Democracy

This report offers insight into the situation on the field: is there a system responsible for protection, security, and upholding fundamental human rights? What has the state response been like? What is the role of the international community?

Bosnia and Herzegovina is in the firm grip of corrupt nationalist forces that target the country's reform processes in order to stay in power. However, the recent elections have shown the following: there are many BiH citizens who want more civil rights.

Josipović spoke in the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo; he expressed his respect towards the sovereignty and integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina; he admitted mistakes of wrong Croatian policy in the war and post war period, and he stressed that Bosnia and Herzegovina is Croatia's most important neighbour. This speech sparked a storm of reactions in the Croatian political scene. The then HDZ government of Jadranka Kosor expressed dissatisfaction. Right wing parties organised different gatherings in order to condemn Josipović's statement made in Sarajevo. There were also calls to launch a procedure for impeachment of the president, but in that period, the HDZ did not have enough power in the Croatian Parliament.

Today elections are being held in Bosnia and Herzegovina: before getting out to vote, the nationalists' radical noises have brought the atmosphere to boiling point. There are threats of secession. Republika Srpska’s government desires a Greater Serbia, Croat leaders are pushing for their own entity – the wartime goals of the 90s are coming back to life. In an extremely jingoistic atmosphere, critical or alternative forces are threatened or even murdered.                            

In den Ländern des Westlichen Balkans dominieren mehr als 20 Jahre nach den Kriegen patriarchalische, homophobe und exklusive Tendenzen, die ein Klima der Intoleranz, der Ausgrenzung, der radikalen Abschaffung von Werten prägen. Die Folge sind rigide Abwehrmechanismen gegen aufklärerische und weltliche Ansätze. Auf diese Weise wird die südöstliche Peripherie Europas dauerhaft in Krisenstimmung gehalten – nicht zuletzt angesichts einer schwach aufgestellten EU. Zum Herunterladen der PDF-Version klicken Sie bitte hier  

The EU is ill-prepared to pull Bosnia and Herzegovina back from the brink of its most serious political and constitutional crisis since the war. It is thus high time for the Union to get serious.

An extensive judicial reform is currently under way in Albania. Ina Xhepa writes about challenges in the process of verification of judges and prosecutors.

More than 8,000 people have crossed the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina since the beginning of the year, the number is increasing each day. Only a few hundred of those who are registered are decent accommodations, others live on the streets, in provisional camps. Those happier among them found accommodation with the local population or in hostels and hotels.

How to interpret one of the most political and diplomatic problems in Europe, and probably in the world - a name dispute between Macedonia and Greece?

Digital, online and social-media avenues undoubtedly offer an alternative or complementary channel for news, because of the inherent difficulty in censoring these spaces. Their wide reach and levels of engagement have saved lives during disasters or emergencies.