While many post-communist countries in Eastern Europe have undergone democratic transformations and have become European Union (EU) and NATO members, the dream of a unified, peaceful, and democratic Europe remains unfulfilled. This aspiration is being challenged by the rise of autocratic models of governance, populism and nationalism, erosion of information integrity and sharp political polarization, as well as unresolved issues from the past.

Given the magnitude of the challenges that Europe is facing today, and especially Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, NED’s steadfast support to democrats in countries across the region is more important than ever. Additionally, NED supports regional civil society and independent media networks that allow for cross-country collaboration and contribute to more effective advocacy with policymakers at the national and EU levels.

By the Numbers

Regional Focus Areas

Advancing democratic values and European integration

Since its establishment, NED and the core institutes have focused on fostering democratic breakthroughs, multi-party systems and market reforms in Eastern Europe. Forty years later, NED is committed to advancing democracy and European integration by empowering reform-minded political leaders and elected officials, business associations, labor unions, civil society, and independent media. Despite some setbacks, the vast majority of citizens in the region remain committed to democracy and joining the EU.

NED supports countries that are moving along the path of democratic reforms. This includes countries in exceedingly difficult circumstances such as Ukraine and Moldova, both of which became EU Candidate countries in 2024. NED continues to invest in Southeast European countries, which have been “in line” for membership EU a long time, and where there is a renewed momentum for reform. In Belarus, the only “not free” country in the region, NED continues to support the embattled civil society and pro-democracy movement to remain resilient and steadfast in their fight for freedom, true sovereignty and a European future.

Protecting information integrity and supporting independent media

The growth of social media and rise of AI poses new risks that the EU is trying to address through various measures. Many of the Eastern European countries where NED works would not only need to align their legislation with EU standards, but also deal with systematic issues related to the lack of transparency of media ownership; excessive government influence over media; limited and/or skewed advertising market; and the increased number of physical and cyber-attacks on journalists. This situation has negatively impacted previous gains with respect to access to information. Given the marked deterioration of the information environment, investing in independent media is a key pillar in the Europe portfolio, which includes a wide range of initiatives: support to national, regional and local outlets, content production, assistance to media associations and hubs, support to investigative journalists, and programming that seeks to unlock private capital to finance independent media, which, in some countries, has been susceptible to authoritarian capture.

Anti-corruption programs that increase transparency and accountability

Corruption remains a top problem across the region, undermining public trust in the democratic system and slowing economic progress and EU accession. While tactics vary, opacity remains. NED seeks to enhance support to investigative journalists who are shedding light on endemic corruption and kleptocratic networks. NED also supports country-level initiatives that promote transparency and accountability and enable key democratic stakeholders—such as political parties, the media and civil society organizations—to detect, track, and expose corrupt practices, refer cases to the relevant authorities, and advocate for institutional and policy solutions.

Improving electoral integrity and citizens participation 

As Europe and the world face increasing challenges to electoral integrity, NED supports projects around key electoral processes and referenda that help increase electoral integrity and transparency through greater civic engagement. NED and the core institutes support a wide range of programs, such as voter education, nonpartisan citizen election observation, party poll watching, candidate training, civic education, and get-out-the vote campaigns. NED also supports innovative ideas aimed at improving inclusion as well as using technology to keep voters better informed of candidates’ platforms.

Country Highlights

Ukraine

Ukraine is a top priority for NED. Since the late 1980s, NED has helped to empower generations of Ukrainians to build their country’s democracy, including through some tectonic shifts in 2004 in the Orange Revolution and in the 2013-2014 Revolution of Dignity. While both movements demonstrated broad public desire for democracy and joining Europe, these aspirations were met with Russia’s aggression, beginning with the annexation of Crimea and war in Eastern Ukraine, and culminating in the 2022 full-scale invasion. Despite the war, Ukraine continues to implement reforms to strengthen democratic institutions. Tackling pervasive corruption, which has hindered democratic development, eroded trust in institutions, and impeded foreign investment, remains on top of the reform agenda.

NED’s support to more than 100 Ukrainian organizations across the country along with the work of the core Institutes helps to strengthen civic participation and democratic processes amidst the challenges of the war.  Priority areas include empowering local groups that enhance political accountability and public involvement in reforms, sustaining independent media to ensure quality coverage of the war, and supporting human rights defenders documenting war crimes and advocate for accountability and justice.

