The Center for Liberal-Democratic Studies as an NGO Promoting Economic Neoliberalism in Serbia

Abstract

This article presents a study of the basic ideas of the Center of Liberal-Democratic Studies (CLDS) Belgrade and its main activities as a non-government research-educational organization. At present, CLDS is the most important NGO in Serbia, which, starting from the liberal point of view, primarily deals with economic, political and legal issues of development. This article is about an NGO that promotes “the culture of capitalism” in the sense of the “new right”, that is, the neoliberalism or liberianism. Its goals are the following: the protection of individual freedoms, free trade market and economic development, the governance of law, responsible and restricted state and liberal democracy. The research results are based on the analysis of approximately 20 studies published by the Center, the articles appearing in its monthly journal Prism, and interviews with 8 CLDS members regarding their cooperation and exchange of ideas with the West.