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NL Analysis: the Serbian student protests in 2025
This publication and text continues in English - as the FMS conducted this research with an international consortium under Friends of the Western Balkans (FoWB), led by the Foundation of European Progressive Studies (FEPS). Until recently, Generation Z in Serbia was often perceived as apolitical and more immersed in the digital [...]
Through the eyes of a Serbian journalist: Dinko Gruhonjić on media, fear and the student uprising in Serbia
Photo: Dinko Gruhonjić (Wikimedia Commons) In this third and final article on the Serbian student movement, the Max van der Stoel Foundation and the International Green Left Foundation once again join forces. We spoke to Dinko Gruhonjić, a journalist with more than 20 years of experience and programme director of the Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNV). In addition to his [...]
Bosnia & Herzegovina at a tipping point: Why Europe must act now
Photo: Dodik and Putin in 2024 (WikiMedia Commons) The FMS is publishing this piece from a collaboration of organisations from the Netherlands that want to put EU integration of the Western Balkans on the map. We are doing this together with PAX, NHC, Free Press Unlimited, Dutch-Albanian Friendship Foundation and Humanitarian Intervention Committee. Follow our calendar for future events [...]
Our Statement on Serbia during 'Friends of the Western Balkans'
Amid growing concerns about the deterioration of democracy in Serbia, the Friends of the Western Balkans (FoWB) gathered in Ljubljana for their seventh meeting. This network of progressive politicians, civil society leaders and social democrats from across Europe had one clear goal: to express their support for the region's European future. This [...]
The social democratic perspective on the growing protest movement in Serbia
Photo: FMT The FMS, in collaboration with International Foundation GroenLinks, has started a series on the Serbian anti-corruption protests. During this series, we highlight different sides of the protests, and this time we cover the social democratic perspective. Last Saturday, 15 March, the largest (student) protests in Serbia to date took place, with more than 300,000 people in attendance. [...]
A moment of silence for the victims of the railway station disaster in Novi Sad, Serbia
On 1 November, the roof of a train station in the Serbian city of Novi Sad collapsed, killing 15 people and seriously injuring two. Remarkably, this train station had been renovated only four months before the collapse. It suggests that this was not only a tragic accident, but also a failure of the responsible authorities. The [...]
New generation of young people at Summer School in northern Macedonia
In early July, the Max van der Stoel Foundation together with the Progres Institute organised the annual Summer School on Lake Ohrid in northern Macedonia. The 17th edition of this event was dedicated to recruiting a new generation of young political talent inside northern Macedonia. This is of great importance now that the Social Democrats in the [...]
Watch back now: debate with MEP candidates on the Western Balkans
Photo: Flags of EU Member States - Flickr On 26 May in Leiden, the FMS together with PAX, Free Press Unlimited, NHC, Dutch-Albanian Friendship Foundation and Humanitarian Intervention Committee organised a debate on EU integration of the Western Balkans! Teun Janssen (Volt), Ingeborg ter Laak (CDA), Reinout van Malenstein (NSC), Alisha Muller (VVD), Thijs Reuten (GL-PvdA) & [...]
Major concerns after Serbian election manipulation - 'Assertive EU is crucial'
Photo: The Serbian flag flies at a government building in the capital Belgrade. Source: Flickr The December 2023 Serbian elections, marked by large-scale fraud and manipulation, are a new chapter in the country's worrying development. Serbs took to the streets en masse in protest against the fraud, the uneven playing field and the overall state [...]
Marriage equality in Greece: what does it mean for the Balkans?
On 16 February, Greece made history by becoming the first Orthodox country to open marriage to same-sex couples. What is the impact of this groundbreaking move on the Balkans? We interviewed Christos Papagiannis - director of the Social Change Institute Eteron - and Dajana Bakić - president of Rainbow Rose and part [...]