East & Southeast Europe

In November 2024, the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad killed 16 people and sparked a protest wave in Serbia. Despite brutal repression by the regime, a decentralised movement is now demanding accountability and new elections.

The 13th edition of its European History Forum was held under the title: “80 Years of Narratives about the End of the Second World War”. How is the pivotal year 1945 remembered in the countries of Eastern and Southeastern Europe? 

"The only approach we haven't tried is a transitional government tasked with establishing proper electoral conditions, which is why we're proposing it now." – Radomir Lazović and Biljana Đorđević on engagement, resistance, and the future of the Green Left in Serbia.

Michael Martens reviews Shkëlzen Gashi's book on 83 massacres during the Kosovo War, documenting crimes by Serbian forces and reprisals. The author's merit is to provide new information about the victims, the perpetrators and the search for justice.  

While Brussels may see the Jadar lithium mining project as a strategic step toward a greener future, Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić sees it as a tactical tool to reinforce his grip on power - just as hundreds of thousands rise to reclaim democracy.

The student protests have sparked a wave of democratic mass mobilization throughout Serbia. However, it remains to be seen whether the students’ demands can be translated into political and parliamentary action to enable a peaceful democratic new beginning. 

Massive vote buying overshadowed the 2024 elections in Moldova - over 35 million euros were spent on influencing voters. Robert Sperfeld and Julian Gröger spoke to former State Secretary Mariana Lucreteanu about coming to terms with the scandal and the lessons learned for the 2025 parliamentary elections.

Can digital activism replace the power of in-person protests? In North Macedonia, dwindling protest numbers and rising anti-gender movements challenge the fight for gender equality. Activist Sara Milenkovska's insights on the urgent need for solidarity.

The migration agreement between Germany and Georgia has been in place since December 2023, and Georgia has been considered a safe country of origin for just as long. However, the increasingly repressive policies in Tbilisi make it necessary to rethink the German view of the country.

The brutal Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and its consequences for Ukrainian society and the future of Europe are the subject of this dossier. Ukrainian partners and pro-green voices from Germany and Europe comment on current developments.