Grantee Spotlight

Investigative journalism plays a critical role for the success of democratic reforms in Ukraine by holding institutions accountable. Founded by investigative journalists in 2013, Bihus.Info is a cornerstone of independent journalism in Ukraine. With a focus on countering corruption and promoting accountability, this group of journalists has received multiple awards, including NED’s 2017 Democracy Award.The group is part of a robust effort by civil society and investigative journalists, launched in response to the full-scale invasion, to ensure that Ukraine's reconstruction is carried out with integrity and transparency, even amidst the ongoing war. Reaching over 1.12 million subscribers on their YouTube channel, Bihus.Info investigations spark widespread public discussion and routinely prompt responses from law enforcement and political actors. In 2023, their story on the Hostomel Military Administration’s misuse of reconstruction funds resulted in the dismissal of its head. Another inquiry uncovered budget embezzlement in reconstruction projects, leading to five criminal cases initiated by the Bucha District Prosecutor’s Office and the Economic Security Bureau. These efforts were recognized by the Global Investigative Journalism Network as among the top investigative stories in Ukraine. Additionally, the group runs complementary initiatives, such as Tysny (meaning "push" in Ukrainian), to support these investigative efforts by filing complaints and collaborating with legal experts to apply further pressure through existing legal mechanisms.

Grantee Spotlight

The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) plays a pivotal role in enhancing the Ukrainian business environment, cross-sectoral collaboration in the private sector, and accountability in the reconstruction process. Over time, CIPE has supported over 200 business associations and chambers advocating for long-term institutional and democratic reforms. Bringing private sector and civil society constituencies to advocate collectively improves policy.In 2024, CIPE’s private sector and economic expert partners advocated for three key bills - the Law on Liberalization of Market Surveillance, law to reform the State Custom Services,  and a bill to reboot the Bureau of Economic Security, which the Ukrainian Parliament adopted and, which help advance economic and anti-corruption reforms. Successes like these have been made possible by CIPE’s technical support for coalition building and help with articulating business priorities for engagement with government stakeholders. Empowering independent private sector stakeholders to articulate their needs and advocate for reform is of vital importance to Ukraine’s economic resilience and for ensuring oversight and accountability of the recovery process.

Central Europe

Central Europe was once a model for other post-communist transitions with its fast political and market reforms, and accession to the EU and NATO. With both backsliding trends and democratic gains, the region now presents diverging governance models and geo-political choices. Central Europe has also been significantly impacted by Russia’s war on Ukraine, the need for energy diversification, the influx of refugees, and high inflation. In addition to these challenges, Central Europe has also seen increasing influence by Russia and China, which disseminate propaganda that undermines support to Ukraine and democratic values and promotes non-transparent investments that lead to government and private sector opacity. While Central Europe remains an integral part of Europe, the shrinking space for civil initiatives and independent media, the weakening of rule of law, and the attacks on basic human rights in some countries in the region, is concerning. Some governments have gone as far as taking concrete steps to curb funding for NGOs, following the Kremlin model.

In this context, NED supports regional initiatives that strengthen cooperation and knowledge exchange among civil society activists, policy experts and scholars to facilitate public discussion on key challenges facing Central Europe, including growing foreign authoritarian influence, the shrinking space for civil society and independent media, and labor market changes. With independent media outlets facing unprecedented financial challenges, NED also fosters collaboration among networks of journalists who are leading investigative reporters, exposing transnational crime and corruption, and raising public awareness of associated security risks.

Grantee Spotlight

Supporting independent media and investigative journalism has been one of NED’s key priorities in Central and Eastern Europe. Since 2017, the Warsaw-based Foundation Reporters (FR) has run the Vsquare.org portal and published over a hundred cross-border investigations in the CEE region. In 2022-23, in collaboration with international partners, VSquare produced high-profile, in-depth investigations related to Moscow’s clandestine, multi-faceted and multi-year strategies aiming to destabilize Moldova and the Baltics, and to take full control over Belarus. Other influential stories, produced and published in 2023 in collaboration with journalists from eight European countries uncovered the presence of powerful signals intelligence surveillance equipment on the roofs of numerous Russian embassies around Europe. Since its inception, VSquare and its partners have paid close attention to the growing Kremlin influence in the region, investigating the relocation of the Kremlin-affiliated International Investment Bank. In April 2023, the U.S. government imposed sanctions on three top officials working for the bank, over their ties to Russia, which have been repeatedly exposed by VSquare. The group’s complex and gripping cross-border stories have demonstrated the capacity and importance of the VSquare network, which now also serves as the regional Visegrad Four Hub at the Collaborative and Investigative Journalism Initiative consortium.

