CEEOL - Search Result

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(Absence of) Trust and Security in the Second Year of the Pandemic – Serbian Citizens’ Opinions about the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author(s): Maja Bjeloš,Srđan Hercigonja / Language(s): English

Keywords: COVID-19; pandemic; Accountability; Disaster Risk Management; Serbian Security Policy; immunisation;

The public opinion poll on the management of the COVID-19 pandemic, the process of immunisation of the population and the impact of the pandemic on the work of institutions and the status of democracy was conducted during the relatively calm epidemiological period, just before the big wave in late 2021 and early 2022, when Serbia had a record number of registered citizens newly infected with the Coronavirus. At the same time, the survey was conducted in the period when all adult citizens were offered the so-called booster or the third dose of the vaccine against COVID-19. The observed period was marked by the political and security crisis in Kosovo, so the pandemic was not in the focus of public and political discussion. In the meantime, the gradual calming of the situation regarding the pandemic itself, and primarily the reduction of the number of newly infected and dead, created space for the analysis and assessment of the way the pandemic had been managed.

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Irregularities and Abuse of Power in War Crimes Proceedings in the Republic of Serbia - Case of the 37th Battalion of Special Police Units

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: War crimes; Serbian Ministry of Interior; Kosovo

On March 3, 2009, the Humanitarian Law Center (HLC) filed a criminal complaint against 16 members of the former 37th Battalion of the Serbian Ministry of Interior (MoI) Special Police Units (PJP) for the existence of serious evidence that they had committed war crimes at various locations in Kosovo during the years of 1998 and 1999. Radoslav Mitrović, who was the Commander of the 37th PJP Battalion during the armed conflict in Kosovo and Assistant Commander of the Republic of Serbia Gendermerie after the war, and who was also eventually acquitted by the Belgrade Appellate Court in June 2010 of allegations of committing war crimes in Suva Reka on March 26, 1999, is one of the suspects in the 37th PJP Battalion case. HLC based its criminal complaint in the 37th PJP Battalion case on statements given by four members of the Serbian MoI (from Witness no. 1, Witness no. 2, Witness no. 3, and Witness no. 4), who revealed in statements to HLC information about a number of war crimes committed by members of the 37th PJP Battalion during the armed conflict in Kosovo.

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POPULATION EXCHANGE - CROATS FROM VOJVODINA FOR SERBS FROM CROATIA

RAZMENA STANOVNIŠTVA - VOJVOĐANSKI HRVATI ZA SRBE IZ HRVATSKE

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): Serbian

Keywords: Croats; Serbs; Vojvodina; resettlement

Investigated cases of the emigration of Croats from Vojvodina and the exchange of their property with the property of Serbs from war-affected areas of Croatia show that the political idea of relocating the population has almost been realized. Mass resettlement was carried out during June, July and August 1992. According to estimates from several independent sources, more than 10,000 Croats from Vojvodina exchanged their property for the property of Serbs from Croatia at that time.

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Public officials and prevention of corruption - a practical manual

Javni funkcioneri i prevencija korupcije - praktični priručnik

Author(s): Dijana Đukanović,Dušica Rečević,Marko Škerović,Ljiljana Jušković / Language(s): Montenegrine

Keywords: public officials; corruption prevention; asset declaration; conflict of Interest; transparency

This is a manual that explains the legally prescribed obligations of public officials in order to combat corruption. It consists of three thematic units - income and property, conflict of interest and lobbying - in which clear and practical explanations and instructions are offered through questions and answers. Since legal provisions are subject to change, the electronic form of this manual will be regularly updated.

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Guide for those subject to the Law on Free Access to Information

Vodič za obveznike Zakona o slobodnom pristupu informacijama

Author(s): Mira Popović Trstenjak,Itana Gogić / Language(s): Montenegrine

Keywords: Transparency; Accountability; Public Access; Governance; Legal Framework

Free access to information is one of the mechanisms that significantly affects good governance, ensuring transparency and accountability of public administration.

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MPs and Interns must perform much better

Author(s): Nikola Mirković / Language(s): English

Keywords: parliament; elections; plenary sessions; State Election Commission

When it comes to the activity of MPs of the 28th convocation of the Parliament in plenary sessions, the first half of the year was marked by the dominance of more experienced MPs, while the impression is gained that the new forces have been “overwhelmed” by stage fright. As many as five MPs did not speak even once. These are Uglješa Urošević, Seid Hadžić, Gordan Stojović, and Nađa Laković from PES, and Artan Čobi from the Albanian Alternative, with the note that three out of these five MPs began their mandate in mid-November 2023, precisely on 16 November 2023, when the State Election Commission (SEC) confirmed their mandates as they replaced party colleagues who joined the Government. This applies to Stojović, Laković, and Čobi, while Urošević and Hadžić, therefore, since the beginning of the convocation on 27 July 2023, citizens who followed the plenary sessions could not hear their voices.

