The topics of extremism violent extremism and radicalization leading to terrorism have
constituted an increasingly prominent area of policy interest and donor support in recent years
globally and in the western Balkans. Counterterrorism initiatives as well as efforts to
prevent and counter violent extremism (P CVE) often reveal the need for broader reform
peacebuilding and democratization strategies. While foreign donors and domestic authorities
tend to focus on ISIS-inspired violent jihadism in many countries in the region and
particularly in the case of Serbia there are other forms of extremism-namely far-right
nationalism violent hooliganism and neo-Nazi movements-that are often considered to be more
of an imminent threat particularly as they are often viewed as examples of normalized
political expression. The dynamics of reciprocal radicalization in which competing extremisms
feed off of reinforce and even need one another can create seemingly intractable conflict
spirals of escalation and violence. This volume explores these dynamics in Serbia through
original research taking fresh perspectives that demonstrate that Serbia is vulnerable to many
types of extremism which can best be prevented by achieving the liberal democratic
rights-based reforms that have remained elusive for more than two decades. This broad and
holistic approach is important for Serbia and its neighbors as the security lens through which
most research has been focused to date has done little to explain the deep and structural
dynamics of radicalization and extremism in the region.
