also by disappointment and confusion. A shared sense of identity and history served to consolidate protesters’ voices and visions, with values associated with the European Union, including democracy and human rights, providing a frame of reference for protesters’ demands. 

Humour has a long history as a means of deflecting responsibility and potential persecution for political criticism. In Gen Z protests in the Balkans, humour has had a special role in conveying public discontent. Recent Gen-Z-led protests in Albania demanding improvements to university conditions and fees utilised ironic memes to get their message across and instigate change. 

Over the past decade, the Russian state nuclear enterprise Rosatom has become the most active exporter of nuclear technology in the world. Beyond building reactors, Rosatom establishes an integrated model of political and societal influence.

Chernobyl/Chornobyl is once again becoming a risk – this time as a matter of policy. Russia is deliberately using nuclear power plants and electricity grids as leverage in its war against Ukraine. International rules fall short while the risk for Europe as a whole grows.