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Well-Paid Extras’ Roles on the Parliamentary Stage

Author(s): Nikola Mirković / Language(s): English

Keywords: Parliament of Montenegro; parliamentary elections; Members of Parliament; Democratic Party of Socialists; Socialist People's Part; Labour Party; Bosniak Party

The constitutive session of the 27th convocation of the Parliament of Montenegro took place on 23 September 2020. This was preceded by parliamentary elections held on 30 August 2020, which resulted in significant changes in the political landscape and, consequently, in the structure of the Parliament of Montenegro. Specifically, the Parliament at that time entered 30 Members of Parliament (MPs) from the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS-LP), followed by 27 MPs of the coalition "For the Future of Montenegro" (New Serbian Democracy, Democratic People's Party, Socialist People's Party, Labour Party, True Montenegro, United Montenegro), 11 MPs of the coalition "Peace is Our Nation" (Democratic Montenegro and DEMOS), four MPs of the coalition "Black on White" (URA and Civis), three MPs each from the Social Democrats (SD) and the Bosniak Party (BS), two MPs of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and one MP each from the Albanian Coalition "Unanimously" and the Albanian List.The constitutive session of the 27th convocation of the Parliament of Montenegro took place on 23 September 2020. This was preceded by parliamentary elections held on 30 August 2020, which resulted in significant changes in the political landscape and, consequently, in the structure of the Parliament of Montenegro. Specifically, the Parliament at that time entered 30 Members of Parliament (MPs) from the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS-LP), followed by 27 MPs of the coalition "For the Future of Montenegro" (New Serbian Democracy, Democratic People's Party, Socialist People's Party, Labour Party, True Montenegro, United Montenegro), 11 MPs of the coalition "Peace is Our Nation" (Democratic Montenegro and DEMOS), four MPs of the coalition "Black on White" (URA and Civis), three MPs each from the Social Democrats (SD) and the Bosniak Party (BS), two MPs of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and one MP each from the Albanian Coalition "Unanimously" and the Albanian List.

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Gender pulse of the media in the election campaign

Author(s): Milica Zindović,Damir Nikočević,Jelena Jovanović Marović,Dajana Zečević,Danijel Radević,Olivera Komar,Dejana Ponoš,Mirjana Ivanović Bošković / Language(s): English

Keywords: gender equality; media; elections; representation; discrimination

In election cycles, people mostly remember only the results, while the content of the campaign in terms of key messages and electoral programmes is rarely retained. Issues of gender equality also remain on the margins, which, unfortunately, is indicated by the recent extraordinary parliamentary elections in Montenegro held on 11 June 2023. The issue of gender equality, as well as the relationship between political parties and the media, significantly shapes social reality. Objective and non-discriminatory public informing about electoral processes is extremely important for strengthening the overall political culture. Through the project “SPINoFACT 7 – Media Monitoring of 2023 Parliamentary Elections in Montenegro with focus on Gender Perspective” implemented by the Centre for Civic Education (CCE), with the support of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Montenegro, the aim was to bring gender-responsible media reporting into the public spotlight as part of encouraging the political participation of women, especially in light of the growing misogyny in Montenegro, which already has a chilling effect on women’s engagement in matters of public importance.

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Who does Montenegro choose?

Author(s): Mirjana Radulović / Language(s): English

Keywords: elections; candidates; electoral lists; demographics; transparency

Early parliamentary elections will be held on 11 June 2023. Total of 15 electoral lists are participating, with a total of 1113 candidates who will compete for 81 parliamentary seat. The main objective of this research is to provide a cross-section of those electoral lists in terms of gender, age, and regional and professional structure of the candidates so that citizens and the interested public have a deeper cross-section of the electoral offer in that aspect. The data has been processed in a manner that does not reveal personal data about candidates for MPs and provides all the relevant information set by the research task.

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THE BORDER IS CLOSED, BUT THE CONVERSATION IS OPEN

Author(s): Marija Aleksić,Emilia Epštajn,Ivana Vojt,Robert Kozma,Ivana Bogićević Leko,Snežana Skoko,Zorka Aksentijević / Language(s): English

Keywords: Refuge; Migration; solidarity; intercultural dialogue; identity

Catalogue of documentary exhibition about life and journey of migrants and asylum seekers – “The Border is Closed”. The works presented at the exhibition are the result of several years of work of this group of artists.