Southeast Europe Regional Program

While Euro-Atlantic integration remains a shared aspiration across Southeast Europe, local autocratic elites have use captured institutions to intensify attacks on independent media and civil society. Renewed tensions between Kosovo and Serbia, and efforts to destabilize Bosnia and Herzegovina’s fragile peace hinder the region’s stability and democratic consolidation. North Macedonia’s stalled European integration and poor progress on internal reforms continues to fuel political polarization and threaten interethnic relations.  The Russian war in Ukraine has created a narrow window of opportunity for the region, as the EU attempts to revitalize the enlargement process. Albania and Montenegro, currently leading the EU accession efforts, could inspire other countries in the region to follow suit.

In this context, NED’s goal in the region is to protect and expand democratic civic space; strengthen cross-regional collaboration; enhance the resilience of independent media; and advance transitional justice and reconciliation. Through support to cross-border cooperation, peer-sharing, advocacy and learning, NED leverages the strength of regional civil society and indigenous coalitions to support needed reforms and help inoculate societies against authoritarian influence, leading the region towards greater Euro-Atlantic integration. All these efforts are rooted in the region’s shared history, interconnected social fabric, and common aspirations for a democratic future.

Grantee Spotlight

The Center for Democratic Transition (CDT), one of the leading watchdogs in Southeast Europe, is committed to increasing government transparency and accountability, promoting dynamic and active civic participation, and fostering good governance. Together with other watchdog groups in the region, CDT established the Accountability, Technology and Institutional Openness Network in SEE (ActionSEE), a platform of like-minded organizations aimed at strengthening civic organizations and include them in the policy-making process in more meaningful ways.The group maintains a Regional Openness Index (ROI), which measures the degree to which 638 institutions across six Southeast European countries are open and responsive to their citizens. The tool allows for in-country and country-to-country comparisons of the openness, accountability, and reform capacity of government institutions in the participating countries. Fostering a culture of healthy competition in the region motivates governments to improve their accountability and openness practices. In the last two years, governments adopted almost all recommendations made by the platform. Various other organizations and government institutions in Europe and globally have adopted this proven monitoring methodology. One example is the “Open Index Tunisia,” developed with the help of the CDT partner organization and NED grantee Why Not in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Grantee Spotlight

Media freedom is in decline in Southeast Europe. Physical attacks, threats and harassment of journalists are on the rise both on and offline. Cases of attacks remain largely underreported as institutional mechanisms are ineffective or unwilling to prosecute and prevent attacks. Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation or SLAPP lawsuits are also on the rise, especially against investigative journalists. Self-censorship among journalists is exacerbated by poor working conditions and labor rights for media professionals. Low pay and professional instability leave journalists vulnerable to pressure from media owners. To counter the tide of attacks against freedom of information in Southeast Europe, the Solidarity Center is supporting new and well-established journalist unions and associations, fostering regional learning, exchanges, and capacity building. In Albania, it supported the establishment and growth of the only officially registered media union in the country. The union has grown in membership and is currently focusing on strategic communication, engaging additional journalists throughout the country, and advancing collective bargaining for public media workers. The Solidarity Center is also leveraging support to the journalist union in Montenegro, the strongest in the region, to share its experience and success stories through regional trainings and network building with fledgling unions in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the civic space for independent media is shrinking at an unprecedented rate.

Belarus

Belarus remains under the authoritarian rule of President Lukashenka, who has been in power since 1994. Following the stolen 2020 presidential election, protests erupted across the country. The regime, whose legitimacy was further undermined by the poor pandemic response, responded with brutal repression, violently cracking down on dissent and silencing opposition voices. Lukashenka also undermined Belarus’ sovereignty by aligning closely with the Kremlin and turning the country into a launchpad for attacks on Ukraine. Despite international sanctions, the regime continues to suppress dissent through intimidation and repression. Yet, many Belarusians remain committed to democratic values, even as their opportunities to express these freedoms in country are under increasing threat.

For over three decades, NED’s support for Belarusian civil society has empowered citizens to take charge of their future and strengthen initiatives that defend rights and freedoms. By fostering initiatives that keep citizens informed and engaged, NED ensures that they can shape a democratic future on their own terms. NED’s engagement with the pro-democracy movement, civil society, and independent media is crucial for demonstrating support for the aspirations of the Belarusian people. NED support prioritizes sustaining civic participation and protecting freedom of information, and countering Kremlin propaganda while increasing international solidarity.

