“They don’t work with people”. The authorities and civil society in contemporary Serbia
“They don’t work with people”. The authorities and civil society in contemporary Serbia

Summary/Abstract: The article discusses the condition of civil society in contemporary Serbia, with special emphasis on the relations between its representatives and the authorities (both at the local and state level). The main objectiveof the analyses is to answer the question of the position of the civil sectorwithin Serbia’s broadly understood political system. What role do both formalnon-governmental organizations and grassroots non-institutionalized socialmovements play in this relatively young democracy? What is the attitude ofthe authorities to grassroots civil activities, which often manifest criticismtowards the decisions and actions of those in power? These questions willconstitute the central axis of my considerations in this article.The research problem indicated above is analysed on two essential levels.Firstly, the article discusses existing studies and research on the nature of civilsociety in Serbia and the ways in which it functions. Secondly, the author analyses the results of qualitative research carried out at the late 2018 and early2019 among representatives of Serbian civil movements and organizations.The conclusions stemming from these analyses are presented in the final partof the article.The analyses carried out indicate the problems that face the civil sector inSerbia. First and foremost, one should draw attention to the authorities’ rathernegative view of the civil sector. What is also noteworthy is an extended net- work of connections of the authorities with the private sector as well as withright-wing, nationalist, pro-government organizations. These circumstancesto a large extent hinder or even preclude dialogue (and further cooperation)between public and civil institutions.

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