Moderation:

Senada Šelo Šabić, Senior Scientific Associate in the Institute for Development and International Relations in Zagreb, Croatia

Panelists:

Vuk Velebit, independent political analyst, specializing in relations between Serbia, the EU, and Russia
Stefani Spirovska, President of Youth Educational Forum in Skopje, North Macedonia
Mario Mažić, Founding Partner at Europe&Southeast in Petrinja, Croatia, and Program Advisor at PeaceNexus Foundation in Switzerland
Agnesa Qerimi, Program Manager at Foundation Shtatëmbëdhjetë in Prishtina, Kosovo

Content:

As the world slowly starts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, new challenges have begun to surface. In the Western Balkans, aside from direct consequences for the health and economic sectors, concerns are rising over political turmoil in the region, the further weakening of democratic institutions, the suppression of protests and political opposition, and restrictions and violations of civil and political rights. Will the period after the pandemic trigger a democratic rollback in the region? What will it mean for regional cooperation in the Western Balkans and EU integration? What might its impact be on human rights, civil society, the media, and young people across the region?

To answer these and other pressing questions, we have launched a series of online discussions titled Post-COVID or Post-Democracy Balkans? taking place over the coming weeks. Each discussion will feature a panel of young experts from the region who will cover issues such as political instability, human rights and media freedom, challenges for civil society, prospects for education, and more. The discussions will take place within the framework of our initiative ‘Young Generations for the Western Balkans 2030,’ jointly run with the Karl-Renner Institut and the Austrian Institute for International Affairs.

The second discussion in the series on June 9th will explore the impact of the pandemic on the situation of human rights, media freedoms, and civil liberties in the Western Balkan countries. Protests against the government in Serbia, for example, have brought attention to the government’s harsh lockdown measures and threats to civil liberties. This discussion will seek to highlight how the region’s governments have responded to the pandemic by curtailing various freedoms and to what degree these limitations have been abused or might be extended into the future. The panelists will address the following questions: What are the most significant challenges for human rights, media freedoms, and civil liberties in the region today? What tools might be used to protect these rights? How has the crisis impacted NGOs, and what is their capacity to protect?

Other discussions in the Post-Covid or Post-Democracy Balkans? series include:

June 2: Political turmoil in Albania, Kosovo and Serbia
June 16: Solidarity within the region and beyond
June 23: What future for the region? A Discussion with Goran Svilanović
June 30: Transitional justice and reconciliation after the pandemic