Merkel’s Balkan legacy? Time to move forward Comment Looking back at 16 years of Angela Merkel's Balkan policy, there were ups and downs, but the objective of eventually bringing Serbia closer to the EU has failed. It is now high time for a fresh, new start to Germany‘s relationship to the key enabler or blocker of a European future for the region - Serbia. By Simon Ilse
Tirana 2020: No Remembrance, No Discourse Tirana's historic building stock is disappearing. Overnight, listed buildings lose their status and are demolished the next day. Last year, at least ten villas were levelled to the ground. In their place, multi-story residential and commercial buildings are being built by private investors. This development does not benefit the city's residents. By Anja Troelenberg
Poland and the Baltic States: A Preference for a Renewed West Analysis The vision of a strategically autonomous Europe is not met with great enthusiasm in Poland and the Baltic states. On the contrary, the preferences between Warsaw, Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn point to a renewal of the transatlantic bond and a stronger NATO in order to contain the challenges represented by Russia and China. By Justyna Gotkowska
State capture in the Balkans: l’état c’est nous! State capture by well-connected politicians and their recklessly proceeding patronage networks has been far reaching in the Balkans. How could citizens deal with very diffuse networks, if there are no intact correctives, no free, no independent justice? By Marion Kraske
Serbian presidential elections: bravely forward towards the past On April the 2nd 2017 Presidential elections in Serbia took place. The acting prime minister Alexandar Vučić received in the first ballot the absolute majority, thereby he is able to strengthen his power considerably. Our office Director in Belgrade, Nenad Šebek, analyzes the background. By Nenad Šebek
Shrinking spaces in the Western Balkans Without civic engagement and participation, democratization cannot succeed. This publication sheds light on the complex mechanisms of shrinking spaces in the Western Balkans, provides analyses, and develops adequate countermeasures. pdf
Highway to personal happiness What happens to refugees on their way to the European Union? Serbian novelist Vladimir Arsenijević has travelled the Balkan route and kept a diary of his journey. By Vladimir Arsenijević
Democraturas are flourishing in EU's yard At the panel discussion "Media (un) freedom in South Eastern Europe" on July 9, 2015 journalists from Bulgaria, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia reported on the highly critical situation of the media system in their countries. By Adelina Marini
