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Dialogue Southeast Europe

Our Mission
Seven members of the FES Dialogue Southeast Europe project team pose for a formal group photo in front of white blinds. In the back row, from left to right, stand Selma Šehović, Saša Vasić, Ema-Džejna Smolo-Zukan, and Harun Cero. In the front row, seated at a wooden table from left to right, are Lejla Garaplija, Sarah Hees-Kalyani, and Jasmina Pirija.
Creator: FES / Admir Kuburović

Our Mission

After more than two decades of engagement in southeastern Europe, the FES recognizes that the challenges and problems still facing this region can best be resolved through a shared regional framework. Our commitment to advancing our core interests in democratic consolidation, social and economic justice and peace through regional cooperation, has since 2015 been strengthened by establishing an infrastructure to coordinate the FES' regional work out of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina: the Regional Dialogue Southeast Europe (Dialogue SOE).

To that end, Dialogue SOE provides analysis of shared challenges in the region and develops suitable regional programs and activities in cooperation with the respective FES offices. Our work is conducted in close cooperation with colleagues and partners across the region. Activities are jointly implemented and overseen by either an FES office or Dialogue SOE. Furthermore, we integrate our regional work into joint initiatives with our colleagues in Berlin and Brussels. We aim to inform and be informed by the efforts of both local and international organizations in order to further our work in southeastern Europe as effectively as possible.

Our regional initiatives are advanced through three broad working lines:

Our website provides information about individual projects within each of these working lines, past events, and future initiatives.

Our Areas of Work

Just Cry for Justice
Creator: We Cry for Justice by David Haigh - License: CC BY 2.0

Social Democratic Politics and Values

Dialogue SOE is committed to advancing social democratic policies and values in southeastern Europe. Our work in this field is based upon youth exchange and political academy programs.

Ne u EU - Enlargement Policy Trash
Creator: Nel Pavletić / License: Pixel Media d.o.o.

Social and Economic Justice

Substantive democratic governance practices are rooted in fair and equitable economic arrangements. Social justice, more broadly, is intrinsic to the regional agenda the FES advances through its respective offices and individual projects.

Progressive Peace Policy

Peace and stability initiatives represent a decades-long cornerstone of FES work in southeastern Europe. Recent events have only reaffirmed the centrality of southeast European stability within the broader continental security paradigm.

Socio-Ecological Transformation
Creator: Azra Kadic

Socio-Ecological Transformation in SEE

The FES Dialogue Southeast Europe aims to address social challenges in climate and energy policy in the region.

Latest Publications

  • Publication
  • Publication Progressive Peace Policy
  • Publication Political Trends & Dynamics

Political Trends and Dynamics: June - July 2016

The overall situation in Southeast Europe has been deteriorating in terms of security and political stability. This is primarily due to fallout from the 15 July attempted coup in Turkey, which has had ...

  • Publication
  • Publication Progressive Peace Policy
  • Publication Political Trends & Dynamics

Political Trends & Dynamics: April - May 2016

Peace and stability initiatives represent a decades-long cornerstone of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung’s work in southeastern Europe. Recent events have only reaffirmed the centrality of Southeast European stability with-in the broader...

  • Publication
  • Publication Progressive Peace Policy

Foreign Policy Papers: Western Balkans between Geography and Geopolitics

This volume of the journal Foreign Policy Papers, presented to the public by the Forum for International Relations of the European Movement in Serbia and the Fridrich Ebert Stiftung Belgrade Office, represents one possible view of the...

  • Publication
  • Publication Progressive Peace Policy

Flight and Migration: Discussions from the Countries of the Western Balkans

Rethinking neighborhood: Another approach to refugees and migrants from southeastern Europe. During the first semester of 2015, the Federal Ministry of Migration and Refugees in Germany received more than double the number of people...

  • Publication
  • Publication Social and Economic Justice

Young People in Serbia

This new youth study examines the civic and political perceptions as well as the individual experiences of young people in Serbia today. It explores attitudes, beliefs and expectations of a younger generation which mainly grew up in a...

  • Publication
  • Publication Progressive Peace Policy

The Balkan-black Sea Crossroads - New Departures

Resurgent ideological and/or religious affiliations have brought about new dividing lines in BBS societies, thus making international reconciliation efforts even more difficult to develop the necessary momentum. Some divergences result...

  • Publication
  • Publication Progressive Peace Policy

A Shared European Home: The European Union, Russia and the Eastern Partnership

In 2014, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung invited twenty experts from twelve European countries to jointly develop scenarios for the future relations of the European Union, the Russian Federation and their Common Neighborhood. The Scenario...

  • Publication
  • Publication Social and Economic Justice

Lost in democratic transition? Political challenges and perspectives for young people in South East Europe

The countries of South East Europe SEE are involved in a process of political and economic transition. They share a communist legacy and face a long and troublesome route to Western-style democracy. Many of them have faced violent...

  • Publication
  • Publication Social and Economic Justice

Youth in South East Europe: Lost in Transition

Youth are the future, is a common saying across many countries, and there is an expectation that young people will be the agents of positive change in society. This expectation is amplified in new democracies. Countries that face...

  • Publication
  • Publication Progressive Peace Policy

EU Enlargement and Security

Slovenia and Croatia are EU members. The rest of the states of the former Yugoslavia as well as Albania are on their way. As the Croatian example shows, this way is long and taxing. After bad experiences with earlier accessions, the...