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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

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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Javni funkcioneri i prevencija korupcije - praktični priručnik

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

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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Well-Paid Extras’ Roles on the Parliamentary Stage

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 i fantomske organizacije - PRIRUČNIK za prepoznavanje i praćenje

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

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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Javno finansiranje udruženja građana/ki u oblasti rodne ravnopravnosti

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

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

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

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

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

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

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: February 14 – March 6, 2025

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

The deep political crisis that Serbia is also reflected in numerous violations of basic freedoms recorded in the observed period. In Belgrade, on February 25, members of the Criminal Police Directorate, on the order of the Special Department for Suppression of Corruption of the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade, raided the premises of five non-governmental organizations: Civic Initiatives, CRTA, Trag Foundation, Center for Practical Politics, and the National Youth Council of Serbia. The Prosecutor’s Office ordered the collection of information from these pro-democracy NGOs, all because of the statements made by American officials against USAID. The raid comes at a time when the government is trying to present the current protests in Serbia as an attempt at a “color revolution” and after a months-long smear campaign by officials and tabloids on civil society, which loudly points to all human rights violations and irregularities in the work of the authorities. The Public Prosecutor’s Office in Loznica filed an indictment against Zlatko Kokanović, an activist of the association “Ne damo Jadar”, in connection with the blockade of the railway crossing from last year, and requested a prison sentence of 14 months. This is the first indictment related to environmental protests against lithium mining, and the proposed prison penalty is a serious danger for all citizens who faced arrests and detentions due to their activism during the previous year.

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Protests Against Corruption in Serbia: A Review of Events and Institutional Response

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

On November 1, 2024, a canopy at the recently reconstructed Railway Station in Novi Sad, Serbia’s second-largest city, collapsed, resulting in the deaths of 16 people. Protests erupted across Serbia in response, with citizens demanding that the responsible authorities find and punish those accountable for the tragedy. During one such protest, students from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, who were peacefully paying their respects to the victims, were attacked. It was revealed that the attackers were members of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and officials from local bodies and state-owned enterprises. This attack on students sparked the beginning of student blockades at universities nationwide, gaining broad support from various sectors of society, including teachers, workers, farmers, lawyers, artists, and others. Young people initiated a wave of protests against corruption and for the rule of law. Their demands are clear: they call for independent and accountable institutions that are expected to simply do their jobs and punish those responsible for the deaths of 16 people, as well as those who attack students and citizens engaged in peaceful protests. The student blockades began on November 22, 2024, and in the following months, numerous attacks and institutional pressures were applied on the students and their supporters. The repressive mechanisms employed by the government have proven ineffective, as students continue to courageously demand the fulfillment of their demands. The report in front of you is an overview of the events from November 1, 2024 to March 24, 2025, with a special focus on all types of pressure, attacks and targeting to which students and protesting citizens are exposed by representatives of the authorities and state institutions. It is not a comprehensive account of the numerous events that have taken place since the fall of the canopy, but rather an overview of the violations of the basic freedoms of citizens (freedom of expression, assembly and association) that marked the previous period. As the protests continue until student demands are met, the report will be updated regularly.

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Three Freedoms Under the Magnifying Glass: January 31 – February 13, 2025

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

Despite the authorities’ persistent attempts to portray the students’ demands as fulfilled, the facts show otherwise. One of the students’ demands is to punish those who attack participants in protests and blockades. New incidents and attacks are recorded every day, and the list of those who threaten protesting citizens continues to grow. Furthermore, while there is a declared commitment to dialogue, repression is secretly being carried out against everyone who supports the students. Professors and employees who publicly support the protests are being fired and reassigned to worse positions. Revenge is being carried out quietly, at the local level, and the existential threats against citizens are intended to discourage the mass expansion of the protests. However, the tactics of the authorities have not been successful so far, and citizens are rising up in large numbers, standing with the students and their demands for the rule of law and a state that does not promote or nurture corruption. In the past two weeks, several incidents have been recorded on the streets of cities across Serbia. Numerous instances of cars driving through gatherings have been noted. Bricks and firecrackers were thrown at protestors in Belgrade. The Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy in Niš was physically attacked during the protest. During this period, the persecution of activists continued. This is part of the ruling party’s strategy and the pro-regime media’s efforts to portray the protests as a conspiracy by non-governmental organizations and foreign powers against Serbia. Specifically, the Administration for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism requested account details from all banks in Serbia for five activists, citing the Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing. This represents a continued abuse of the law to confront regime critics.

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Three Freedoms Under the Magnifying Glass: January 17 – January 30, 2025

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

Two more female students were seriously injured in the previous period. This indicates a worrying trend of increasing extreme violence to which women engaged in activism are exposed. A student was hit by a car during the blockade on the day of the General Strike. The student hit her head on the curb and suffered serious injuries. On the day when the president of the state spoke declaratively about the necessity of dialogue, thugs, who came from the premises of SNS in Novi Sad, attacked two groups of students and on that occasion beat one young woman with baseball bats and injured her. The struggle of students, high schoolers and their professors, is the struggle of all of us. It is a fight against a corrupt system, a fight for the rule of law and the independence of institutions. In the observed period, 13 foreign citizens who participated in workshops organized by the Erste Stiftung were expelled from Serbia. Their expulsion is a continuation of the pressure exerted by the security services on domestic, regional and foreign activists and should also be seen in the context of the government’s attempt to present legitimate student protests as an attempt of foreign factors to interfere in internal affairs.

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