Grantee Spotlight

With NED’s support, partners are providing timely and tangible assistance to political prisoners and those facing political persecution. In 2023 alone, over 4,000 individuals received free legal consultations related to detentions, searches, and police interrogations, sometimes resulting in the release of the unjustly imprisoned. Thousands more have received professional guidance on their rights and advice on how to navigate hostile actions by the regime. Additionally, NED partners offer emotional and material support to families, helping them cope with separation and loss. This assistance is crucial in a time when repression can target anyone, reinforcing faith in citizens solidarity and community support.Alongside direct assistance, NED partners actively document human rights violations and expose brutal prosecutions. Through their advocacy campaigns, they foster solidarity and resilience among those affected by repression, ensuring that the voices of the oppressed resonate both locally and internationally. When jailed human rights leader Ales Bialiatski was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2023, he dedicated it to Belarusians who, despite a brutal crackdown, overcame their fear and stood up for their rights. Today, amid the war, supporting Belarus and those who defy authoritarianism and choose democracy is crucial for preserving Belarus’ sovereignty and maintaining hope for a free European future.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Nearly three decades after the Dayton Peace Accords ended the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), the power-sharing model that institutionalizes divisions along ethnic lines, has left the country in a political impasse. The system provides little opportunity for legislative advancements or openings for engagement with civil society. Ethnic Serb and Croat leaders, backed by officials in Serbia and Croatia, further weaken the state by threatening secession and obstructing institutions. This, coupled with weak governance, mismanagement of public spending, and a focus on identity politics has led to a chronic lack of trust in democratic institutions.

Given the complexity of the country’s political system, security threats and regional implications, Bosnia and Herzegovina remains a top priority in Southeast Europe. To achieve both stability and democratic progress, NED seeks to support citizen-driven solutions to the country’s governance challenges, promote an inclusive issue-based political process, strengthen interethnic reconciliation, and enhance media freedom to dispel undemocratic narratives. NED amplifies independent democratic voices that prioritize good governance and political accountability, while constructively addressing sensitive issues of the recent past.

Grantee Spotlight

In 2022, the Forgotten Children of War Association paved the way for the formal recognition of children born of wartime sexual violence to be legally classified as civilian victims of war in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Brcko District. Due to the legal expertise and advocacy efforts of the Association, the government recognized the rights of this marginalized and vulnerable population for the first time in the country’s history, allowing them to finally benefit from legal protections afforded to war victims and protected from discrimination. Until all victims of the 1990s conflict feel acknowledged by the government and included within society, transitional justice efforts in the country will continue to stall.By advocating for the legal recognition of children born of wartime violence, Forgotten Children of War fosters restorative justice for victims, protects the rights of a marginalized population, promotes reconciliation, and advances democracy in the country. Using its experience in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the organization regularly consults civil society organizations in other conflict-affected countries whose democracies are tackling similar challenges, including in Ukraine. Ajna Jusic, the director of the organization, received the International Women of Courage (IWOC) Award from the White House in March 2024.

Grantee Spotlight

Operating from the Republika Srpska (RS) entity in BiH, Transparency International Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH) is a leading advocate for promoting accountability among the country’s politicians, state-owned enterprises, and public service institutions. Despite facing increasing pressure from entity officials, TI BiH successfully tracked over $2 billion in assets owned by various officials and institutions. The national media coverage of its findings and the public outcry that followed led to multiple arrests, and resignations. In addition to their watchdog role and tireless efforts in fighting corruption, TI BiH is a top advocate for civil society in the country. As a response to the RS entity’s initiative to adopt the Law on the Special Register and Publicity of the Work of Non-Profit Organizations that would allow officials to label CSOs as foreign agents, TI BiH launched an initiative to the RS Ministry of Justice to withdraw this law. Their advocacy efforts contributed to the law being withdrawn from the voting agenda for the time being.

ResEarch and Analysis

International Forum Report: Authoritarian Influence in the Western Balkans

An International Forum for Democratic Studies report explores how Montenegro has become an ideal testing ground for authoritarian actors, and how the lessons learned from these experiments can be applied to authoritarian influence globally. The report also highlights civil society’s approaches to foreign authoritarian influences on democratic institutions. 

Read the Report

Journal of Democracy: How Ukraine Divides Post-Communist Europe

The Central and Eastern European region is at odds with itself regarding the response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine— more divided and contrasted than ever before. The author argues that the complex and diverse responses of the “post-communist” democracies are the result of political actors valuing the benefits they receive from Russia, more than the long shadow of history. 

Read "How Ukraine Divides Post-Communist Europe"