EN 
NL Don’t leave democratic voices in Serbia to fend for themselves
The pressure on democratic forces in Serbia is constantly mounting. Critical journalists, activists and political opponents are being intimidated and publicly pilloried. Now their families are also being targeted, and we cannot accept this. Recently, the car belonging to David Gruhonjić, the son of journalist and professor Dinko Gruhonjić, was vandalised. According to the European […]
New publications: EU enlargement calls for political debate
EU enlargement is once again high on the European agenda. Due to the changing geopolitical situation, the accession process for candidate countries has gathered pace. This makes it all the more important that attention is paid within the European Union to the political choices that enlargement entails. During the 9th FoWB Network Meeting & Willy Brandt Programme […]
Europe can no longer afford a moderate tone on Serbia
This piece was also published as an opinion piece together with Holandija Dijaspora in De Volkskrant on 29 May 2026. Last Saturday, on 24 May, one of the biggest demonstrations in Serbia's modern history took place. The demonstration was led by the student movement, which, since the Novi train station disaster [...]
Towards 2027; Three days of campaign training in Montenegro
Last weekend, participants gathered in Budva, Montenegro, for the seminar “Strategy 2027: Campaign Blueprint”. For three days, it was all about doing, practising and sharing. No remote theory, but practical sessions and sharp conversations on what is needed for a strong campaign of our social democratic colleagues towards the important 2027 elections. Participants [...]
It ain't easy going green, part 2: Albania
This series is written in collaboration with International Foundation GroenLinks (IFG). EU enlargement is back on the agenda. After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and amid growing uncertainty about the United States’ role in Europe, EU leaders have increasingly stressed the need to expand the Union. Closer cooperation with countries in Eastern Europe [...]
It ain't easy going green, part 1: Montenegro
This series is written in collaboration with International Foundation GroenLinks (IFG). EU enlargement is back on the agenda. After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and amid growing uncertainty about the United States’ role in Europe, EU leaders have increasingly stressed the need to expand the Union. Closer cooperation with countries in Eastern Europe [...]
Coalition agreement: “Getting started” in Europe, at your own pace?
D66, VVD and CDA this week presented their coalition agreement for the upcoming minority government that will govern the Netherlands under Rob Jetten's leadership. That the cabinet will have a significantly higher pro-European signature than its predecessor is clear from the outset. The three coalition parties devote considerable attention to geopolitical and European affairs, with the aim of putting the Netherlands back in [...]
Multiannual European budget 2028-2034 and EU enlargement: a turning point
Read the note here This policy note explains how the European Commission's proposal for the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028-2034 responds to EU enlargement, a topic that is again high on the agenda after a decade of stagnation and in light of the full-fledged Russian invasion of Ukraine. With Ukraine's EU membership applications, [...]
INTERVIEW: “One World, One Fight” – why the student protests in Serbia concern us all
The photographs in this article were taken by Jan Arsenovic on 1 November 2025, Utrecht. For over a year, Serbia has been in turmoil due to large-scale student protests. Young people are demanding justice, an end to corruption and the restoration of the rule of law. The spark was ignited when the newly renovated roof of the train station in Novi Sad […]
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 [...]