Analytics, Baltic States – CIS, EU – Baltic States, Legislation, Rating, Society

According to the results of the study, in the past few years the vitality of the civil society organizations of several countries has declined, including in Russia, Macedonia and Hungary. At the same time, results of the report show that activists are learning new ways to stand for public interest, mobilize citizens and get funds for their operations. A good example are efficient protest movements in countries where the government has tried to reduce the civic space, for instance in Poland.

Estonia has been at the top of the index for years, meaning it is the country with the most vital civil society. Private giving is becoming more ingrained in society and volunteerism is rising. CSOs continue to be active advocates, demonstrating their ability to stand up for the interests of civil society, their communities, and society at large. Perceptions of civil society have also shifted, with many seeing civic action as an integral part of life, not just something relevant to CSOs. But in recent years the fast development has stopped and in the fresh index the indicators have declined.

"The main reason behind Estonian indicators declining is the drop in organizational capacity. The gap between well-managed and less organized CSOs continued to grow," Maris Jogeva, head of the Network of Estonian Nonprofit Organizations, said. "At the same time, new programs which could soon result in more innovation and impact for the civil society organizations have been initiated in Estonia," she added.

In the fresh index, Poland placed second after Estonia, while Latvia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Lithuania followed. The viability of CSOs was deemed the weakest in Belarus, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.

The annual report contains information about 29 countries from Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia.