Bosnia-Herzegovina

This is placeholder text. The transition to democracy began rapidly and peacefully in 1989-1990 but unfolded in an unfavorable Yugoslav context marked by Serbian nationalist mobilization. Croatia’s first multiparty elections centered on statehood rather than democratization, producing deep ethnic polarization. Independence in 1991 led to the Croatian War of Independence (1991-1995), during which a nationalist “rally-around-the-flag” SC prevailed, excluding much of the Serbian minority and constraining democratic pluralism under semi-authoritarian leadership.

The gamechanger and the regime: Péter Magyar’s ambivalent frontier position as political resource

By Szilvia Horváth, Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Helsinki On April 12, in a landslide victory, the Tisza Party led by Péter Magyar defeated the illiberal Orbán regime, which had been in power for 16 years. Images of young people celebrating the victory with unbounded joy, just like Magyar himself, made headlines around the world. For the second time since 1990, Hungarians have changed their political system, now after a long, nearly two-decade-long authorita

New CO3 policy brief: what platforms make visible during elections and why it matters

Social media platforms have become central arenas for political communication in Europe. However, their role goes beyond hosting debate. They actively shape what citizens see, which issues gain attention, and which political actors become visible. The new CO3 policy brief, “What Platforms Make Visible during Elections” , examines how short-video platforms and recommender algorithms like TikTok and Instagram Reels structure what users see based on their perceived preferences.

Towards futures of resilient eco-social contracts

By Dr. Jaana Hyvärinen, Demos Helsinki. Europe is entering an era in which the assumptions that shaped the old social contract no longer hold. For decades, the social contract in many European societies rested on a relatively stable promise: economic growth would support welfare, democratic institutions would manage conflicts, and nature would remain a background condition rather than a political actor in its own right. That promise is now under pressure from every direction.