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Social entrepreneurship: a potential for improving socioeconomic conditions in Montenegro

Author(s): Valentina Ostojić / Language(s): English

Keywords: social entrepreneurship; unemployment ; legislation ; economic and social development

Social or societal entrepreneurship represents a a combination of entrepreneurial activities aimed at addressing social issues. While its principles have been present for centuries through philanthropy, the modern model of social entrepreneurship emerged around 1980. Considering how social enterprises contribute to communities in the European Union, where they employ over 13.6 million people, accounting for 10% of all enterprises, the question arises: how can this potential be developed in Montenegro to address key social challenges, such as unemployment and sustainable development? In Montenegro, social entrepreneurship has been recognized in various strategic documents for over a decade. There have been attempts to pass a specific Law on Social Enterprises that would comprehensively regulate this area, but such legislation has yet to be passed. Due to this legal gap, the entire sector lacks formal support, significantly hindering its growth and institutionalisation, as well as its impact on positive changes.

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Young people between marginalization, radicalization, and potential

Author(s): Nikola Mirković,Nikola Obradović,Željka Ćetković,Petar Đukanović / Language(s): English

Keywords: youth; unemployment; engagement in politics; marginalization; empowerment

Young people are a crucial resource for democratic prosperity, growth, and development in every society, including Montenegro. This publication presents the findings of empirical research and focus groups with young people, aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of the realities of everyday life, experiences, and needs of young people in Montenegro. The research covered a wide range of questions - from how young people spend their free time, how they educate themselves and face the challenges of employment, to what extent they are satisfied with their family and personal lives, from whom they maintain social distance, and who they perceive as discriminated, to how engaged they are in socio-political processes. Through the analysis of each of these segments, insights are provided into both individual challenges and broader implications.

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FINANCIAL ALCHEMY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTENEGRO -an Insight into the Financing of the UoM from 2015 to 2019

Author(s): Snežana Kaluđerović,Mira Popović,Milena Brajović / Language(s): English

Keywords: transparency; university; public institutions; university management; funding ; higher education

Education is an institute of human rights and a category of public responsibility. Higher education at a public university is also an investment of the state that must provide stable and responsible funding for training quality, competitive and competent staff. University of Montenegro (UoM) has 19 faculty units, three institutes and over 16,000 students. It is the oldest higher education institution in Montenegro and is funded from the budget to which all citizens of Montenegro contribute, which brings additional responsibility for transparent and responsible financing. For the purposes of this study, the Centre for Civic Education (CCE) sent requests for free access to information to the UoM and some of its organizational units (Faculty of Maritime Studies, Law Faculty, Faculty of Philosophy, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, as well as Music Academy). UoM and its faculty units initially stalled with the response, so the CCE received assurances from several faculty units that they were working on preparing documentation for submission, but after the rector’s response, template response arrived from all faculties.

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GONGO and phantom organizations - RECOGNITION AND TRACKING MANUAL

GONGO i fantomske organizacije - PRIRUČNIK za prepoznavanje i praćenje

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): Serbian

Keywords: GONGO (Government-Organized Non-Governmental Organizations); Corruption; Transparency; Public funding abuse; Phantom organizations

The Serbian Strategy for creating a supportive environment for civil society (2022–2030) identifies negative public perception of civil society organizations as a major barrier, highlighting the harmful role of GONGOs—government-organized NGOs that simulate grassroots support while misusing public funds. Research reveals systematic abuses, including the allocation of budget funds to newly formed or dormant organizations with political ties, often lacking transparency, genuine activity, or public accountability. Case studies from 2014 to 2022 expose widespread corruption, showing that competitions for public funding were manipulated to benefit politically connected actors through fake or duplicate projects and “phantom” organizations.

