Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Southeastern Europe Regional Office Sarajevo

09/09/2026

The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Southeastern Europe stands firmly behind the position expressed by the German Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina:

For us, it is clear: Glorifying convicted war criminals and perpetrators of genocide is unacceptable.

It stands in direct contradiction to reconciliation, peaceful coexistence, and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European path.

Accountability, not glorification.

We support the statement by the spokesperson of the European External Action Service (EEAS). The link to the full statement is available in the original post below.

The Western Balkan armed conflicts of the 1990s were among Europe’s darkest moments in its recent history. We are standing in solidarity with all victims, survivors and their families who suffered from war crimes in countries of former Yugoslavia. Ratko Mladić was a convicted war criminal who had...

08/09/2026

At this year's Sarajevo Security Conference, we introduced a new discussion: a shared river and, consequently, the potential for shared security.

Since 2022, the Danube has demonstrated its strategic importance—highlighting its value not only as critical infrastructure for the Black Sea region but also as an instrument of European political solidarity, economic resilience, and strategic strength.

Romania and Bulgaria, as EU member states and immediate neighbors in the region, are well positioned to further strengthen political, institutional, and operational coordination along the Lower Danube.

08/09/2026

At this year's Sarajevo Security Conference, we introduced a new discussion: a shared river and, consequently, the potential for shared security.

Since 2022, the Danube has demonstrated its strategic importance—highlighting its value not only as critical infrastructure for the Black Sea region but also as an instrument of European political solidarity, economic resilience, and strategic strength.

Romania and Bulgaria, as EU member states and immediate neighbors in the region, are well positioned to further strengthen political, institutional, and operational coordination along the Lower Danube.

07/09/2026

📢 Interrupting our regular programming with an !

We’re looking for an expert to take a closer look at a question with no shortage of political relevance: What does current U.S. influence mean for the Western Balkans? 🇺🇸🌍

The analysis will examine shifts under the second Trump administration, their implications for democracy, stability, and EU enlargement, and how the U.S. role compares with other geopolitical actors.

📝 Policy analysis | max. 20 pages
📅 Apply by 18 September, 13:00 CEST

Interested? Find the full call and submission details here:
https://soe.fes.de/news/call-for-authors-policy-analysis-on-current-us-influence-in-the-western-balkans.html

04/09/2026

What does it mean for Europe to win through enlargement?

At the European Forum Alpbach, we brought the social dimension into a conversation increasingly shaped by geopolitics. Enlargement can strengthen Europe’s security and geopolitical position — but its credibility also depends on whether people experience tangible improvements in their everyday lives.

Drawing on Mirna Jusić’s research on the social dimension of EU enlargement in the Western Balkans and contributions from Adi Ćerimagić, Valentina Ostojić and Berta López Domènech, the discussion looked beyond chapters and clusters to labor markets, education, healthcare and social protection.

Because a larger Europe should also mean a more social Europe. And Europe’s attractiveness ultimately depends on people feeling the benefits of joining it.

For more on the Social Dimension of EU Enlargement, visit: https://soe.fes.de/features/social-dimension-of-eu-enlargement.html

29/08/2026

Who benefits from the green transition and who carries its costs?

At this year's Young Bled Strategic Forum, our Critical Cobalt simulation game asked participants to negotiate a politically difficult choice: how can resource security, economic interests, environmental and human-rights standards, local development and democratic participation be reconciled?

The exercise made one thing particularly clear: politics is about trade-offs. Participants identified compromise and politically realistic agreements among their main challenges, while calling for stronger involvement of communities, civil society and experts in decisions.

For Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, this is precisely why critical raw materials cannot be discussed only in terms of supply chains and strategic autonomy. The green transition must also ask who has political agency, who benefits from resource extraction, and who bears its costs.

A just transition must also be a democratic transition.

This is our second year working with YBSF to deliver a workshop with our colleagues from FES Croatia and Slovenia, as part of our continued cooperation with the Bled Strategic Forum. Next stop: Bled and the main .

28/08/2026

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥?

It's the question we've carried for six weeks. We asked when solidarity, empathy and dignity started to feel controversial and we listened to people across the region who turned those values into action.

Here's where we landed: social democratic values are not relics of a past political era. They are becoming more necessary precisely because the world around us is changing and our task for the decade ahead is to prove that these values are essential to solving the problems in front of us.

Ten years is an achievement, not a destination. If fairness, solidarity, dignity and democracy are considered radical today, then we'll keep standing by them and keep working with everyone across Southeast Europe who does the same.

This is our vision for the next ten years. Read it in full "Still Radical: A Vision for the Decade Ahead" 🔗 https://soe.fes.de/news/still-radical-a-vision-for-the-decade-ahead.html

28/08/2026

Six weeks and six themes covered.
One question we couldn't stop asking: when did fairness become radical?

We talked about dignified work, solidarity in the streets, protecting the nature we share, facing the past and equality worth fighting for.

We heard from colleagues, partners, activists and young people from all across Southeast Europe and honestly? It's been quite a ride.

Here's a look back at everything "Still Radical" was.

Thank you to everyone who watched, shared, questioned and joined the conversation.

28/08/2026

We passed the mic across the whole region and look who caught it❗

From Sarajevo to Tirana, Belgrade to Athens, our colleagues took on the FES Pass the Mic challenge with one big question: are we still radical?

Spoiler - we are. And we're still hopeful about the next ten years!