In an audience-inclusive discussion moderated by the Advocacy Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights – YUCOM, Jovana Spremo, panelists representing Montenegro, Serbia, and Bosnia & Herzegovina, discussed the common challenges faced by human rights defenders in the Western Balkans.

Panelists agreed that governments often set obstacles for civil society organisations and employed subversive tactics meant to make activists’ lives more difficult. Additionally, participants agreed that smear campaigns were a tool employed often by authorities to discredit organisations. “Having trust in those who are defending your rights” said Spremo, “is the first step”.

Dejan Lučka, Director of the Banjaluka Centre for Human Rights, opened by saying that “the most dangerous thing is not a single law but the atmosphere which the law makes, even when struck down”. Lučka focused on the fact that governments, both in Republika Srpska and in the wider region, engender the concept of civil society organisations as potentially dangerous and normalise the idea of such groups are foreign mercenaries and lobbies. “Defenders have had to become very creative just to keep working” he concluded. “At any time, you can get a lawsuit filed against you.”

More transparency, demanded Ivan Radulović, Program Coordinator for Human Rights & Justice at Civic Alliance Montenegro. “We do seem to be frontrunners” conceded Radulović, “but there are still many concerns”. He also added that cooperation between NGOs from different countries in the region often goes as smoothly as possible, and that the problem lays instead with the relationships between NGOs and governmental institutions. Frontrunners or not, Montenegro still has a way to go—even after it has joined the EU. “We actually focus on what happens on the day after,” he concluded, “we become a member state”.

“GONGO organisations have been spreading across Serbia as well as phantom organisations – organisations that only exist on paper” – this is a big problem in Serbia, according to Alma Mustajbašić, a Public Policy Researcher at Civic Initiatives. GONGOs simulate dialogue and support for the authorities, she added. When government funds and support go to GONGOs, what can CSOs even do? “What is left for real civil society organisations”, emphasises Mustajbašić, “is real work on the field and with the communities, because this is how citizens can actually recognise who is doing the work”.

“When you do not have trust, you do not have society”. This was the conclusion of Tamara Filipović Stevanović, Secretary General of the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia. “The journalist community – real journalists – are human rights defenders”, Filipović Stevanović said, as opposed to journalists who only repeat after the government. Tamara also spoke on the threats and attacks made against Serbian journalists – whether the physical kind or the numerous spear campaigns that are published in matters of days, if not hours. “This is the worst year since 2008 for our journalists”, she said.

In the second part of the panel, panelists joined the audience in five smaller groups to discuss four different topics: security of human rights defenders, disinformation and smear campaigns, GONGOs and phantom organisations, and regional cooperation. Panelists and audiences agreed that solidarity and regional cooperation are very important, as is taking care of one’s own and each other’s mental health. “What is needed are media-literate people,” said Filipović Stevanović. “We should try to focus on initiatives that would gather youth and people from different countries from the Western Balkans,” added Radulović.

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At the Belgrade Security Conference, the panel “Lost in Geopolitics? Post-Yugoslav Views on Security” brought together regional experts who warned that the Western Balkans is facing a convergence of geopolitical uncertainty, democratic erosion, and weakening public trust in institutions

Moderated by Ivan Vujačić, Professor at the University of Belgrade, the discussion emphasised that the region stands at the intersection of major global power shifts and persistent domestic challenges – and that future stability will depend on renewed democratic reforms and more reliable international engagement.

Vuk Vuksanović, Senior Researcher at the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, opened the debate with findings from the Security Radar report. He noted that public attitudes across the region toward major powers are increasingly marked by skepticism. Rather than being perceived as stabilizing forces, great powers are more often seen as potential sources of risk. Vuksanović explained that confidence in the EU has declined sharply, partly because citizens feel the Union does not uphold the standards it promotes. Citing North Macedonia, he argued that what was once considered a success story has become an example of the EU’s diminishing credibility.

Despite geopolitical pressures, he added, most people in the region remain focused on domestic problems – economic stagnation, environmental degradation, and weak institutions. Recent protests in Serbia, he suggested, reflect growing civic agency and rising dissatisfaction with the status quo.

From Slovenia, Petra Roter, Professor of International Relations at the University of Ljubljana, outlined a complex relationship between political elites and the public. Slovenia often presents itself as a principled international actor, illustrated by its current role on the UN Security Council. Yet at home, she noted, many citizens remain skeptical about defense spending and are more concerned with corruption, organized crime, and governance challenges than with traditional security threats. Roter also highlighted rising tensions around identity and minority issues, observing that these debates mirror broader European struggles over how values, rights, and security intersect – and at times collide.

Speaking about Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nedžma Džananović Miraščija, Professor at the University of Sarajevo, underscored the enduring influence of external actors on the country’s stability. While the presence of the United States and the EU remains vital for maintaining peace, she argued that inconsistent policies and shifting priorities have generated frustration and uncertainty. She pointed to instances in which EU institutions downplayed security risks shortly before increasing their military presence, noting that such contradictions undermine confidence in international engagement. Džananović Miraščija also warned that certain EU decisions – including controversial appointments within EUFOR – have raised concerns about judgment and sensitivity in a fragile environment.

Representing North Macedonia, Nikola Dimitrov, President and Co-Founder of Solution and former Deputy Prime Minister, reflected on Europe’s broader democratic challenges. He argued that declining respect for democratic norms, coupled with institutional weaknesses and widespread impunity, poses a greater threat to the region than external actors. Public opinion in North Macedonia, he noted, is often contradictory: many citizens perceive neighbouring Bulgaria or Russia as threats, yet express admiration for authoritarian leaders elsewhere. Dimitrov stressed that EU membership remains the region’s key strategic goal but warned that the credibility of the enlargement process is eroding. Without clearer commitments and timelines, he said, there is a risk that future generations will lose faith in the EU altogether.

Moderator Vujačić encouraged speakers to reflect on what meaningful democratic renewal would require. He noted that the war in Ukraine has pushed EU enlargement back onto the agenda but cautioned that superficial or procedural reforms will not suffice. Democracy, he argued, must be rebuilt in substance as well as in form.

In their concluding remarks, panelists highlighted democratic fatigue, institutional instability, and inconsistent international support as core concerns for the region. They called for stronger regional cooperation, firmer rule-of-law commitments, and closer coordination with international partners.

Overall, the panel agreed that the Western Balkans is confronting both global turbulence and unfinished internal transitions. Navigating this period will require resilience, deeper civic engagement, and a renewed capacity to shape the region’s democratic and security future.

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