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Public financing of citizens' associations in the field of gender equality

Javno finansiranje udruženja građana/ki u oblasti rodne ravnopravnosti

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): Serbian

Keywords: Gender Equality; Public Funding; Phantom NGOs (GONGOs); transparency; Women's Rights

The analysis of public funds for gender equality was carried out in the period from August 2024 to January 2025 as part of the project "Strengthening the transparency of funding from public sources through the analysis of phantom and GONGO associations", which is jointly implemented by Civic Initiatives, the Balkan Research Network of Serbia (BIRN) and FemPlatz. The goal of this project is to establish criteria for identifying phantom and GONGO associations in order to ensure transparent and responsible public funding, especially in the area of gender equality. In the long term, the project seeks to contribute to the creation of a standard methodology that could be adopted by public administrations throughout Serbia and the Balkans. As part of the research, the FemPlatz organization conducted a desk analysis of selected projects financed through the tender of the Ministry of Family Care and Demography and the Provincial Secretariat for Social Policy, Demography and Gender Equality, as well as an analysis of budget allocations for associations in the field of gender equality in nine cities and municipalities (Pančevo, Zrenjanin, Sombor, Sremski Karlovci, Požarevac, Leskovac, Ćac, Zaječar, Užice). All findings refer to the budget periods of 2023 and 2024.

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Three Freedoms Under the Magnifying Glass: April 18 – April 30, 2025

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: Repression; Censorship; Police Brutality; Student Protests; Human Rights

This week saw the first attempt by the police to forcibly break the student blockade. In Novi Sad, the police hit the gathered students and citizens with batons and shields, injuring 31 people. Not only was there no condemnation of the police violence against the crowd by the representatives of the government, but the president of the state said that he was dissatisfied with the reaction of the police, who “did not do their job” as he stated. From April 25 to 27, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Michael O’Flaherty, visited Serbia. After the visit, the Commissioner appealed in a statement to the authorities to conclude investigations swiftly, to identify the perpetrator of the incident and ensure accountability concerning the alleged used of a sonic weapon on March 15 in Belgrade. In the statement, the Commissioner touched on other human rights violations that have intensified in recent months, such as: a campaign targeting students and protesting citizens, the expulsion of foreign citizens from the country, the use of spyware to monitor activists and journalists, as well as attacks on civil society organizations.

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Three Freedoms Under the Magnifying Glass: April 4 – April 17, 2025

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: Repression; Protests ; journalists ; freedom of expression; impunity; institutional abuse

The police forcefully removed the students who blocked the bus from Novi Pazar to the SNS rally in Belgrade. The police violently tried to break up the student blockade of RTS. The police raided the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Philosophy in Niš. Supporters of the ruling party beat a young man for chanting. Supporters of the ruling party beat a father and son for shouting slogans in support of students. Supporters of the ruling party physically attacked the Zrenjanin KTV team. Violence is ubiquitous. Violence goes unpunished. Violence is carried out by institutions.

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Three Freedoms Under the Magnifying Glass: March 21 – April 3, 2025

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: Repression; Surveillance ; Censorship ; Violence ; Impunity ; institutional retaliation against journalists; media restrictions

Professors and teachers who support the student blockades are under great pressure from the authorities and suffer numerous negative consequences for expressing their opinion publicly. Their February salaries were drastically reduced, but the pressures do not end there. Now state officials and pro-government media are openly calling for the arrest of the Belgrade rector and are targeting faculty and school professors on a daily basis. In the midst of a tabloid smear campaign, the dean from Niš was physically attacked. An older woman attacked the dean with a knife, and the fact that high government officials, starting with the president of the country, tried to relativize this violent act towards the dean, whom the president personally called a “criminal” just a few days before the attack, is equally terrible. At the same time, attacks continue on students and citizens who protest, as well as journalists who report objectively. Students in Čačak were attacked by a group of about 20 people, and students in Novi Sad were beaten with belts by a group of 10 men. In recent weeks, there has been an increase in the number of students and citizens who have been detained or invited for informational interviews. The first criminal complaint was also filed against a group of students from one faculty in the blockade.

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Three Freedoms Under the Magnifying Glass: March 7 – March 20, 2025

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: Repression; Media; Protests; Police; Freedom

On March 15, one of the largest gatherings in the past few decades in Serbia was held in Belgrade. Due to the importance of this event and the large number of events the day before and in the days that followed, this Thursday we have prepared for you Three Freedoms under the Magnifying Glass: A Special Edition, dedicated to the “15. for 15” protest. In addition, there is our regular report on violations of basic human rights in the period before the protest itself. In the first two months of this year, we recorded a huge number of violations of freedom of expression, assembly and association (almost half of the total number of violations of these rights recorded during the entire year 2024)

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THREE FREEDOMS UNDER THE MAGNIFYING GLASS: SPECIAL EDITION

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): Serbian

Keywords: Censorship ; Repression ; Protest ; Sound Weapon; Intimidation ; student demonstration; LRAD; Long Range Acoustic Device; Systematic pressure; surveillance

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