Southeast & Eastern Europe

Serbia's lithium mining project in Jadar has been on hold because of mass protests against feared environmental damage. Now the EU wants to secure this lithium access for Europe - despite the political and legal conditions in Serbia.

In addition to the official part of the conference and discussions on topics related to the 1990s, participants of the 12th European History Forum had the opportunity to experience the past firsthand. Or at least what remains of it through several tours of Berlin.

The 12th Forum focused on the methodological and conceptual challenges of contemporary history, with particular emphasis on the transformative 1990s. How can historians study and contextualize the 1990s?

The Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence hinders Georgian accession to the EU and has drawn massive protests by Georgian society. In this context we asked three questions to Dr. Sonja Schiffers, Director of our South Caucasus office in Tbilisi, on how she views the latest developments.

Serbian memory politics obscures the reasons for the NATO intervention, which strengthens Vučić's power. He presents himself as a defender of the fatherland, despite contradictions with reality.

As the host country of the COP29 climate conference, authoritarian Azerbaijan wants to improve its international reputation. How should democratic states and international civil society approach the next COP?

The Kosovo war of 25 years ago serves as a reminder that frozen conflicts and bilateral disputes cannot be swept under the rug for long. In the current geopolitical environment, they will blow up in Europe’s face.

This article discusses the potential of a feminist approach to climate justice and feminist foreign and development policy. The authors, Gina Cortés Valderrama and Katy Wiese, argue that feminist perspectives are unabdingbar in addressing economic rights, energy transition, and climate-related damages and losses.

In December 2023, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev surprisingly announced snap presidential elections. Accordingly, Azerbaijani voters will go to the polls on February 7th. These elections signal one thing: the consolidation of authoritarian power.

Corrupt politicians have been systematically plundering public budgets and natural resources in the Western Balkans for years. Increasingly, international actors are also discovering an El Dorado for dubious investments in these countries.