Western Balkans
For three decades, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom has been active in the countries of the Western Balkans, supporting them on their path to a united Europe. Out of its project office in Belgrade, the foundation coordinates its political and civil society work and consulting in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo and Serbia. Together with domestic partners from politics and civil society, the foundation works specifically on the topics of human and civil rights, digital and open society, democracy and the rule of law, as well as on embracing European values and standards in the framework of the EU integration process.
News
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Transphobia and Homophobia in Serbia | 2024
Due to the lack of institutional support and data collection, this report remains the only consistent annual source of information on unlawful acts committed against queer individuals in Serbia. It highlights ongoing gaps in legal protection, public policy, and systematic monitoring.
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Dodik’s Fall: The End of an Era?
Milorad Dodik, the long-standing leader of Republika Srpska, rose to power with international backing in 1998 but has since turned away from the West, aligning himself with Russia and other illiberal regimes.
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📢 Call for Applications: Engineer for Democracy Challenge
Are you passionate about democracy, transparency, and the power of artificial intelligence to improve civic life?
Join the Engineer for Democracy Challenge by 31 August! -
BAZA 2025: Encouraging women to reshape their societies
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation is committed to equal rights in the Western Balkans. In 2025, we continued to support liberal women who wish to become politically and socially active.
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30th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica: Against the unculture of looking away
30 years ago, the genocide of Srebrenica shook Europe. To this day, it shows how important international responsibility and the outlawing of genocide denial remain for peace and humanity.
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Sustainable City Festival 2025
A meeting point for changemakers! Discover how citizens, academia, and public authorities are working together to shape the future of their cities sustainably. Inspiring and forward-looking!
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Mostograditelji - Bridge Builders
“Mostograditelji - Bridge Builders” is a human interest series about public figures with roots in the Western Balkans. The series describes their experiences of living in European, multicultural societies and explains how this has had a positive impact on their own identity.
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FNF Western Balkans hosts rapporteur of Renew Europe
„We want to see the Serbian people in the European Union, but not a Serbian regime that neglects rule of law and freedom of media.“ – This was the message that Helmut Brandstätter MEP and Dominik Oberhofer MP sent during their visit to Serbia.
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The struggle of a society for itself
Experts speak of up to 300,000 participants: the largest demonstration Serbia has ever seen took place in Belgrade on Saturday. It changed: nothing. On the contrary, President Aleksandar Vučić was delighted afterwards about “the end of the colour revolution”.
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Albin Kurti’s Pyrrhic victory
Albin Kurti wins, but his power is crumbling. Without an absolute majority, he needs allies - while the opposition strengthens and the USA gets involved. A political tug-of-war begins.
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Parliamentary elections in a young, functioning democracy
On Sunday, Kosovo will elect a new parliament. First-time voters and the diaspora play a crucial role. Meanwhile, the tense relationship with Serbia adds to the suspense.
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Serbia is in turmoil – ongoing mass protests
The protests in Serbia began in November with student demonstrations and are now spreading to all generations. President Vučić is coming under pressure and has already sacrificed his prime minister. Markus Kaiser explains the situation.
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Balkanska Ženska Akademija 2025
Applications for "BAZA - Balkanska Ženska Akademija" 2025 are open from 15 January to 15 February 2025, and we encourage talented liberal women at all stages of their political journey to apply.
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An undisputed Victory for the disputed President
Although there was no doubt about the final winner after the first round of voting, Milanović's success with 74.7% of the vote was still a big surprise.
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Student protests reconcile generations
In Serbia, tens of thousands of people are once again taking to the streets in protest against the autocratic regime of President Aleksandar Vučić, this time the protest is being led by students.
