Post-Covid or Post-Democracy Balkans? Transitional Justice and Reconciliation after the Pandemic 🎬

Moderation:

Stefani Spirovska, President of Youth Educational Forum in Skopje, North Macedonia

Panelists:

Djordje Bojović, London School of Economics/Belgrade
Mario Mažić, Founding Partner at Europe&Southeast in Petrinja, Croatia, and Program Advisor at PeaceNexus Foundation in Switzerland
Aulonë Memeti, Executive Director, ADMOVERE

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 fifth and final discussion in the series on June 30th will examine the current state of transitional justice and reconciliation in the region, as the countries of the Western Balkans seek to evaluate and seek justice for the wars of the 1990s. Taking into consideration the most recent developments, including the Serbian elections on June 21st, the upcoming elections in North Macedonia and Croatia, as well as the possible US-led negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo, the panel will examine to what degree past processes of transitional justice have met success in the region, what are the most significant challenges to achieving lasting reconciliation, and what possible solutions or tools might advance transitional justice efforts across the region. Is there a future for further regional cooperation or has the pandemic derailed the potential for dialogue? Will justice finally be served to victims across the region?

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

June 2: Political turmoil in Albania, Kosovo, and Serbia
June 9: State of human rights, media freedoms, and civil liberties during the pandemic
June 16: Solidarity within the region and beyond
June 23: What future for the region? A Discussion with Goran Svilanović