East & Southeast 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.

Halida Uzunović, a Bosnian war survivor, talks about her experiences during the Bosnian war, especially the harrowing events in Foča that became a byword for brutal ethnic cleansing. The former head of the Foča War Victims Association also reflects on her commitment to breaking the silence about these atrocities and to advocating for truth and justice for the survivors and victims, despite their ongoing social stigmatisation and the denial by some political actors that war crimes occurred.

This article examines the critical issue of public participation in environmental governance in Azerbaijan, focusing on the intricate relationship between environmental procedural rights and political repression, particularly in the context of the country hosting COP29.

Externalisation is increasingly seen as a lever for solving the EU’s migration issues, yet poses serious legal, ethical and practical problems. 

Ajna Jusić’s mother survived conflict-related sexual violence during the 1992–95 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ajna is one of many children born as a result of such war crimes. Her organisation aims to improve the lives and legal situations of the victims and their children.

The lithium deal brings a new quality to Serbia’s foreign policy zigzagging. At one stroke, Serbia became a strategic partner and the guarantor for the future of the European Green Deal.

We, the undersigned civil society organizations, movements, groups and individuals, highlight the urgent need to address serious human rights concerns in Azerbaijan in the lead-up to its hosting this year’s United Nations Climate Conference (COP29).

The Rio Tinto controversy in Serbia revolves around the planned Jadar lithium mine. Despite economic benefits, strong opposition arises due to environmental concerns such as water shortages and pollution. Local protesters demand more environmental protection.

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?

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?

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.